“It’s How You Carry Yourself:” Zion Williamson Gets Shunned in Favour of “Best” Version of Luka Doncic

Former Golden State Warriors player Tim Legler recently sat down for a one-on-one discussion with SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt. During the same, Legler was asked about his thoughts on New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson, who is playing in his fifth season with the NBA. The 1996 three-point contest champion proceeded to refer to Williamson as a “blended player”, highlighting that while the latter’s points and assists numbers might be up, he may be allegedly losing his attacking ability.

“He doesn’t do it as often as he used to and I think that’s why maybe we think, as he regressed, is he not going to be what we thought he was?” said Legler during the discussion.

Legler was later asked about Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who is currently in his sixth season with the NBA. Given that it was Doncic’s birthday on the same day as the interview, the 57-year-old former player decided to give him a verbal gift by showering him with praises. Legler proceeded to state that the version of ‘Luka Magic’ that he is seeing this season is the “best”. One of the reasons why he reportedly holds such a claim is in part to the player’s “better shape”.

“He looks just like he was made out of granite, like you don’t see any softness on him” Legler added. “He’s always had this strength that belied his body type, well now the body type is starting to look like that”.

Another reason for Legler giving Doncic this honour is owed to his ‘improved leadership ability’. The former player has observed that there are now less moments where the Mavericks star “gets caught up in something with the officials or the opponents”. Legler may not go as far as to call Doncic a “stopper”, but he wouldn’t mind calling him a “great positional defender”.

“There is no question he is embracing what it means to be a leader in this league” Legler continued. “It’s not just about statistical production, it’s about how you carry yourself and your demeaner and how it uplifts your teammates”.

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Through his remarks, the former NBA player made it clear that he does not consider Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic to be on the same boat. While he allegedly believes that the Pelicans player is losing touch of what he does best, he sees nothing but improvement in the Wizards point guard’s form.

Luka Doncic continues to be an unstoppable force during the 2023-24 NBA Season

Tim Legler was not wrong in stating that Luka Doncic is delivering some of his best performances during the ongoing NBA regular season. Out of the 51 games in which he has appeared in, the player has managed to average an astonishing 34.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists.

Just like any other basketball player, Doncic has not been immune from injuries this year. He developed a left quad injury and a right ankle injury before the All-Star Weekend and recently developed a nasal contusion. In spite of this, he missed only 8 games and continued to remain one of the most consistent players of the season. The proof of his prowess was seen during the Mavericks recent faceoff against the Suns. Despite his nose being in a delicate condition, ‘Luka Magic’ led the team to victory by scoring a game-high 41, along with 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Only time will be able to tell whether lady luck continues to support the 25-year-old in the long run.