%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201596.5%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201596.5%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%231262AE%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23CCCCCB%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%231C2655%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%220%2C29%2034.8%2C29%2034.8%2C200%2064.4%2C200%2064.4%2C29%2099.8%2C29%2099.8%2C0%200%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22171.6%2C74.6%20142%2C89.7%20142%2C0%20112.4%2C0%20112.4%2C200%20142%2C200%20142%2C122.6%20171.6%2C107.5%20171.6%2C200%20201.2%2C200%20%0A%09%09201.2%2C0%20171.6%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M562.9%2C0h-29.6c-4.5%2C0-7.5%2C1.4-9.3%2C4.3l-5.2%2C11.4c-1.7-6.5-3.4-10.4-4.9-12C511.4%2C1.2%2C508%2C0%2C503.7%2C0h-29.6%0A%09%09c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v171h29.6V29h29.6V200h29.6V29h29.6V200h29.6V29c0-9.9-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.9%0A%09%09C583.8%2C2.4%2C575.7%2C0%2C562.9%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M664.3%2C0h-29.6c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.6c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3V29c0-9.9-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.9C685.2%2C2.4%2C677.1%2C0%2C664.3%2C0z%0A%09%09%20M664.3%2C170.9h-29.6V29h29.6V170.9z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22802.3%2C0%20770%2C0.1%20736.1%2C80.2%20736.1%2C0%20706.5%2C0%20706.5%2C200%20736.1%2C200%20736.1%2C155.3%20750%2C123.1%20779.5%2C200%20%0A%09%09811.3%2C200%20766.3%2C84.2%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Crect%20x%3D%22817.6%22%20y%3D%220%22%20class%3D%22st1%22%20width%3D%2229.6%22%20height%3D%22200%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M919.2%2C0h-9c-6.4%2C0-10.9%2C1.3-13.6%2C4l-3.8%2C3.1l-3.5%2C5.7V0h-29.6v200h29.6V28.7h29.9V200h29.6V29%0A%09%09c0-8.1-2.8-15-8.4-20.6C934.8%2C2.8%2C927.7%2C0%2C919.2%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M1021.4%2C0h-29.6c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h59.5L1051%2C72.8l-44.1%2C22.6v32.8l14.8-7.5v50.2h-29.9V29h29.9v44.2l29.6-15.2V28.9c0-9.8-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.8%0A%09%09C1042.6%2C2.4%2C1034.4%2C0%2C1021.4%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1161.1%2C0h-29.9c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.9c13.5%2C0%2C21.8-2.4%2C24.8-7.1c3-4.7%2C4.5-12%2C4.5-21.9v-48.5l-29.6%2C15.1l0.3%2C33.4h-29.9V29h29.6v38l29.6-15.4V29%0A%09%09c0-9.9-1.7-17.2-5.2-21.9C1181.7%2C2.4%2C1173.7%2C0%2C1161.1%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1262.2%2C170.9h-29.6V0H1203v171c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.6c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7%0A%09%09c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3V0h-29.6V170.9z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1363.9%2C0h-59.5v200h59.5c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3v-65c0-4.1-1.6-7.6-4.8-10.6%0A%09%09c-3.2-3-6.7-4.5-10.6-4.5c5.4-2.9%2C9.3-5.8%2C11.8-8.8c2.4-3%2C3.6-9%2C3.6-18.1v-35c0-9.8-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.8%0A%09%09C1384.8%2C2.4%2C1376.7%2C0%2C1363.9%2C0z%20M1363.9%2C170.9H1334v-48.5l29.9-15.1V170.9z%20M1363.9%2C74.6L1334%2C89.6V29h29.9L1363.9%2C74.6z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1588.1%2C8.4c-5.6-5.6-12.7-8.4-21.2-8.4h-9c-6.4%2C0-10.9%2C1.3-13.6%2C4l-3.8%2C3.1l-3.5%2C5.7V0h-29.6v200h29.6V28.7%0A%09%09h29.9V200h29.6V29C1596.5%2C20.9%2C1593.7%2C14%2C1588.1%2C8.4z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M431.9%2C41.4l0-12.7c0-9.8-1.8-17-5.3-21.7C423.2%2C2.4%2C415%2C0%2C402.1%2C0h-29.7c-13.1%2C0-21.4%2C2.2-24.8%2C6.7%0A%09%09c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v63.4l59.4%2C30.4l-0.2%2C48.2h-29.6v-32.3l-29.7%2C14.9l0.1%2C17.2c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.5%2C4.6%2C22.2%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.7%2C12.9%2C7%2C24.8%2C7h29.7c13.9%2C0%2C22.3-2.2%2C25.3-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3l-0.2-66.2l-59.3-30V29h29.9l-0.1%2C27.9L431.9%2C41.4z%22%0A%09%09%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22213.8%2C200%20292.4%2C200%20292.4%2C170.9%20243.4%2C170.9%20243.4%2C122.6%20243.4%2C100%20277.6%2C100%20277.6%2C71%20243.4%2C71%20%0A%09%09243.4%2C29%20292.4%2C29%20292.4%2C0%20213.8%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1465.3%2C0h-29.6c-7.9%2C0-14.9%2C2.9-20.8%2C8.6c-5.9%2C5.7-8.9%2C12.5-8.9%2C20.4v171h29.6v-46.3h29.6V200h29.6V29%0A%09%09c0-8.1-2.8-15-8.4-20.6C1480.8%2C2.8%2C1473.8%2C0%2C1465.3%2C0z%20M1435.7%2C124.6v-2.2V89.6V29h29.6v78.4v17.3H1435.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic draws high praise from former NBA player
By Tyler Watts
Dallas Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic’s play drew impressive praise from Sarunas Jasikevicius, a former NBA player and now Lithuanian coach.
The Dallas Mavericks invested heavily in drafting Luka Doncic this offseason. They used two first round picks to move up to take him. That is a significant investment to make on a 19-year-old, but Doncic is special.
He has played professionally since age 15 and he dominated the Euroleague in route to winning MVP last season. No rookie in NBA history had a resume that stacks up well against what Doncic has accomplished in the previous four years.
The Dallas Mavericks are not the only ones high on Luka Doncic, either.
Former NBA player turned coach is all in
Sarunas Jasikevicius played two NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers from 2005-2007. He is now the head coach for the Lithuanian professional team Zalgiris Kaunas. Jasikevicius did a recent interview with RTV Slo where he heaped some high praise on Doncic.
Related Story. 3 expectations for Luka Doncic this season
He discussed his credible basketball IQ, what sets him apart from other players, and how NCAA players cannot compare to what Doncic has done. You can read more about the interview here courtesy of Sportando.
Excitement for the rookie
Dallas Mavericks fans are all in too. They cannot wait for the season to get underway and see Doncic play his professional game for the team. Optimism is running high that he is the piece that vaults the Mavs back into contention. Only time will tell what Luka Doncic develops into, but there is no questioning his exceptional talent.
Final thoughts
Former NBA player Sarunas Jasikevicius is singing the praises of Luka Doncic. The rookie is about to begin his NBA career, but his professional experience should help ease the transition. Expect Doncic to average over 15 points and six assists per game this season and push to win the Rookie of the Year award.
5 Mavs most likely to be traded this season. Next
The Smoking Cuban continues to be the place for diehard Dallas Mavericks fans to enjoy the content that they cannot find anywhere else. Please check back with us frequently for all the opinions and analysis that you desire. Thank you for reading.