A recent home clash between the Phoneix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks had the NBA fans wonder about the possibilities. An on-court exchange between the All-Star figures of both teams, Devin Booker and Luka Doncic, actually sparked the scenario. As the Suns guard congratulated the international star on becoming a father, the viewers took to Reddit to express their thoughts.
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A clip containing an in-game interaction between the two team’s players surfaced on the social media platform. At that moment, Booker was seen greeting Doncic, stating, “Congratulations on your daughter bro”. The Mavs star appreciated the gesture and in return, he mentioned, “Thank you! You good?”. The exchange caught the eyes of the spectators as a Redditor shared it with the caption, “Luka Dončić and Devin Booker exchange pleasantries during their recent matchup”.
It warmed the hearts of the NBA fans as the two maintained a level of mutual respect amidst their fierce rivalry. Despite sharing an intense competitiveness since 2021, both of them kept their professional lives separated from personal ones. It captured the essence of the sport as the on-court interaction properly endorsed what competitive basketball was all about.
Thus, the exchange made the supporters ponder a different scenario surrounding the Phoenix organization. They highlighted the possibility of Booker and Doncic being teammates rather than rivals had the Suns played their cards right. “Phoenix really could’ve had Booker + Luka,” one Redditor commented, shedding light on precisely that.
Another fan extended on that, mentioning how the franchise had even hired a coach from Doncic’s nation Slovenia during that period. Still, they decided to make a move for Deandre Ayton over the 24-year-old. “They even hired the Slovenian coach and then picked Ayton,” the Redditor highlighted.
One viewer termed the on-court moment as a “Courtship of rivals,” while expressing his thoughts. He summarized the scenario nearly perfectly as both the players indulged in assisting their teams to a win soon after that.
Another commented “Wholesome,” to reveal his appreciation of the instance.
These words from the fans wonderfully displayed the NBA timeline of both Booker and Doncic since 2018. During the 2018 NBA draft, the Suns had different plans as they picked Ayton as the 1st overall pick in a draft class consisting of the Slovenian youngster. The presence of Igor Kokoskov as their head coach did not change their stance on the 6 ft 7″ guard at all. Eventually, Doncic landed in Texas and has since made it his home.
So, the 4x All-Star visibly held no grudge against the Suns for their decision despite the ongoing rivalry between the teams. Booker too found his place in the organization without Doncic as they built the roster around the 27-year-old. They both rose the ranks to become the talismanic figures for their squads. Yet, it certainly did not stop the fans from wondering about the possibility of their playing together while simultaneously appreciating their excellence.
Why did the Phoenix Suns overlook Luka Doncic?
Despite entering the 2018 draft as the most accomplished teenager, there was a fair share of doubts over the quality of Ljubljana-born. While his size, vision, versatility, game-reading skill, and success level were admired, a few concerns were present over his overall gameplay. More specifically, his creativity, athletic ability, three-point shooting, and defensive capabilities were massive question marks for scouts as a teenager coming into the NBA.
During that time, the doubts only increased following the opinion of Stephen A. Smith. In an episode of First Take, the sports analyst declared, “Deandre Ayton is going to be the number one overall pick. But it’s incredibly important that the Phoenix Suns don’t mess this up”. “I don’t give a damn about how this kid in Europe looks,” he further added while demanding the Phoenix side to select Ayton.
With time, the decision seemed to have only backfired on the Suns as Doncic became a leading figure in the league. Since coming into the NBA, the 2018 EuroLeague MVP turned his noted weaknesses into strengths. The Mavs now base the majority of their gameplay on his creativity, shooting ability, and herky-jerky tempo of play. The only weakness in his game has been his defense, something that has also improved massively since he came into the NBA.
So, it’s fair to conclude that the Suns made a poor choice over five years ago. As for Dallas, they never had to regret their decision to let go of Trae Young to bring in the European youngster. Another what-if moment that could have changed the trajectory of the league
