Luka Doncic has often been compared to Larry Bird, but Paul Pierce wants those comparisons to stop. On the latest episode of Undisputed, Pierce explained why Doncic is more like LeBron James than Bird.
“This is hurting my ears,” Pierce said when asked how close Doncic is to Bird. “… Can we stop with this? Scoring, Luka. Handles, Luka. Shooting, Bird. Passing, Bird. Rebounding, Bird. Speed, Bird. IQ, Bird. Let’s stop with the comparisons here.”
“Luke is carving out his own niche,” Pierce stated. “He’s been First Team All NBA about four times, he could win a championship this year. He’s on his way to being an all-time great, but we’re talking about one of the Top 5 or 10 players to ever play the game. Can Luka get there? Numbers-wise, he’s on his way, but Bird (won) three straight MVPs. Bird came in and he changed the game, he made us watch basketball.”
“Luka, I’m not sure what his comparable is right now,” Pierce added. “… I mean, he’s probably like the European LeBron James. Because (of) the way he can score, the way he can pass and the way he rebounds the ball, and the way he controls the game. I’ll give him that right there, just a less athletic LeBron.”
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1792951491722088765
Pierce also pointed out that Bird wasn’t as ball-dominant as Doncic and I think that’s where you see a big difference between the two. Yes, both men could stuff the stat sheet and dominate the competition despite not being great athletes, but they played the game very differently.
Bird did a lot of damage off the ball and that’s something Doncic hasn’t excelled at just yet. I think LeBron is a better comparison (athleticism aside), but the best one is probably James Harden. I think Doncic has a much better post-game than Harden and has been far better than him in the playoffs, but that’s really the only notable difference when you compare the two.
Can Luka Doncic And The Mavericks Win The Championship In 2024?
Doncic had a whole lot of criticism come his way after the Dallas Mavericks missed the playoffs last year, but things have certainly changed since then. The 5-time All-Star led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years after they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the second round.
Dallas last made it to this stage in 2022, when it was beaten in five games by the Golden State Warriors. I didn’t think the Mavericks had much of a shot at winning that series, but that is not the case this time out.
The Minnesota Timberwolves present a very difficult challenge, but I think the Mavericks do have a shot at beating them. I do have the Timberwolves as slight favorites, but Doncic is the best player in this series and if he’s anywhere near his best from a health standpoint, he is more than capable of taking over.
Despite playing through injury, Doncic has averaged 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in these playoffs. The 25-year-old did look relatively healthier in the last two games of that series against the Thunder and it will be interesting to see how he holds up against that physical Timberwolves defense.
If Doncic does lead the Mavericks past the Thunder, a clash with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals would seem quite likely. While the Celtics have wobbled a little bit at times in these playoffs, I don’t see the Mavs beating them in a seven-game series. Maybe if Doncic goes berserk they’d have a chance, but I just don’t see them getting over the line.
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