It all started with a compliment.
How Dave Joerger’s compliment of Luka Doncic almost ruined the Kings
Joerger’s comments about Doncic almost popped a few blood vessels.
Sacramento Kings coach Dave Joerger merely complimented Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic before the two teams faced off on Sunday night. It was a candid moment for Joerger, who admitted something the rest of the world had already come to grips with: There may not be a ceiling on Doncic’s game.
“You know, he’s got a lot of different skills, and I think he’s gonna become a heck of a shooter, and when that happens it’s gonna make him quicker. He’s got good ball-handling sets and he knows how to play.”
And then — deep breath — Joerger said this:
“I think perhaps there was an idea that there was a ceiling on him? I don’t see it, unfortunately for us. But he’s great for them, and he’s great for our league.”
As you can imagine, basketball fans took that and ran with it.
After all, the Kings — and the Suns, and the Hawks — each passed on a chance at Doncic, who is far and away the best rookie prospect in his class so far. He’s averaging about 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game. Doncic is hitting stepback threes, dunking through traffic, and playing with a poise you rarely see from first-year pros. That’s because he’s not a first-year pro; he’s been playing in the Euroleague since he was 16.
Sacramento selected Marvin Bagley III at pick No. 2. The Suns took DeAndre Ayton No. 1 overall, and the Hawks — bless their souls — traded the No. 3 pick to Dallas for pick No. 5, where they selected Trae Young, and the Mavs’ top-5 protected 2019 first-rounder. The trade paid off for Dallas. They’ve gotten the darling of the draft, and it’s not even close.
Some media outlets turned his quote into a graphic.
There had also been rumors of tension between Joerger and Kings assistant GM Brandon Williams. Joerger once asked Williams to leave a team practice, and the coach has been more concerned with winning, while the front office has reportedly wanted him to focus more on developing Bagley as a player.
Joerger’s comments made it seem as if someone in the organization had a preconceived notion about Doncic.
That’s why Joerger had to walk his comments back some
And he didn’t necessarily walk back his praise of Dallas’ rookie. That kid can ball. Everyone knows that.
Joerger more so clarified that he wasn’t taking shots at anybody. That his words — “perhaps there was an idea that there was a ceiling on him? I don’t see it, unfortunately for us.” — weren’t directed at any of the Kings’ brass in particular.
“In this case, all we’re trying to do is say something positive about another team’s player,” Joerger said. “You know, there’s no veiled shots at anybody. [De’Aaron Fox] gushed about him, and [Bogdan Bogdanovic] gushed about him and his ability. Wishing him the best and it’s unfortunate that we had to play him and so does the rest of the league because the guy’s playing really well right now.
“So it was just out of love and positivity, and people tried to turn it into something between Vlade and I. Like Vlade and I are like this. Three years now we’ve been working together and we love it, I love it.”
Joerger also doubled down on De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III as a duo, calling them Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Joerger may have only meant this in a complimentary way, but it’s clear there’s a good number of folks who feel Sacramento should have gone after Doncic instead of Bagley. Only time will tell if Fox and Bagley turn into Russ and KD.
For now, just watch your words, coach!
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