Rob Pelinka Compares Luka Doncic To An Illusionist

The skillset of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is truly special. Not only can he score from anywhere on the court, but his elite handle and ability to change speeds and control his body allow him to get to his spots. Add in his unreal court vision and basketball IQ and there is simply nothing Doncic can’t do on a basketball court.

This often leads to truly unbelievable moments that you have to see twice to truly understand what Luka pulled off. Whether it’s a no-look pass that somehow gets to his teammate or a shot that goes in despite an angle that should prevent a made basket, there seems to be one or two times a game that Doncic does something that has fans shaking their head in disbelief.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka feels the same way as he compared the Slovenia star to an illusionist, saying that you almost have to be in the building to truly understand what it is that he is doing, via Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal:

“I liken his skills to that of an illusionist,” says Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. “You almost have to be at the game to understand the magnitude of what Luka can do on the court…. There are always many ‘Did that just happen?’ moments.”

It is what makes Doncic such a popular player as he is so fun to watch and really makes you question what you just witnessed. Even someone like Pelinka, who did play college basketball at a high level, is often left in awe at what the Lakers superstar pulls off on a nightly basis.

Luka doesn’t have the elite physical gifts to just blow by or jump over people so he is reliant on his skill and he has that in abundance. The Lakers really only got a small taste of what Doncic is capable of after they acquired him last season, but now with a full offseason to prepare, he is set to put on an absolute show in his first full season in purple and gold.

LeBron James praises Lakers teammate Luka Doncic as a ‘savant’ of the game

Someone else who certainly agrees with Rob Pelinka’s assessment of Luka Doncic is his Lakers teammate and fellow superstar LeBron James. The future Hall of Famer has high praise for Doncic and particularly his basketball IQ, calling him a savant of the game of basketball.