Luka Doncic Destroys Zion Williamson in New NBA Poll, Gives the Mavericks the League’s Ultimate Building Block
Feeling Lucky for Luka
BY Chris Baldwin // 04.28.20
Luka Doncic destroyed Zion Williamson in a poll that determined the NBA's top building block.
Most Dallas Mavericks fans are very aware of how lucky the franchise is to have Luka Doncic. But a new NBA poll drives home that reality, while proving that for all the hype over New Orleans Pelicans rookie dunk machine Zion Williamson, Doncic occupies a whole other higher plane.
ESPN polled NBA front office executives — general managers, coaches, scouts and other executives — on which rising star they’d most want to build a team around and Doncic won in a landslide. The 21-year-old who has given the Mavericks a completely new future destroyed Zion and everyone else in the poll.
Doncic racked up 17 of the 20 possible first place votes. Zion got one. Yes, that’s 17 to 1.
Which seems about right. For all of his highlight potential, Zion Williamson is not close to as sure a thing as the Mavericks’ difference maker. Doncic does not have the injury concerns that haunt Zion — and he’s already proven he can be the central hub in one of the league’s most efficient offenses.
“Luka is a known quantity as a total stud,” an Eastern Conference scout told ESPN. “So you have to take the sure thing.”
Doncic clearly should have been the no doubt No. 1 pick in 2018 NBA Draft. Instead the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings suffered complete brain farts, the Atlanta Hawks went Trae Young looney and the Mavericks managed to steal Doncic by trading the fifth pick in the draft and a 2019 first round pick.
Outdoor Dining with Bering's
The Mavericks have done a number of smart, innovative basketball things over the years — including discovering Dirk Nowitzki and beating the NBA’s first new player orchestrated super team (that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh team up in Miami) to win a championship with a one superstar team. But somehow essentially turning the fifth pick of the draft into Luka Doncic might be the smartest thing of all.
Doncic is already a borderline league MVP candidate at age 21 — and there is plenty of room for him to still grow his game. The Mavericks have the NBA’s ultimate building block in their building.
Few around the franchise needed to be reminded of this. But it’s still nice to get confirmation.
