[Luka Doncic](https://lakeshowlife.com/los-angeles-lakers-news/luka-doncic/) is not the best point guard in the league — but he is the best small forward, according to NBA general managers in the annual GM survey conducted by the NBA. Doncic received 40 percent of the votes for "best small forward" and landed at No. 2 in the best point guard voting (behind reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), plus No. 3 on the best shooting guard list (behind Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell).
Doncic was the only player to be in the top five at all three positions, a testament to his dominance as a scorer, playmaker, and facilitator. When NBA GMs can't exactly decide what position someone plays, but everyone acknowledges that _whatever_ position it is, he's dominant — that's a great sign, and it's something that Lakers fans already know well.
NBA GMs understand Luka's dominance
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The most fascinating part about this survey is how different the other guys around Luka are _from each other_. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum are all drastically different players, but the common thread between them here is... Luka!
That's because Luka essentially combines the best traits of other elite offensive players, and it's why he's a tier above everyone in his impact. He [doesn't fit into one category](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-already-addressed-biggest-need-around-luka-doncic), so it makes sense that he got love at each position.
This is the second time Luka has been voted as the "best" at a position in the GM survey; last year, he was voted the best point guard in basketball, dethroning Steph Curry, who had been atop that perch for nine years prior.
This year, he's the first player not named LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, or Jayson Tatum to be voted "best small forward" since before the 2006-2007 season. Most of those are LeBron, if you were wondering — but Tatum had the previous two before this season.
He is also the first player to be voted "best" at two different positions (in different years) since Anthony Davis was voted best center and best power forward in the late-2010s.
Where exactly will Luka play this season?
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It's definitely not going to be a typical small forward position, that's for sure. I've always thought of Luka as a "big point guard," but he also likes to operate with another point guard on the floor (Brunson, Kyrie) so again, it makes sense that folks see him as a few different positions.
Having a player who can oscilate between both guard positions and small forward is a good problem to have for JJ Redick, and the lack of a "true" point guard on the team might cause Luka to be more traditional in his point guard-ing duties this year. Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, and Austin Reaves all can be "point guards" but all strike me as more combo guards than pure 1s.
But whichever position Lula Doncic occupies on a nightly basis... He's going to be one of the best at it.