Luka Doncic, the Slovenian hotshot guard who has been making waves in the NBA, continues to wow crowds. Only in his second season, the 20-year-old has risen rapidly and is one of the candidates for the Most Valuable Player award. In all, the Dallas Mavericks efforts to bring in the 6-foot-7 playmaker has paid off splendidly.
Doncic was originally selected with the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. He would, later on, be traded to the Mavs for the rights to Trae Young and a future first-round pick. But even before that, critics wonder how two NBA Western Conference teams passed up on the chance to get him. These teams were the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings - two teams ironically now struggling in the league.
The Suns took in DeAndre Ayton while the Kings chose Marvin Bagley III. The easiest way to explain it was both teams opted to go for height. Unfortunately, the move has yet to justify that decision. A look at the 2019-20 NBA standings shows the Suns sporting an 18-24 win-loss card while the Kings are a dismal 15-27. Dallas, on the other hand, is at the 5th spot with a 27-15 record.
Curiously, Doncic revealed he thought he was going to be selected by the Kings with the second overall choice by the Kings. In a report from The Athletic, the Slovenian guard narrated how the Kings came to Madrid to watch him play for his then-team Real Madrid.
“They came with the owner. Everybody came, so I honestly thought they were going to pick me,” he said in the interview.
It should be noted that the Kings pinned their hopes on De'Aaron Fox, a rising guard that was plucked fifth overall during the 2017 NBA Draft. Had Sacramento picked up Doncic, both would have likely jostled for playing time. Bagley III was a big name to pass up but a foot injury hampered his rise. The former Duke big man continues to struggle, hardly showing the potential of being the Kings next big thing.
For the Suns, it was all about the search for the next big man. Ayton rated close to equal to Doncic per critics. However, NBC Sports pointed out how owner Robert Sarver also had a hand in the decision to get 21-year-old center/ power forward.
These are things that the Suns and the Kings will look back upon in years to come. But then again, the decision to pass likely made according to team needs. The Mavericks saw something, probably scouted the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year. Could the Suns and Kings have done the same before making their draft choices?
