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Doncic is too good for the European game. He routinely makes plays that show basketball intelligence beyond what the entire league is capable of. This year he’s mixing high-volume, efficient 3-point shooting with 17 points and 5 assists per game to look like a video game cheat code in the second best league in the world. A reminder: Doncic is 18 years old.

It shouldn’t be possible to do what the youngster is doing for Real Madrid.

He plays like a pedantic James Harden, patiently setting up the defense to be skewered with each dribble before unleashing a play. He has speed to burn, but because of his elite shooting, passing and dribbling, rarely needs to blow by defenders. Most of the time, he can throw a shooter open or get to his spot on his own without making it look terribly difficult.

To finish 2017, Doncic celebrated with 22 points in 24 minutes against Estudiantes, dominating in transition and off the bounce against a good Spanish club. He should be the No. 1 pick.

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Naysayers (if any remain) will point to his defense, occasionally a step slow when he’s not in overdrive, but in control like elite offensive players always are on that end. He sees plays developing, stays in position and knows how and when to body up. His size is a bigger asset on defense.

Perhaps he doesn’t defend point guards in the NBA, but now we’re picking nits. Doncic is an unfair basketball player.