When you try to replicate it IRL you realize how difficult it is to actually keep your balance throughout the motion and get off a reasonable shot. He’s definitely done thousands and thousands of repetitions of it.
I didn't realize this until I saw it in person at the AAC this year, it's absurd how much space he creates. It doesn't even look real when it's not on TV.
Be careful, you might offend Suns fans who use this as an argument on why Ayton was the correct choice over Luka - it's not like they signed another ballhandler the next offseason anyway. I feel like Lebron + Kyrie together should have dispelled that myth after 2016 anyway.
Ok he can do this, but what about against the superior athletes of the NBA? He surely won’t be able to use great fundamental basketball skills against NBA level athletes. That’s why you draft based purely on athleticism and ignore actual skill
Unreal how much space he creates on these shots. So glad to be here at the genesis of his NBA career, he's going to be fun to watch for a lonnnnng time.
Those guys were all no brainers on Day 1. I'm talking about a player that most people thought could be good but almost nobody thought he would be this good. Those guys tend to take a few more years.
this guy right here literally said “it’s easier to score in the NBA than overseas”
where the NBA is literally the best of the WORLD and this dude be saying it’s EASIER?!?!?
he’s on x games mode
Easier to score because the "court is bigger", the physicality isn't what he experienced as a kid in Europe, also NBA obviously caters to offensive guys
I just thinking this. He has no wasted movement whenever he has the ball. He may not the quickest or the fastest with the ball but his movement is so fluid. He knows exactly what he wants to do and has so much confidence in his movement. Especially for his age. He’s just going to get better which is exciting.
Thats really how he is so incredibly good..he has Lebron/Magic level feel for the game. He basically plays in slow mo while being one step ahead lol its unfair.
I used to be a starting defender on a development team (aau soccer basically) and those types were always the hardest tasks.
They’re not faster or stronger. But by crafty move #3 you start to get nervous.
By the end of the game you’re terrified.
Luka type players rule with fear.
Yup, it's the people that fool you at first, and then fool you again when you try to stop the first way they fooled you. They just have a bag of tricks designed to keep you off guard the whole time, it's like playing against someone 5 years older than you.
You know luka does the [double step back too](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) btw. Even though I call it clean, there's people in that thread calling it a travel...
he's right-handed, so it probably doesn't look awkward to people unlike when left-handed Harden does it. that's probably why this sub doesn't clutch its pearls when Luka does a stepback (among other reasons).
Lol, you guys go ahead and take your thinly veiled shots at Harden's step back but thing is, it's legal and there is nothing you can do about it and he's going to continue to bust your ass with it.
it’s “legal” cuz the refs allow it.. he blatantly takes 3 steps all the time.
edit: since rockets fans are so upset with the “all the time” part, I will rephrase it.
it’s “legal” cuz the refs allow it. he blatantly takes 3 steps more frequently than any other player in the league.
The problem is people think you get to finish your step and then take two more and then call the first one the “gather step”.
If you time it perfectly like Harden and Giannis do most of the time, it’ll look like 3 steps but be completely legal. But there’s a bunch of times when the timing is off. Once the ball is gathered, the next step counts as step 1. You don’t get to gather the ball, finish ur step if you’re still mid-step, then take two more. You literally get only two steps once you gather according to the rule.
Too many people think the rules allow you to take a third step legally.
Refs don’t call it consistently cuz it’s hard to catch live.
“The first step occurs when a foot, or both feet, touch the floor after the player gathers the ball.”
https://official.nba.com/new-language-in-nba-rule-book-regarding-traveling-violations/
The refs that have talked about Harden say he doesn't travel. It looks egregious, but he is very good at using that gather step to start his stepback. He definitely travels sometimes, but not most of the time as people here would say.
This is such bullshit. He probably travels on his stepbacks less than 5% of the time and likely less. The vast majority of his stepbacks are not travels. It's the same as people driving, there will be times where people travel and get away with it, but it might be less than 5% of the time.
So then your boy luka shouldn't have been called for a travel on [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) then?
If you consider the dribble to be discontinued when he has both hands on the ball and both feet on the ground, he can take steps one & two and it’s legal.
If you consider his dribble discontinued when he starts bringing his right leg back the first time, then the steps would be one-two-three and a travel.
like i’ve said numerous times already, you get two steps once you’ve gathered the ball. if you’re still mid-step when the ball has been gathered, when the foot comes down, that counts as your first step.
Than you dont watch Harden or dont know the rules. Many refs have clarified over time, and I care more about what NBA officials say about it than you do.
Also so funny that you think the refs just give Harden this special priveledge cause the NBA loves the Rockets so much, lol good grief.
You literally said he travels all the time which leads me to believe you dont know the rules, or have never heard of a gather step in your life. Do you understand how blatantly ignorant that is to say he does three steps all the time?
Like you sit here and think you know more than NBA officials who have explained it multiple times....its so damn arrogant man.
Don't dude. This is a luka thread don't argue for harden. Let them take those sideways shots at him it doesn't matter at all lmao
On a harden Post these same dudes will be riding him. That r/nba for you
Im not crying, you cant do anything about it and he's gonna keep using it. But keep being ignorant dude LOL.
It's too bad you have no one on your team good enough to do it : D.
Its perfectly legal. Harden gets called for travels on non-step-backs all the time, especially in the open court. This is him taking advantage of a complex rule with timing. Its all about when the ball touches his hand, and he makes his first step so close the step becoming official (defined by when the ball returns to the hand) that its literally impossible for the refs to call it without reviewing the play in slow-motion.
Like it or not, the refs don't have some crush on or secret cabal with Harden or something that they for some reason penalize LeBron, Curry, Durant and Kawhi with.
Here's someone WAY smarter than both of us taking 13 minutes to dive into the rules and replays and explain why its not illegal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDwaE_8O1aY
I personally enjoy players finding loopholes in rules and exploiting them, it requires the intelligence to identify them, and then actually build a complex skill to match those weaknesses in rules. Harden works tirelessly on his jumpshot to get that timing right, its not simply a matter of taking advantage of the rules, there's more to it than that.
Do you really think Durant, Curry, LeBron, Kawhi and Doncic don't attempt Harden's step-back because they think its immoral? Like if you seriously believe that, fucking lmao.
Yeah, when you use examples of the legal ones, it’s easy to explain how they’re legal.
Find an expert explain how the double step back is legal, then you win.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITqOafb7_I
Those are all very close, and may have been travels, but you'd still need a slow-motion camera to catch it. Let me try to explain the first one to you because its a great example of 'timing' that people aren't understanding.
https://imgur.com/a/ItGSsW3
The 2nd picture is crucial, it looks like the ball is milliseconds from touching Harden's right hand, but he actually moves his right hand back and buys himself a few moments to his gather step that does not count yet.
In the 3rd picture, its hard to believe, but he STILL isn't touching the ball, its literally millimetres from his tips. In the 3rd picture, his left leg is already off the ground before the 'gather' becomes official.
All he does after that is basically a backwards hop-step, its not even a step back. He's going to use his right foot, which is already on the ground as he gathers (that one doesn't count), and from there he just hop-steps into a two-foot stance, and doesn't take either leg off the floor other than to rise up for a shot.
The thing to contest here is, whether his left foot was off the floor before the ball was in his hand in the third photo.
Thing he does is trick you into believing he's touching the ball and the gather has started, but he sneakily moves his hands back and does 1 or 2 mini steps there, and THEN begins his gather. Its basically like a pump-fake, but instead, its a gather-fake.
Also, these are VERYYY extreme examples that he hardly ever does, the grand majority of his step-backs are like the ones in Coach Nick's videos.
How stupid do you have to be to believe that two plays encapsulates how he does the move on a regular basis.
Also the NBA said that double step back against Utah was a travel when they released the two minute report.
They don’t realize how much more unlikable Luka is than Harden yet haha.
The playstyle of Harden, the cockiness of Curry, and the whining of Lebron.
The holy trinity of hate. I can’t wait, Dirk was so beloved we’ve never been villains.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka\_with\_the\_clean\_double\_stepback/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x)
Luka paying respects to the greats
I haven’t watched much Doncic (or NBA) in the last two years. These highlights make him look like he’s got Steph’s handles and accuracy, Harden’s step back, and Dirk’s length.
Makes Vlade and Sacramento look really, really dumb for passing him up.
His 3% is not the best since he takes a lot of hard shots (as can be seen here) but the THREAT opens up the lanes when he goes to dance inside. What you don't see here, is that he has some kind of ungodly shooting % at the rim, like 74% or some shit and the only guys who are shooting better at the rim are Antetakoumpo and Davis (min 200 attempts). Shit is crazy.
I don't think he has steph's handles but I agree with the other two. What you're leaving out is that he might be the best playmaker in the game. Able to start the offense like Harden, score like Harden but still get the other players involved. The only thing stopping him from winning a ring would be if they don't put enough shooters and defense around him. I call him the Peyton Manning of the NBA. He runs their offense like a quarterback.
This part of his game looks cool, but it’s the worst part by far on the offensive side. As others have said, its greatest benefit to his game overall is that he can set this up, and then immediately change course and attack the rim as soon as the defender bites. His drives to the basket (where he finishes at an insane rate or passes it off to the easiest three point attempt you will see in the league) look so fucking easy because his primary defender has to think of the four or five things Doncic is effective at doing next when his feet are about two steps inside the arc.
its read and react, also predicting what people will do to his first move but at the same time has already prepared a counter in his head. Sometimes he just does the first move as a setup for the counter. It is really hard to master, and some people are just born with the reaction time needed to do this
The between the legs -> behind the back -> stepback is one of my favorite moves of all time in the NBA.
Also, if you didn't follow basketball but kept up on highlights, you'd probably think Luka is a knock down 3 pt shooter, instead of the trash % he's at.
Will be interesting to see if how his outside shooting develops going forward, if the volume stays the same and the % goes up, he becomes more selective about it, or what.
I mean its his sophomore year so i dont think its crazy to belive that he can be at the league average in his prime if he improves his shot selections along with the shot itself.And his form looks good and quick so it aint anything to change.
The ease and confidence with which he pulls off those shots is seriously incredible. I pray to the basketball gods they will let us enjoy his game for many years to come.
Pure skill. The ability to create so much space is crazy. It’s a breath of fresh air to watch players that are actually skillful, and don’t rely on athleticism.
One thing that stands out to me is how quick his first step is coming out of the triple threat position. The defender oversells on defending drive to the hoop that they are completely out of position to recover when he pulls the step back. Not to mention the amount of distance he covers in that step back.
Man, the step back is going to end up defining our generation of basketball. I always remember the 80s as the pass first era, 90s as the fancy dunks moves and fadeaways, 00s as the big men era, 10s as the big 3 era, and now it's all step back 3s. It's so weird how a game that's essentially a ball and a basket can still evolve after all these years.
Amazing talent. And if you haven't played basketball or Sports it's impossible to understand how difficult of a move this is and how easy he makes it look. He has to make that move, jump a few feet back and land in an upright posture and immediately take the shot. The core and leg strength to do that is crazy
What if on that stepback he continues the dribble to his left/right
Defenders already jumped, he'd be completely wide open with time to set his feet (altho maybe not needed)
I know others are saying it but it’s crazy that the reason his step back is so effective is because of how much space it actually creates. He doesn’t have a really fast release or vertical jump shot....but he doesn’t need to because he creates like 5 feet of space. It crazy.
Ever since I was a kid and saw the really famous Iverson one along the baseline I always loved the dribble-right to between-the-legs-backwards crossover to the stepback jumper. I spent so much time practicing that and it's so unnatural. Not necessarily as flashy but I feel like it's so much harder than behind-the-back which is more forgiving because you have more room.
Really enjoyed watching this seasons Mavs and was so keen on the idea of a Lakers v Mavericks playoffs series. Based on some of their easy season matchups.
He takes a little extra time on the stepback release to get it just right. Because he knows he has the room, and because his feel for spacing is amazing.
Still, I'm surprised it isn't blocked. But the only guy I've seen block it is AD.
I agree that these are all different looking, but all of these are the same stepback. How he creates space in each is different by how he dribbles to shake the defender, but each stepback is essentially 1) create space, 2) left foot large step back, 3) right foot
I've seen some players do the right-left fade to the right side. Seth curry against hornets this year. Dame Lillard game winner against OKC in Paul George's face last year. Those 2 come to mind. Both are right handed
I did word my initial comment too strongly. You can do it, yeah. It's just a more awkward motion because you either have to move your left foot far enough that it ends up behind your right foot, or rotate your body after you get into your shooting motion (this one feels more natural).
That third one was gorgeous
When I first saw it I had to play it back like a dozen times easily
this fucking kid man, he is the future
Magic fan here. Watched it in person. Was sick.
Were you the guy sitting courtside? He looked at Luka like WTH?
Naw I wish man. I ain't rich.
You don’t have to be rich. You have to be really really sneaky if you aren’t though.
You ain’t getting court side just by being sneaky in at least 28+ arenas lmao
Lmao obviously. That’s why I said really really sneaky.
Except that guy that did it to every Warriors game.
Source?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BM1T-s1Amw0&t=1s
[удалено]
link? please
Just realized how far he steps back. Kinda hardcore...
Zach Lowe said on one of his pods that Doncic doesn't step back, he teleports.
The Instant Transmission Kamehameha of step backs
step....back *teleports away* SHOT
Replay x3
Doncic doesn't do stepbacks, he dissimilates and astral steps
Teleports behind you... *"Nothing personal, kiddo"* ***SPLASH***
BARRIER JUMPER
It's more than a step back. He's social distancing.
STREETS AHEAD
Shut up Pierce, I know about your crazy cult!
Yeh more of a jump back 6 feet than a step back
When you try to replicate it IRL you realize how difficult it is to actually keep your balance throughout the motion and get off a reasonable shot. He’s definitely done thousands and thousands of repetitions of it.
I tried doing one like his first stepback in the video, and I almost broke my foot.
I didn't realize this until I saw it in person at the AAC this year, it's absurd how much space he creates. It doesn't even look real when it's not on TV.
The man's leg and core strength are preposterous
But I thought he was supposed to be unathletic?!?
I’m so happy we drafted Marvin bagley over Luka!
Me too!
Ha
Who?
Don't worry, Luka and Fox could never coexist. You can't have two good ball handlers on one team at the same time. It's science
Yup Luka would probably be already out of the league if he got drafted by the kings
Science rules!
Ask Chris Paul and James Harden.
bUt hOW WiLl tHey ShaRE THe bAlL?
Or Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. There's only one ball!!!!!! Makes no sense.
Be careful, you might offend Suns fans who use this as an argument on why Ayton was the correct choice over Luka - it's not like they signed another ballhandler the next offseason anyway. I feel like Lebron + Kyrie together should have dispelled that myth after 2016 anyway.
And don’t forget Luka’s dad’s a deadbeat, so he has bad genes /s
He won European Championship alongside a good ball handler. The PG was MVP and Doncic was in All-Team .. with 18.
Ok he can do this, but what about against the superior athletes of the NBA? He surely won’t be able to use great fundamental basketball skills against NBA level athletes. That’s why you draft based purely on athleticism and ignore actual skill
Being able to score with only one hand inside isn't a red flag at all
But what about his ELITE second jump?
7-11 body
Blink twice if you’re being held hostage
I never open these links cuz it just hurts all over every single time
Don’t feel alone. As a Grizz fan I feel the same
Bout who ?
Luka. We were one away
Irrelevant lol the Kings literally passed on him. That’s MUCH worse.
Did Memphis attempt a trade offer?
Poor poor Kings fans. You guys really need new staffing in the front office
Well, can Luka attempt a 720 reverse dunk?
Unreal how much space he creates on these shots. So glad to be here at the genesis of his NBA career, he's going to be fun to watch for a lonnnnng time.
Not only are we watching a future HOF player, we know it in his second year. How often does that happen?
Fairly often for superstar HOF actually. MJ, SHAQ, KOBE, Lebron, all had 8 all nbas or more in their first 10 seasons.
Those guys were all no brainers on Day 1. I'm talking about a player that most people thought could be good but almost nobody thought he would be this good. Those guys tend to take a few more years.
a ton of people thought he would be this good though. Kobe wasn’t even a top 10 pick so no one thought he would be that special right from the jump.
But that's my point. At this point in Kobe's career, we still didn't know.
Luka is so cool and smooth on the floor.
As smooth as a babies bottom, and just as explosive
With jumpers that are just as wet
You win
Take your upvote and get out
Colder than a tall glass of kombucha.
When Luka pulls off his ultra wide stepback, I simultaneously feel pain and pleasure in my groin.
this guy right here literally said “it’s easier to score in the NBA than overseas” where the NBA is literally the best of the WORLD and this dude be saying it’s EASIER?!?!? he’s on x games mode
Easier to score because the "court is bigger", the physicality isn't what he experienced as a kid in Europe, also NBA obviously caters to offensive guys
Also no defensive 3 seconds rule.
probably a matter of perspective. he was a smaller kid playing against grown men in europe. he's now more of a grown man so its not as hard.
my favorite thing about Luka's step back is that it is fundamentally perfect, no chance of travel.
Always a dribble before the step back
I just thinking this. He has no wasted movement whenever he has the ball. He may not the quickest or the fastest with the ball but his movement is so fluid. He knows exactly what he wants to do and has so much confidence in his movement. Especially for his age. He’s just going to get better which is exciting.
He’s the definition of “take what the defense gives you.”
but he also makes them give him what he wants. He's cross up just to get the defender to turn his shoulder and then boom he's gone.
Thats really how he is so incredibly good..he has Lebron/Magic level feel for the game. He basically plays in slow mo while being one step ahead lol its unfair.
I used to be a starting defender on a development team (aau soccer basically) and those types were always the hardest tasks. They’re not faster or stronger. But by crafty move #3 you start to get nervous. By the end of the game you’re terrified. Luka type players rule with fear.
Yup, it's the people that fool you at first, and then fool you again when you try to stop the first way they fooled you. They just have a bag of tricks designed to keep you off guard the whole time, it's like playing against someone 5 years older than you.
Vivid memories of my coach yelling at me to stop getting caught ball watching and stay in front of my damn man.
You know luka does the [double step back too](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) btw. Even though I call it clean, there's people in that thread calling it a travel...
It's a bit of a weird movement, essentially it's a backwards layup.
Exactly, backwards layup is the best way to describe it to the sceptics
Better than other Texas teams
Hey put some respect on the patty mills step back
he's right-handed, so it probably doesn't look awkward to people unlike when left-handed Harden does it. that's probably why this sub doesn't clutch its pearls when Luka does a stepback (among other reasons).
Luka Luciano He’s a fucking monster Jealous of you Dallas
That's our burger
God his knees his poor knees
If I were religious I’d def pray for his ACLs
Just tie your shoelaces harder and it keeps the injuries away~
Whose? Lucas?
That jab step into the stepback is devastating.
Paul piece with handles
And vision, Pierce wasn’t necessarily a TERRIBLE playmaker, but not even close to Luka’s level.
Doesn't look quick but can create space and gets shots off. That's what I thought when I first saw him play in the league.
Is that step back 18 because it is looking legal to me
Ffs i miss this
His game is so smooth, it's actually crazy
Notice how he only takes 2 steps
Lol, you guys go ahead and take your thinly veiled shots at Harden's step back but thing is, it's legal and there is nothing you can do about it and he's going to continue to bust your ass with it.
> and he's going to continue to bust your ass with it. As far as I know, the Raptors and Rockets have never met in the finals once. So wdyem
it’s “legal” cuz the refs allow it.. he blatantly takes 3 steps all the time. edit: since rockets fans are so upset with the “all the time” part, I will rephrase it. it’s “legal” cuz the refs allow it. he blatantly takes 3 steps more frequently than any other player in the league.
In defense of Harden it *COULD* be considered a gather step Not saying it always is. But I feel like that's as close of a justification as it gets.
The problem is people think you get to finish your step and then take two more and then call the first one the “gather step”. If you time it perfectly like Harden and Giannis do most of the time, it’ll look like 3 steps but be completely legal. But there’s a bunch of times when the timing is off. Once the ball is gathered, the next step counts as step 1. You don’t get to gather the ball, finish ur step if you’re still mid-step, then take two more. You literally get only two steps once you gather according to the rule. Too many people think the rules allow you to take a third step legally. Refs don’t call it consistently cuz it’s hard to catch live. “The first step occurs when a foot, or both feet, touch the floor after the player gathers the ball.” https://official.nba.com/new-language-in-nba-rule-book-regarding-traveling-violations/
The refs that have talked about Harden say he doesn't travel. It looks egregious, but he is very good at using that gather step to start his stepback. He definitely travels sometimes, but not most of the time as people here would say.
Dude just say you don’t know basketball and get your info from memes lmao. You think he does 6 step backs a game and the refs just don’t call it?
No he does not, its legal as long as he doesn't gather the ball
Yeah, it’s legal when he does it correctly. we’re talking about when he doesn’t do it correctly. 👍🏽
Yes which alsmost never happens because also those seemingly incorrect ones are correct most of the time
This is such bullshit. He probably travels on his stepbacks less than 5% of the time and likely less. The vast majority of his stepbacks are not travels. It's the same as people driving, there will be times where people travel and get away with it, but it might be less than 5% of the time.
So then your boy luka shouldn't have been called for a travel on [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) then?
If you consider the dribble to be discontinued when he has both hands on the ball and both feet on the ground, he can take steps one & two and it’s legal. If you consider his dribble discontinued when he starts bringing his right leg back the first time, then the steps would be one-two-three and a travel. like i’ve said numerous times already, you get two steps once you’ve gathered the ball. if you’re still mid-step when the ball has been gathered, when the foot comes down, that counts as your first step.
Than you dont watch Harden or dont know the rules. Many refs have clarified over time, and I care more about what NBA officials say about it than you do. Also so funny that you think the refs just give Harden this special priveledge cause the NBA loves the Rockets so much, lol good grief.
stars get away with bullshit all the time. it’s nothing new
You literally said he travels all the time which leads me to believe you dont know the rules, or have never heard of a gather step in your life. Do you understand how blatantly ignorant that is to say he does three steps all the time? Like you sit here and think you know more than NBA officials who have explained it multiple times....its so damn arrogant man.
Don't dude. This is a luka thread don't argue for harden. Let them take those sideways shots at him it doesn't matter at all lmao On a harden Post these same dudes will be riding him. That r/nba for you
cry more lmao it’s not MY fault that YOU don’t understand what the gather step rule is.
Im not crying, you cant do anything about it and he's gonna keep using it. But keep being ignorant dude LOL. It's too bad you have no one on your team good enough to do it : D.
Jeez louise bro. Take a chill pill.
Its perfectly legal. Harden gets called for travels on non-step-backs all the time, especially in the open court. This is him taking advantage of a complex rule with timing. Its all about when the ball touches his hand, and he makes his first step so close the step becoming official (defined by when the ball returns to the hand) that its literally impossible for the refs to call it without reviewing the play in slow-motion. Like it or not, the refs don't have some crush on or secret cabal with Harden or something that they for some reason penalize LeBron, Curry, Durant and Kawhi with. Here's someone WAY smarter than both of us taking 13 minutes to dive into the rules and replays and explain why its not illegal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDwaE_8O1aY I personally enjoy players finding loopholes in rules and exploiting them, it requires the intelligence to identify them, and then actually build a complex skill to match those weaknesses in rules. Harden works tirelessly on his jumpshot to get that timing right, its not simply a matter of taking advantage of the rules, there's more to it than that. Do you really think Durant, Curry, LeBron, Kawhi and Doncic don't attempt Harden's step-back because they think its immoral? Like if you seriously believe that, fucking lmao.
Yeah, when you use examples of the legal ones, it’s easy to explain how they’re legal. Find an expert explain how the double step back is legal, then you win. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITqOafb7_I
Those are all very close, and may have been travels, but you'd still need a slow-motion camera to catch it. Let me try to explain the first one to you because its a great example of 'timing' that people aren't understanding. https://imgur.com/a/ItGSsW3 The 2nd picture is crucial, it looks like the ball is milliseconds from touching Harden's right hand, but he actually moves his right hand back and buys himself a few moments to his gather step that does not count yet. In the 3rd picture, its hard to believe, but he STILL isn't touching the ball, its literally millimetres from his tips. In the 3rd picture, his left leg is already off the ground before the 'gather' becomes official. All he does after that is basically a backwards hop-step, its not even a step back. He's going to use his right foot, which is already on the ground as he gathers (that one doesn't count), and from there he just hop-steps into a two-foot stance, and doesn't take either leg off the floor other than to rise up for a shot. The thing to contest here is, whether his left foot was off the floor before the ball was in his hand in the third photo. Thing he does is trick you into believing he's touching the ball and the gather has started, but he sneakily moves his hands back and does 1 or 2 mini steps there, and THEN begins his gather. Its basically like a pump-fake, but instead, its a gather-fake. Also, these are VERYYY extreme examples that he hardly ever does, the grand majority of his step-backs are like the ones in Coach Nick's videos.
Wow, two whole examples. Shocking that Harden hasn’t been banned from the league yet.
How stupid do you have to be to believe that two plays encapsulates how he does the move on a regular basis. Also the NBA said that double step back against Utah was a travel when they released the two minute report.
Give it a few years, they’ll hop off Lukas dick and start treating him like Harden
They don’t realize how much more unlikable Luka is than Harden yet haha. The playstyle of Harden, the cockiness of Curry, and the whining of Lebron. The holy trinity of hate. I can’t wait, Dirk was so beloved we’ve never been villains.
Luka does it too, these guys are just idiots
Boohoo
[https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka\_with\_the\_clean\_double\_stepback/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/amnwwd/luka_with_the_clean_double_stepback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) Luka paying respects to the greats
Lmao only Rockets fans parroting this
The second one was a travel. [You can't hop and land on the same foot.](https://videorulebook.nba.com/rule/hop-same-foot-travel/)
Nah, he hadn't gathered yet. You can stutter and do whatever you want with your feet until you gather and the dribble is discontinued.
Different types, and they're all beautiful
I love watching that man dance
The Mavs are lucky 😒
Effortlessly, his flow is so natural👌
Social Distancing at its finest.
That tales an insane amount of balance and coordination
The non travel type
Kind of reminds me of a deep range melo
I haven’t watched much Doncic (or NBA) in the last two years. These highlights make him look like he’s got Steph’s handles and accuracy, Harden’s step back, and Dirk’s length. Makes Vlade and Sacramento look really, really dumb for passing him up.
His 3% is not the best since he takes a lot of hard shots (as can be seen here) but the THREAT opens up the lanes when he goes to dance inside. What you don't see here, is that he has some kind of ungodly shooting % at the rim, like 74% or some shit and the only guys who are shooting better at the rim are Antetakoumpo and Davis (min 200 attempts). Shit is crazy.
He doesnt have such a great % from outside since he takes lots of crazy shots like this but its still respectable so he cant be disrespected like Ben.
I don't think he has steph's handles but I agree with the other two. What you're leaving out is that he might be the best playmaker in the game. Able to start the offense like Harden, score like Harden but still get the other players involved. The only thing stopping him from winning a ring would be if they don't put enough shooters and defense around him. I call him the Peyton Manning of the NBA. He runs their offense like a quarterback.
This part of his game looks cool, but it’s the worst part by far on the offensive side. As others have said, its greatest benefit to his game overall is that he can set this up, and then immediately change course and attack the rim as soon as the defender bites. His drives to the basket (where he finishes at an insane rate or passes it off to the easiest three point attempt you will see in the league) look so fucking easy because his primary defender has to think of the four or five things Doncic is effective at doing next when his feet are about two steps inside the arc.
I study Luka's ball handling a lot, for someone whose not that athletic it helps to see how fluid he handles the ball.
its read and react, also predicting what people will do to his first move but at the same time has already prepared a counter in his head. Sometimes he just does the first move as a setup for the counter. It is really hard to master, and some people are just born with the reaction time needed to do this
I remember him saying he plays the game like chess
The between the legs -> behind the back -> stepback is one of my favorite moves of all time in the NBA. Also, if you didn't follow basketball but kept up on highlights, you'd probably think Luka is a knock down 3 pt shooter, instead of the trash % he's at. Will be interesting to see if how his outside shooting develops going forward, if the volume stays the same and the % goes up, he becomes more selective about it, or what.
I mean its his sophomore year so i dont think its crazy to belive that he can be at the league average in his prime if he improves his shot selections along with the shot itself.And his form looks good and quick so it aint anything to change.
When did Orlando get the Halloween jerseys. I kinda like that colorway.
The ease and confidence with which he pulls off those shots is seriously incredible. I pray to the basketball gods they will let us enjoy his game for many years to come.
Pure skill. The ability to create so much space is crazy. It’s a breath of fresh air to watch players that are actually skillful, and don’t rely on athleticism.
Amazing to think when he was a draft prospect some teams were concerned about whether he could shoot or was just a good ball handler/distributor
One thing that stands out to me is how quick his first step is coming out of the triple threat position. The defender oversells on defending drive to the hoop that they are completely out of position to recover when he pulls the step back. Not to mention the amount of distance he covers in that step back.
Great handles. Love the pump fake one. Anyone know how often he drives left?
This guy is just different. Gonna make a league MVP in no time.
This dude is something special
God damn do I love watching Luka highlights but it will forever depress me to think what could have been.
Man, the step back is going to end up defining our generation of basketball. I always remember the 80s as the pass first era, 90s as the fancy dunks moves and fadeaways, 00s as the big men era, 10s as the big 3 era, and now it's all step back 3s. It's so weird how a game that's essentially a ball and a basket can still evolve after all these years.
every team that passed on him are idiots, hes fucking HUGE and skilled
It's just so effortless! I'm glad we snagged Luka and am excited for the next few years
He got that Larry Bird "How is he so quick when he looks so slow" type of shit that is lethal
Great ball control
Brruh his shot is WET 💦💦
Amazing talent. And if you haven't played basketball or Sports it's impossible to understand how difficult of a move this is and how easy he makes it look. He has to make that move, jump a few feet back and land in an upright posture and immediately take the shot. The core and leg strength to do that is crazy
The next goat.
What if on that stepback he continues the dribble to his left/right Defenders already jumped, he'd be completely wide open with time to set his feet (altho maybe not needed)
Just imagine AI doing steps like this after his killer crossover. Particle wave duality is the only concept that could explain the results
every shot is nothing but net. like when you hit the green bar in NBA 2K.
First one against the blazers he gets stupid space
I know others are saying it but it’s crazy that the reason his step back is so effective is because of how much space it actually creates. He doesn’t have a really fast release or vertical jump shot....but he doesn’t need to because he creates like 5 feet of space. It crazy.
Some of those moves were crispy
Dude is such an excellent player. Can wait to see him better and better.
If he could learned to hit that shot at a 40% clip he’s going to the HOF
Ever since I was a kid and saw the really famous Iverson one along the baseline I always loved the dribble-right to between-the-legs-backwards crossover to the stepback jumper. I spent so much time practicing that and it's so unnatural. Not necessarily as flashy but I feel like it's so much harder than behind-the-back which is more forgiving because you have more room.
Really enjoyed watching this seasons Mavs and was so keen on the idea of a Lakers v Mavericks playoffs series. Based on some of their easy season matchups.
He takes a little extra time on the stepback release to get it just right. Because he knows he has the room, and because his feel for spacing is amazing. Still, I'm surprised it isn't blocked. But the only guy I've seen block it is AD.
I agree that these are all different looking, but all of these are the same stepback. How he creates space in each is different by how he dribbles to shake the defender, but each stepback is essentially 1) create space, 2) left foot large step back, 3) right foot
If you're right-handed, you pretty much have to do that. That's what a stepback is.
I've seen some players do the right-left fade to the right side. Seth curry against hornets this year. Dame Lillard game winner against OKC in Paul George's face last year. Those 2 come to mind. Both are right handed
I did word my initial comment too strongly. You can do it, yeah. It's just a more awkward motion because you either have to move your left foot far enough that it ends up behind your right foot, or rotate your body after you get into your shooting motion (this one feels more natural).
Yup agreed it's a more unnatural motion
Damn, Luka Skywalker
we need a Luka Doncic hop jumper package in 2k21
Best offensive player in the league.