“Oh, He’s got the step back!”: Luka Doncic reveals that his emulation of James Harden’s step back move in his rookie season was an improvization off the hook by the Mavericks superstar

Luka Doncic revealed that before hitting the Houston Rockets with a series of step-back jumpers, he’d never specifically practiced them before.

Speaking to JJ Redick on ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, the Mavericks superstar and 2-time All-NBA First Team selection gave us an insight into how inventive he can be with a story that probably only Doncic can properly narrate.

“I didn’t really use the step-back in Europe. But then, I did it against Houston in my first year and they said ‘Oh! You have a great step-back!’ And since then, I’ve been doing the step-back.”

JJ Redick, who’s a legendary shooter himself, was pretty shocked at this revelation. He burst out laughing before the Slovenian Sensation carried on:

“Really! Before, I never really practiced the step back. Since then, (when) I scored like 3 threes and a two against Houston at the end of the game. It was like 3 step backs.”

Doncic then added that he’s worked quite a bit on his stock scoring move – as is obvious from the eye test:

“Since then, everybody says ‘Oh, he’s got the step back!'”

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How Luka Doncic has scored on step back jumpers since then

If you were to write a scouting report on the 23-year-old’s game, step backs would be heavily featured in it. The Slovenian does it not only from behind the 3-point line, but everywhere within the arc too.

What makes him even tougher than most other players attempting this move is his ability to fake while decelerating. Very few players – the names of Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry spring to mind – have that kind of hesitation move in their arsenal.

On top of that, Doncic is a 6’7″, 245-pound man. Even with his baby fat, that mass is no joke to guard. It becomes very difficult for the defender to stop the step back because of his dribble penetration threat.

If James Harden is perhaps the best player in basketball at decelerating and creating separation, Luka Doncic isn’t far off. While the Mavericks are making their best bet on him in the upcoming future, he looks set to take them to playoff relevance sooner rather than later.

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