The NBA is a world of muscle monsters, and only tough physical qualities can get a foothold here, which is what many people recognize in the American Basketball League. Truth be told, twenty years ago, this phrase was the law. Because all the players were emphasizing physical fitness, and the players of that period were really exciting. But at this stage, this sentence is not necessarily correct! Why? Because the league emphasizes the viewing of the game, pure confrontation, no skill, it is impossible to attract an increasingly picky audience. So you can see that more and more players who don't need physical fitness and can stand in the league by skill are coming up. And about these players, it has gradually become the mainstream.
Probably the most prominent of these is Doncic. European white players, in most people's impression, are poor confrontational ability. Because the basketball atmosphere in Europe is to emphasize the whole, it is the collective output of the players of the whole team. But it is such a player who does not rely on physical fitness, but has become the successor of the league in everyone's eyes. Some say this is the next James.
In fact, what the fans are saying is not unreasonable. Doncic is indeed a James-level figure, of course, here is not that he has the same physical qualities as James, but his brain, the big picture, and various techniques and tactics, all of which are on the same level as James. Doncic always plays by the brain, not the body. Of course, when playing against certain specialized players, Doncic's body can also take advantage.
From the point of view of physical conditions, Doncic is not a defender player, and the front line is a bit reluctant, so it should be regarded as a front guard swinger. He is an extremely consistent player, and almost every season, Doncic's shooting distribution belongs to the magic ball. 48 percent of shots made within 10 feet and 45 percent shots outside the three-point line are symbols of the magic ball. The last foreign player with this distribution was called Ginobili.
But old fans know that Doncic can't get involved with Ginobili, and the two people are two completely different paths. Ginobili is a skillful, agile and strange demon knife on the field, and Doncic's size, this style of play, this proportion of the ball, are not this type. He is the big core of the ball and is a big fan of magic balls. There will probably be a new model here: Harden.
Yes, Harden's draft template was also Ginobili, and it has now evolved into something less like a demon knife. Doncic's performance now is what Harden looked like during the Rockets. This is a good explanation for Doncic's distribution of shots, because this thing is a bit of a "division out of the same origin" meaning. Is That Harden's template more appropriate for Doncic? Will Doncic follow Harden's development in the future? Nor is it! Because Doncic has his own ideas. Or rather, white European players don't apply Harden's approach to black Americans.
Let's talk about places like Harden, and the place where Doncic most resembles Harden is on the offensive end. Or rather, this type of player plays like this. Without a speed advantage, these players have no room to shoot on the outside, how to solve this problem? Quite simply, find a chance to break through and then kill into it. But the people inside blocked your offensive route, how are you going to break through? This requires cover, and defenders all over the world know cover.
Cover coordination, and then what? Grab a spot. If you're a speed defender, you can go straight in and solve the problem. But the problem is that you are not a speed guard, so you can only occupy a valid position first, and then play step by step. This is the time to show Doncic's ability. When he is stuck in position, no matter how the opponent interferes, his ball-holding end is not affected. This is a test of a player's basic skills and ball. Once inside, Doncic knew that he wasn't efficient in the middle distance zone, so he would carry his opponent a little bit and walk near the penalty area. The defensive forces at this time must be very dense, so you need to start making fouls and fighting for free throws. Before changing the rules, Doncic had been playing like this.
Here's actually the first difference, Harden's foul is that you know he's making a foul, but according to the rules, it's that the penalty should be given. Doncic does not have this ability now, and his grasp of the referee's scale is not as accurate as Harden's. But Doncic still wants to score, so what can be done about it? It's also very simple, use your own habitual way to put the ball into the basket. Here we must talk about Doncic's feel, his throwing feel, may be the best in the 1-3 range. Because in the near frame area, Doncic's throw shooting rate exceeds 52%, which is already the efficiency of the league's first gear. And that's just the efficiency value of Doncic's play in the previous two years.
What Harden and Doncic are also very similar is their need for space. Because the playing style is different from the mainstream, they can only rely on skill to create space, for example, they can squeeze directly into the inside line with only one position, and then start to occupy a favorable position. For the timing of the grasp, as well as the adjustment of the footsteps, these are the top. But the difference is that Harden is more skillful in his march after he goes in, while Doncic obviously has to take care of other players, which is a configuration problem, not a personal ability.
Finally, there is the most prominent difference between the two, which can be exemplified by the reaction after triggering the opponent to jump. Harden saw his opponent jumping from outside the three-point line, and his first choice was to rush up and carry the shot. While making sure of a foul, he also had a chance to hit. In fact, James is also like this, even on the inside line is also carrying people up. And Doncic? Seeing his opponent jump, his first reaction was not to carry it directly, but to turn sideways and then rub his opponent to jump. In the eyes of the referee, this is a dispensable foul. Why not carry your opponent? Because of the problem of strength, Doncic's first choice is 3+1, and he can't carry his opponent. Also, his physical confrontation ability is not so strong, and frequent confrontations only increase the risk of injury, and he must reduce this part of the risk and score in a more appropriate way. Therefore, under the trade-off, we will make a different choice from Harden.
Not having a physical advantage is indeed doncic's most regrettable place. But God gave him more good stuff, big picture view, passing ability, ball quotient, none of which are simply comparable in strength and body.