Court Vision: Doncic's signature step-back is unstoppable

Welcome to Court Vision, a weekly video-breakdown column on trends around the NBA that you might have missed.

Doncic's go-to move

The step-back three is to Luka Doncic what the one-legged fadeaway was to Dirk Nowitzki - an unstoppable move that's quickly becoming his trademark.

The rookie's step-back three hit the mainstream last weekend when he scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Houston Rockets. Doncic capped off that run with the move by hitting a dagger after crossing up Clint Capela.

Doncic generates a ridiculous amount of separation with his step-back. Here, Capela was attached to the rookie, but then ended up with both feet inside the paint after Doncic took just one step forward. At that point, it was too late to contest the shot.

The step-back makes Doncic a complete scorer at all three levels. At 6-foot-9, he can get to the rim in just two steps - which means defenders must retreat - but he can also stop on a dime and hit a teardrop, so defenders must stay attached to his hip. On top of that, Doncic can step back at a moment's notice, which means he has a counter for every scenario and the confidence to boot - all the necessary ingredients for a prolific closer.

The commonly cited concerns over Doncic's athleticism look ridiculous in hindsight. It turns out he's an explosive athlete, but he creates separation by stopping rather than by bursting forward. According to P3's sports science testing, Doncic decelerates much like James Harden, so it's no coincidence they share the ability to find space for step-back threes. That's a pretty lofty comparison for a 19-year-old rookie.

Draymond's woeful shooting

Nobody's ever confused Draymond Green with a knockdown shooter, but his attempts from distance this season have been worse than ever. Green's hit just 20.6 percent of his 3-pointers, and defenses are now completely ignoring him:

The running joke is that Green shoots like he's wearing a backpack, but there's some truth to it. There have also been gnawing concerns about the health of his right shoulder dating back to December 2017, which is when Green's 3-point percentage fell off a cliff. He connected at a respectable 35.4 percent clip from 2013-16, but he's hit less than 30 percent of attempts in the three years since.

As a result, Green's become a complete non-factor in terms of scoring. He's averaging 6.6 points per contest this season with more scoreless outings (two) than games with more than 15 points (one). The versatile big man is still racking up assists, but he's also over-passing at times, which has led to a career-high turnover mark.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr might have to dust off the Andrew Bogut playbook for Green. Defenses used to completely ignore Bogut outside of the paint, so the Warriors capitalized by running handoffs where Stephen Curry's or Klay Thompson's defender would be stuck in a two-on-one scenario trying to contest a pull-up shot while also navigating through Bogut's bone-crunching screens.

However, Green's lack of spacing is an unavoidable detriment to the Warriors, especially if he continues to play power forward. Golden State's already trotting out non-shooters like Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell at center, and given the spotty state of Green's health, it's difficult to shift him up to center for extended stretches.

Parker benched for laziness

Jim Boylen's off to an auspicious start as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, but his decision to bench Jabari Parker soon after Lauri Markkanen's return is a clear step in the right direction.

Parker can't even begin to complain about being benched when he told on himself this summer by claiming teams don't pay for defense - and then proceeded to act accordingly:

This clip is not a one-off where Parker's caught slacking; it's a common occurrence in every game. He simply doesn't appear to care and seems more focused on being a 23-year-old version of 34-year-old Carmelo Anthony.

It's only right that he rides the pine.

Kuzma's strong defense

The Los Angeles Lakers rank top five in defense since the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, but he's not the only reason for their turnaround.

Kyle Kuzma's embraced his defensive responsibilities with an enthusiasm that was simply missing in his rookie season. At 6-foot-9, the 23-year-old is toggling interchangeably between guarding wings and small-ball fours, and he's even starting to master the delicate art of help defense:

Kuzma ranks second on the Lakers in terms of shot contests, and opponents are shooting nearly 5 percentage points worse than their average when he guards them within 10 feet of the basket. He's also averaging 18 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, making him arguably the Lakers' best young asset.

LeBron and Lonzo's inverted pick-and-roll

The Lakers routinely have Lonzo Ball screen for LeBron James in crunch time for two reasons.

First, it may coax the defense into a switch where James can go to work against a point guard. Second, the defense may use the opportunity to double James since Ball can't shoot, but that allows Ball to roll to the bucket. Either way, there's an advantage for the Lakers here:

The Jazz pick the second option here, and find themselves at the mercy of a four-on-three scenario with a clever playmaker in Ball streaking down the lane. Rudy Gobert's unable to provide help because Ball could dump it off to JaVale McGee for a dunk, and Joe Ingles can't commit to cutting off the drive because it would leave Kuzma open in the corner.

The end result is an easy layup for Ball.

(Stats courtesy NBA.com)