When Luka Doncic declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, not everyone was convinced of his abilities. Talking heads, league rumours, and front office murmurs all anticipated that Doncic would be everything from a generational prodigy to a total flop.
Among many who harbored reservations about Doncic was former general manager of the Sacramento Kings, Vlade Divac. Sacramento selected Marvin Bagley III, not Doncic, since the Kings had the second overall pick. Divac explained his decision to pass on Doncic in a recent interview with Saša Čobanov of Index HR, a Serbian-language news website.
Divac told Index, “I had De’Aaron Fox at that position, whom I drafted a year earlier” (Google translation). “At the time, I believed that Fox had the potential to play for a team in the near future. If I was mistaken, time will tell. As it stands, it appears that I am, but I believe that Little Fox will have a more successful career.
In line Michael George. Throughout Fox’s and Divac’s careers, Doncic will surely put Divac’s confidence to the test. Despite the success Doncic and Kyrie Irving have on the floor these days, Divac stated he didn’t think Fox and Doncic could work together.
Not at all. Both Luka and Irving are legendary goal scorers. Divac stated, “Fox is not; he is a player who requires the ball, just like Luka needs it. “I would have to trade Fox if I could just have Luka. It’s interesting to note that Phoenix, who had previously coached Luka in Slovenia, replaced him as coach Igor Kokoškov.
He was picked by Atlanta, but they passed on him as well. Not until Dallas grabbed it, that is. Although I truly like watching Luka play basketball, I made my own decisions for other reasons. Perhaps I was mistaken, but time will tell.
Having said that, Divac believes that Doncic, like Nikola Jokic, has the potential to become the next European NBA MVP. But he adds a disclaimer.
“He is on the right track in terms of talent and game,” Divac stated. “Nikola Jokić looks after his physique well. Luka needs to take good care of his body, but I would be thrilled to see him win MVP.
When Divac was a player with the Kings, he was known for smoking cigarettes prior to games. In addition, the 2019 NBA Hall of Fame inductee took some time to refute some allegations that Divac was considering passing on Doncic due to the latter’s strained relationship with his father, Saša.
“In any case, these are just typical journalistic gibberish,” Divac informed Index. “I adore and respect Saša, and I know him well. He even performed when Luka was a young child in Kraljevo. It is unrelated to the connection in any way. I notice that Luka is headed in the correct direction as I follow him. Again, all he has to do is keep an eye on his physique.
The entire interview with Divac is available to read here.
De’Aaron Fox isn’t nearly at the same level as Luka Doncic at the moment. Divac acknowledges that at least. Although Fox is a year older than Doncic, it’s difficult to see how he could accomplish any of his accomplishments without significantly altering his professional path based only on their portfolios.
NBA Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA First-Team pick, and current NBA scoring champion Doncic is coming off a Dallas Mavericks run to the NBA Finals. In addition to being selected to one All-Star team and one NBA Third Team, Fox won the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award for the 2022–2023 campaign, whatever that means.
Fox’s skill shouldn’t be overshadowed by that. Although he plays well, he is not Doncic. Divac may find it difficult to accept passing on Doncic and choosing Bagley with the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Perhaps in due course, his pride will eventually fade and he will be able to honestly own his mistakes.
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