By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Phoenix Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov discussed the case of potential No. 1 pick in the 2018 Drat Luka Doncic and had nothing but praise about the sheer talent of the Slovenian wunderkind.
“He’s an extremely talented player. He’s probably the most talented player I’ve ever coached being 25 years in this business,” Kokoskov said in an interview for the Phoenix Suns‘ “The Outlet” podcast. “He’s not the best player, but he’s the most talented one.
While Arizona’s Deandre Ayton appears to be gaining more and more points regarding becoming the top pick in the Draft, Kokoskov’s faith on Doncic’s talent might play a key part in the Suns’ decision.
“It (talent) means a lot regarding the potential and where we project him to be in the next couple of years,” Kokoskov also said.
Doncic won the EuroBasket 2017 with the Slovenian national team and earned All-Team honors, playing under Igor Kokoskov. The Serbian coach talked about how the European Championship experience helped the then-18-year-old player elevate his game and get ready to assume more responsibilities with Real Madrid.
“He did a lot for me as a coach and for the Slovenian national team. He played really well. I think as an organization we helped him to grow as a player. We gave him a role he never had before. He played for Real as a rotation player. He was young, he’s only 18. Playing for the national team he had a completely different role. It was different. And expectations were different. He was a go-to-guy, one of the main players. He found a way and handled that part well. He proved that he deserved that attention and everything we gave to him.”
“I think the team helped him and he helped us. His stats and the way he contributed and helped the team win all the games. It’s unbelievable. Our relationship is good, and our memories are great. The last time I saw Luka was eight months ago. For a young player, eight months is a lot. He’s improved a lot.”
“It was a fun time. I really enjoyed coaching Luka,” Kokoskov concluded.
Doncic completed the EuroLeague season two weeks ago by winning the title with Real Madrid and also amassing almost all individual awards. Apart from being named the 2017-2018 “Rising Star” and a member of the All-EuroLeague First team he also became the youngest player to win season MVP and Final Four MVP.