The Kings passed on Doncic in favour of Marvin Bagley III in the draft.
Monday 17 December 2018 16:44, UK
The Sacramento Kings may have won against Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, but Kings coach Dave Joerger was singing the praises of an opposing player - Mavs' rookie Luka Doncic.
Joerger spoke in glowing terms about last season's EuroLeague MVP before the Kings' 120-113 victory over the Mavs, and sees plenty of room for Doncic to get even better.
"He's got a lot of different skills, and I think he's going to become a heck of a shooter," said Joerger.
"When that happens, it's going to make him quicker. He's got good ball handling and he knows how to play.
"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."
The Kings had a chance to draft Doncic, but took Duke standout Marvin Bagley III with the second pick instead. Atlanta drafted Doncic with the next pick, then traded him to Dallas for rookie Trae Young and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
Joerger has reportedly been at odds with the Kings' front office over the team's direction and philosophy. Nonetheless, the Kings are now 16-13 and occupy the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings.
Doncic entered the game averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 26 games, all starts. The 19-year-old is among the leading contenders for Rookie of the Year.
Bagley averages 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.0 block over 26 games, all off the bench. He is expected to miss 10-14 days with a bone bruise in his left knee.
He did not play Sunday.
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