Luka Doncic is not really known for his defense, but on Sunday night, he was quite effective when it came to guarding Karl-Anthony Towns in the post. When asked why that was the case, Doncic made some rather bold claims.
“Because I’m strong,” Doncic said. “People don’t think that. But I have one of the most powerful legs in the NBA, I think.”
"Because I'm strong. People don't think that. But I have one of the most powerful legs in the NBA, I think."
You heard the man. #MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/pcfSzr2h3N
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With rookie big man Dereck Lively II out due to injury, it seemed like Towns was going to dominate against the Dallas Mavericks, but that didn’t happen. He had a solid showing, with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals while shooting 8-16 from the field. It was nothing to write home about and Luka played his part in that.
Doncic is certainly stronger than he may appear to some. He is listed at 6’7″, 230 lbs, and it is not all that easy to back him down in the post. The 24-year-old is obviously much shorter than the likes of Towns, who is listed as 7’0″, but he has the strength to make life a little bit difficult for the bigs.
Guarding them is probably something Doncic is better suited to, than the smaller guards in the NBA. The four-time All-Star just isn’t very mobile and that lack of speed is what ends up hurting him on defense when matched with these lightning-quick guards.
That speed isn’t something Doncic has to concern himself with when guarding bigs, but I don’t think I’d want him guarding them too often. All that pounding in the post will eventually take a toll on his body and when you also factor in the huge load on him on offense, he will break down rather quickly.
As for Doncic’s play in this game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he had 34 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal. He continues to dominate on the court and is very much in the mix for MVP at the moment.
Luka Doncic’s “Tree Trunk” Legs
In case you thought these claims about his legs came out of nowhere, that isn’t the case. Doncic previously spoke about how strong his legs are, on The Old Man and the Three podcast.
“Yeah, for sure,” Doncic said when asked if his size was an advantage. “But the other thing I think a lot of people don’t know (about) me, my legs are good. I have good legs. Not for jumping obviously but strong legs. Somebody calls them tree trunk legs. But I think that helps me a lot and size-wise too.”
(starts at 5:47 mark):
Doncic explained he is able to back down point guards in the post with relative ease because of it. At the same time, those legs and his frame also help him defend well in the post.
Allen Iverson Picked Luka Doncic As His Backcourt Partner From Today’s Players
Allen Iverson knows a thing or two about being a dominant offensive force in the NBA. He was the premier scoring guard in the league at his peak and recently, Iverson chose Doncic as his ideal backcourt partner in today’s NBA.
“I would want it to be Luka…Because he’s a big point guard. I can still play the two. He can guard the two, I can guard the one. I think it’d be just deadly.”
Iverson and Doncic in the same backcourt might seem great on paper, but I don’t necessarily view it as a great combination. They both need the ball to be effective and struggle when it comes to guarding on the perimeter. They’d probably score a lot, but so would their opponents.
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