“When he got to the NBA, there was nothing new to him”: Matt Barnes predicts Luka Doncic to become the best foreign-born player in the history of the NBA

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Former NBA Player Matt Barnes had some words of appreciation for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

Luka Doncic
Apr 10, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Mavericks star player Luka Doncic in his young NBA career has already transformed himself into one of the best players in the world and is on the path to greatness. Prior to coming to NBA, Doncic played for Real Madrid in Spain, and since then he has caught the attention of many.

Last season Luka Doncic took the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the eventual champions the Golden State Warriors, but Doncic has continued to elevate his game to the next level every single season.

Recently, former NBA player and current analyst Matt Barnes appeared on the  Club Shay Shay podcast and had words of appreciation for Luka Doncic. He believes that Doncic will end up as an all-time great when it’s all said and done.

Talking about Doncic, Barnes said, “He’s special. He’s a Unicorn, you know? I mean, he’s gonna go down as the greatest foreign-born player in the history of the game. And I think that you know he was playing against grown men at a young age. Luka’s parents threw him in the fire early.”

Matt Barnes added, “He’s playing against men that are smoking cigarettes at halftime at like 12-13 years old. So he’s been in the wars, in the battles. He knows how to play against people. So when he got to the NBA, there was nothing new to him. You know, to me, I think he was the most NBA-ready offensive player we’ve ever seen.”

Luka Doncic will enter the next season as one of the favorites to win the MVP award, and he will hope to finally win the award that he is touted to win for the last few years and continue towards his path of greatness.

The Dallas Mavericks could make the NBA Finals this season

The Mavericks fell short of making the NBA Finals last season but they made immense progress and despite the loss of Jalen Brunson to the Knicks, they still have a formidable roster, and with Luka Doncic they can easily make the NBA Finals this year.

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"When he got to the NBA, there was nothing new to him": Matt Barnes predicts Luka Doncic to become the best foreign-born player in the history of the NBA 3

The Houston Rockets sent Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that was a huge win for Dallas. The Mavs needed a player like Wood, and it didn’t cost them much to get him.

The Dallas Mavericks did a great thing by doing this. This season, they made it to the WCF even though they didn’t have a good center. With Wood on the team, both their offense and defense have gotten a lot better.

When Luka Doncic and Christian Wood play together, they can be a very explosive team. Now that Doncic has an elite PNR partner, he can feed Wood with lobs all season long. Wood impressed in the preseason outing for the Mavericks, and is looking like a good fit for this Mavs team.

Talking about his transition into the Mavericks, Wood said, “The first game, I think I struggled to find my rhythm early on, but the guards got me looks. Coach Kidd ran a few plays for me in the post.”

He added, “The second game, I mean, Luka Doncic… He’s easy to play with. I had a couple easy slips to the rim because of the way they play him. So it’s not like really you gotta get hit on the screens, kinda slip out, and the two (guard) is going to come out for a two-on-one and he’s going to find you every time.”

The Dallas Mavericks are set up for success, and hopefully, Luka Doncic will be able to inspire this team once again just like he has done since getting drafted by them.

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