“But here in Europe the team defense is more impressive obviously”- Luka Doncic on comparing NBA and Euro defenses

Luka Doncic is still playing basketball while most players are enjoying the offseason. He is currently dominating his opponents at EuroBasket 2022, leading Slovenia to several impressive wins.

Doncic is one of the few players who has been fortunate enough to dominate the leagues in both Europe and North America. He's won multiple accolades on both continents and has already established himself as one of the best European players of all time.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has had a couple of poor performances in the tournament so far, but he credits opposing defenses for that. The Slovenian guard believes that Europe has a superior team defense than the NBA.

“I think you have better defenders in the NBA obviously. But here in Europe the team defense is more impressive obviously,” Doncic said.

Doncic has faced numerous teams during his impressive career and understands the difference between different styles.

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Luka Doncic believes that defense is more important in FIBA

The NBA has its own rules that are sometimes difficult for international players. Luka Doncic entered the league in 2018, but he was dominating European teams for years before the draft.

The most prestigious league in the world has some incredible defenders, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Doncic's opponent from EuroBasket 2022. The Dallas Mavericks superstar explained how the smaller court emphasizes team defense in FIBA:

“Because of the smaller court, you don’t have the three-second violation. So I think the team defense is very important."

This is not the first time that Doncic has compared the NBA to the European leagues. The three-time All-Star believes that it's easier to score in the NBA due to the amount of space offensive players have.

Considering that he's averaged 26.4 points in four years, Doncic certainly doesn't have a problem with any kind of defense.

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Luka Doncic is dominating EuroBasket 2022

After another impressive NBA season and a Western Conference finals appearance, Luka Doncic is ready to win again. He's led Slovenia to a 4-1 record, one of the best records in EuroBasket 2022 so far.

Doncic's sole loss came against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the superstar scored only 16 points. However, he bounced back and led Slovenia to two huge wins against Germany and France.

Right after the loss, Doncic bounced back with a 36-point, 10-rebound performance against Germany. He shot 56% from the field during the 88-80 win.

Doncic's latest performance was the most impressive of the lot. He dropped 47 points against France and Rudy Gobert. He shot 65.2%, including 54.5% from the 3-point range in a 88-82 win.

At the moment, Luka Doncic is the third-best scorer in the tournament with 26.6 points. He's also ranked 13th in rebounds with an average of 7.6.