"A different monster" - Devin Harris on seeing Luka for the first time and why he was ahead of everyone
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Luka Doncic's dominant performance in the 2023-24 campaign, during which he led the league in scoring both in the regular season and the postseason while leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years, might have solidified his status as arguably the most impactful guard in today's NBA. However, his journey to stardom wasn't as immediate as some of the other legendary greats.
Speaking on the 'Forgotten Seasons' podcast, Devin Harris, who played his last season with the Mavs in the 2018-19 season, offered insights into Doncic's training camp performance and recalled how the rest of the players were tricked into believing that the Slovenian was merely a pass-first guard like Steve Nash.
"They lied to us… We get there, 'He's kinda like Steve Nash.' So, he's coming playing pickup, and I don't see Steve Nash out here. We could see he had the bits and pieces of it - he had the footwork, he could shoot, but (most importantly) the confidence was there. There was a discrepancy how him and Dennis Smith Jr. were gonna work," Harris said. "But once they decided to put the ball in his hands and let him run with it, you saw a different monster, what he potentially could be."
Harris on how the vets didn't appreciate Mavs focusing on Luka
Given that Luka averaged 18.0 points on 42.5% shooting from the field, along with 3.5 turnovers in his first 25 games, Harris acknowledged that several veteran players on the team were frustrated by the organization's decision to give the spotlight to Doncic and direct plays through him. However, after seeing how he improved his scoring efficiency, averaging 21.2 points per game, and leading the team in assists to win the ROTY award, Devin, as well as the other veterans, realized it was the best decision for the Mavs to lead the franchise in the right direction by building a team around the Slovenian maestro.
"Veterans don't wanna see this (as) it outdates you like, 'We don't care what ya'll doing, give him the ball.' It didn't sit well with a lot of the vets," Harris added. "It was the best thing Dallas had done."
In the 2018-19 campaign, even though the Mavericks had seven other players averaging double-digit points, their offensive rating was still among the worst twelve teams in the league. However, once Luka was given more responsibility in his sophomore year, his scoring average improved to 28.8 points with better efficiency. Consequently, the Mavs' offensive rating soared to become the best in the league for the 2019-20 season.
Doncic took his time
When it comes to generational talents, fans always want immediate results. This was especially true for Luka, who had played professional basketball in Europe since he was 16. However, thanks to the time and effort the Mavs invested in the 6'7" guard, he has now already earned more All-NBA First Team selections than Stephen Curry in just six years in the league.
That said, regardless of his talent level, Luka is indeed a unique player to work with. Considering that the Mavs never rush to make changes, giving time and patience is the best way to give Doncic another chance to reappear in the championship round.