Guarding Luka Doncic presents one of basketball’s most difficult challenges.
Luka Doncic has been dominating in EuroBasket 2025 alone. He leads the scoring with 34 points per game, ranks second in assists with 7.2 per game, and is the most efficient player with a rating of 36.7.
Doncic has single-handedly carried Slovenia to the quarterfinals, where they will face Germany.
His latest dominant performance came against Italy, where he scored 42 points in a masterful display.
Saliou Niang acknowledges Italy’s failed defensive strategy against unstoppable Doncic
Cleveland Cavaliers recent pick Saliou Niang experienced firsthand the difficulty of containing Doncic’s offensive arsenal.
The 21-year-old Italian forward admitted that despite their team’s best efforts, stopping the Slovenian star proved impossible.
“It’s an honor to play against Luka. I just tried to do my best. The confidence I had in defending Doncic can help me a lot in the future,” Niang explained.
“We put a lot of energy on the court and played good defense, but Doncic was Luka Doncic. It was tough; we tried to stop him in the second half. We did our best.”
Italy’s defensive adjustments in the second half couldn’t contain Doncic’s scoring explosion.
Niang’s assessment reflects the fact that, even when executed well, defensive schemes often fail against elite talent like Doncic.
Niang takes positives from tournament despite elimination disappointment
Despite the loss and defensive struggles, Niang maintained perspective about his overall EuroBasket experience.
The forward averaged solid numbers with 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game throughout the tournament.
“The way we started put us in trouble. It wasn’t easy to come back, but we did it. We were a little tired at the end. We gave it our all. But I leave this EuroBasket stronger than before, that’s for sure,” Niang added.
The game provided Niang with insight into NBA-level competition, where he’ll face the world’s best players regularly.
However, Niang will continue his development with Italian team Virtus Bologna next season while the Cavaliers monitor his progress.
Cleveland doesn’t currently have roster space for him, making the European experience valuable for his continued growth.
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