Stan Van Gundy recently made a bold declaration about Luka Doncic. Amidst the rise of the Dallas Mavericks guard, the 64-year-old shockingly drew parallels with Michael Jordan. He even claimed that the Slovenian possessed greater offensive prowess than the 6x champion, initiating an exciting narrative.
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During his latest appearance on LeBatardShow, Van Gundy praised the 25-year-old for his capabilities as an elite shooter as well as a passer. The former Detroit Pistons head coach subsequently shed light on how Doncic constantly used his stature to gain advantage. Before he ultimately declared how these qualities put the 5x All-Star ahead of MJ as an offensive threat in an NBA game.
“Had Jordan come up in this game, maybe he would have shot the three as frequently and as well as Doncic did…Jordan certainly wasn’t a bad passer but he was not Luka Doncic as a passer and he did not have Luka’s size, and strength…I’m not trying to demean Michael Jordan in any way…but Luka Doncic to me is at a different level offensively,” he mentioned.
Despite sparking debates, the statement portrayed a near-accurate picture. This season, Doncic has registered 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game, as per StatMuse, while shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.2% from the deep. His passing range and facilitation skills have also undergone a steady increase, evident from his offensive rating of 119.6, as per NBA.com.
These stats remain at par with Jordan’s first-ever MVP season in 1986/87. At that time, the Black Jesus averaged a career-high 37.1 points per game, while recording 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, as per StatMuse. This further justified the ongoing narrative around Doncic while cementing his position right by MJ’s side.
Can Luka Doncic match the legacy of Michael Jordan?
With the league remaining in dire need of a new face, Doncic emerges as a leading contender. The Mavs head coach Jason Kidd hinted precisely at that following the point guard’s 73-point display against the Atlanta Hawks. He outlined how the international superstar had surpassed the franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki before expressing his thoughts.
As per The Guardian, Kidd mentioned, “He’s in the atmosphere of [Michael Jordan], the best to ever do it…I’ve said this internally: He is better than Dirk. He does things that Dirk could never do, and now is the opportunity of getting the right people around him to ultimately win a championship”.
The words of encouragement certainly meant a lot to the youngster. After all, in one of his previous post-game conferences, he openly claimed Jordan to be his favorite NBA player of all time. Hence, finally receiving the opportunity to find a spot right beside his idol undoubtedly added volume to his growth.
At the same time, Doncic has been representing the Jordan brand since entering the NBA. Considering that MJ plays an active role in picking the players for his brand, the 6x Finals MVP must be in admiration of the Mavs guard as well. All these point toward the exponential growth potential the Solvenian holds as the league remains fond of his endeavors.
