You are now officially allowed to get excited about Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic, tipped as a potential first overall picks has submitted the paper work necessary to declare for the NBA draft.

The NBA draft is always a welcome excuse for fans to convince themselves some little known teenager or other is about to save their franchise, but some prospects warrant that excitement more than others.

Very few warrant it as much as Luka Doncic, the Slovenian guard who has made a name for himself at Real Madrid, one of the best teams in European hoops. With a FIBAEuroBasket title already under his belt, he would be one of the most accomplished teenagers ever to enter the NBA.

There was little doubt the 19-year-old was going to enter the draft this year, but that doesn’t make the news, first reported by Yahoo’s Sham Charania, that he’s filed the paperwork necessary to do so any less exciting.

Doncic is a natural ball-handler, which, combined with the fact he’s 6-foot-8, has led to comparisons with the Philadelphia 76ers, who has dominated the Eastern Conference in his rookie season and has impressed so far in the playoffs.

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There may be even more reasons to be excited about Doncic, who’s more of a threat from the perimeter than Simmons and is also a decent threat from 3-point range. Whether this all translates to the NBA remains to be seen, but there’s plenty of reason to be excited.

If Doncic doesn’t go with the first pick, he’s almost certain to go in the top five. The Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will all be hoping to win the draft lottery and begin building around the Slovenian sensation.