Why is Luka Doncic So Hard to GUARD? Game breakdown

Luca Doncic is one of the most prolific offensive players in the NBA today! He’s only in his third year in the NBA and looks like a seasoned vet when he’s on the court.

At the age of only 22, Luka is AVERAGING 29 points and 9 assists per game!! That’s unbelievable that he is able to put up those kinds of numbers against guys that are older and have more experience than him.

Luka Doncic is a special talent, and he’s a perfect example for people that aren’t that fast that they can still excel in basketball.

Luca is one of the best in the NBA at changing speeds and getting his defender off balance. He’s also incredibly smart and savvy and uses that to his advantage in every game.

Here we are going to talk about Luca’s tendencies and why he is as successful as he is.

WHAT LUCA DOES AGAINST GUARDS

Luca is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. He’s a 6 feet 7 inch POINT GUARD. And uses his height to his advantage when smaller guards play defense on him.

Here’s some different ways that he scores…

Shoot Over Guards

Because Luca is such a great driver guards will sometimes give him space. When guards give him too much space he has a tendency to just shoot right over the guard.

Because of his height, he is unaffected when smaller guards give him space. He already has a quick release and a high release point. When given too much space, the defender is no longer affecting his shot. If he misses it´s usually because he just missed.

Step back

His beloved stepback! Luca has an elite change of direction which leads to him having one of the games best stepbacks. He loves to use this move when defenders try to force him to go a certain way. He uses this move to create even more space, and shoot over the defender.

Pump Fake

He counters his stepback with an instinctual ability to use the pump fake. He knows that a lot of players are eager to try and contest the step back, and if he feels you are too eager he will use the pump fake to get you in the air to draw the foul.

Post Up into a Dirk Fade

Post moves!

Luca has been very successful in the post and especially with smaller guards. He likes to play bully ball and use his size and stature to his advantage.

When he posts up smaller guards he loves going back over his right shoulder so that he can shoot the one foot fader that Dirk made famous.

Luca is a problem for all positions but when guards or wings defend him, these are the moves that he leans on to score.

WHAT LUCA DOES AGAINST BIGS

Like we said earlier, Matchup Nightmare! But with bigs it is even worse because without the constant pressure that guards apply sometimes, it gives Luca all the time in the world to dissect what the team is doing on defense.

Just like against guards, Luca has tendencies and moes that he does against bigs.

Here we are going to show you some of those moves.

Drive By Them

Bigs being matched up on guards is already hard, but with the spacing in the NBA it makes it increasingly harder. There is far less help side because of the great shooters that are usually on the floor, and Luca knows this.

If bigs press up on Luca, he has a tendency to play with the ball a little and just drive right by them. If not to score than for an easy pass and assist.

Big have a really hard time staying in front, and Luca is a maestro with the ball.

Pump Fake

A lot of the time if Luca tries to drive but doesn’t completely get in front of the big he will either come to a stop, pull it back, or do a step back. With all of these moves, he plays with PACE, and throws up a shot fake.

Shot fakes are one of the best things to do against bigs because bigs are always eager to block shots.

And as soon as he creates a little space and throws up a shot fake, that big is in the air! As soon as the big jumps, it’s over and Luca will create the contact and get two free throws.

Shoot or Step Back

Because bigs are typically slower on their feet, they usually will give guards more space so that it isn’t as easy to drive by them. They also do this because they are bigger and longer and can contest shots from farther away.

When bigs give Luca too much space he is still tall enough with a quick release that he can shoot over the outstretched arms.

And when bigs guard they try to cut the floor in half and try to send Luca in one direction for help.

When they do this, it’ll give Luca the perfect opportunity to do a side step or step back to create enough space to get off his jump shot.

Luca is an unbelievable talent and he’s so fun to watch!

It’s incredible what he is able to do during the game and never seems like he’s going fast. He slows the game down and plays at his pace. That’s something all young guards should try and learn from watching Luca Doncic games.

Bring Your A Game!!