I'm not sure there is a consensus here, it seems pretty evenly split to me. And I'm not sure if that video is connected to the story I'm talking about? I've seen the video a few times before but as I recall, the article talked less about a specific incident and more about issues in general. The comments about his body language and tantrums (when frustrated) concerned me the most. But again, it's nothing (by itself) that would keep me away from him on draft night.
Of the boards I read, this one seems by far the lowest on Doncic. But I get that it's a claim based on anecdotal evidence, which is why I put seemingly.
I found the article!
http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...-doncic-losing-grasp-no-1-pick-2018-nba-draft
3. Emotional outbursts
Doncic has had some less-than-favorable moments with his body language, not always reacting to adversity with as much poise as you'd hope. While his passion for the game and vigor are clear positives, he has had some bouts of pouting in the past that teams will likely do a bit more digging on, and it showed at times against Maccabi.
"His father [retired basketball player Sasa Doncic] was more like me, more of a temper, gets mad quickly," Dragic said back in the summer. "Luka is so calm. I think that's just in him. I think he's battling with the pressure so well, especially at this age. We need to understand he's only 18."
While calm on the floor at times, as Dragic described, Doncic has lost his cool a bit more as of late when hit with adversity. He was ejected after six minutes of play against Valencia in December, and kicked the tunnel a few times on his way out for good measure. In a forgettable game against Finland (3-for-10 with 8 points) with the national team, he also beat up a chair or two on the bench, sulking when things didn't go his way. We saw some of the same against Maccabi. While this is partly a product of developing in Spain, where ref-complaining is commonplace, NBA teams will certainly want to dig a little deeper into some of the emotional episodes.
As an 18-year-old mega-star in a city like Madrid, there are no shortage of distractions. It will be important for Doncic not buy into his own hype and to take care of his body, as he's not naturally the most gifted athlete. As we've seen with international stars in the past, the NBA life can eat you alive if you're not well-prepared for it, which is something Dragic has warned Doncic about.
"It's a different lifestyle over there. He needs to be careful of that," Dragic said, shortly after praising Doncic's work ethic and no-fear mentality. "We're coming from Europe. It's a different situation here than in the States."
Despite some of his shortcomings, Doncic currently remains No. 1 on our top 100 rankings and 2018 mock draft, and poking too many holes in his game given the NBA's emphasis on pass-dribble-shoot basketball could cause teams to miss on a special talent. A few down games in the middle of an otherwise remarkable season shouldn't carry too much weight in the grand scheme of things. But as we're quickly learning with
Markelle Fultz, when you're evaluating the potential No. 1 overall pick, you can never ask too many questions, and Doncic reminded us briefly in Madrid that he is indeed human, and that it's clearly not a one-horse race at the top.
