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Iztok Franko

@iztokfranko.bsky.social

5.2K followers 290 following 350 posts

digginbasketball.substack.com | Data 📈📊 & 🏀 | hoops junkie | enthusiastic R learner | windsurfer | follow for Luka Dončić, Mavs, Lakers and NBA analysis

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Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Feb 2

I wrote about what will be forever know as The Nico Harrison trade. The most stunning move ever made by an NBA executive. Maybe it proves to be genius. Or complete ignorance.

And a couple of words on digginbasketball and my next steps for all asking...
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/the-nico-h...

The Nico Harrison Trade

I don't know where to begin... but I'll try

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 2d

Without LeBron, the Lakers’ season might start with some easier decisions, more Luka ball, more Ayton touches, and a Reaves prove-it stretch.

I wrote about past blueprint(s) & reason for short-term optimism. But also the long-term questions looming👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/lebron-jam...

What LeBron James’ Injury Means for the Lakers

A recipe for survival built on encouraging lineup data, lessons from Luka’s past when carrying an extended workload, and how James’ absence will reshape the Lakers’ rotations.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 6d

Early Lakers preseason notes, first look at Ayton, Vanderbilt, LaRavia and more… plus a free bonus for ALL readers. The full NBA Trends series is unlocked for everyone👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/lakers-pre...

First Preseason Impressions and a Thank You Bonus for All Subscribers

Lakers lost again in preseason but there were positives, and tonight we finally see AD and Cooper Flagg together.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 9d

JJ Redick wants more on-ball pressure...and he’s right. The Lakers ranked bottom 3 in several ball-pressure metrics last season.

I did a deep dive into three wild cards who could change their perimeter defense next season 👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/lakers-per...

Can the Lakers Build a More Aggressive Perimeter Defense? Three Arguments For, One Against

Why the Lakers’ new defensive identity depends on three wild cards.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 12d

Fresh Luka. Invested LeBron. “Championship shape.” Kyrie’s timeline controversy. Lively’s growth spurt excitement (and concern). Could AD’s goggles impact his shooting?

More from Lakers & Mavs Media Day 👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/media-day-...

Media Day Highlights: Luka, LeBron, the Lakers, and eyebrow-raising news from Dallas

Plenty from the Lakers’ Media Day, refreshed Luka, and a few surprises in Dallas.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 16d

Key takeaways from Lakers 2025-26 season-opening press conference

▪️ What optionality means for roster, long and short term
▪️ Luka’s (new) routine
▪️ Redick’s extension + coaching insights
▪️ Notes on LeBron, Reaves, Ayton, LaRavia, Smart & more here👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/pelinka-re...

Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick 2025-26 Season Opening Press Conference: Key Takeaways

From Luka’s routine to Redick’s extension, optionality, and sharing the ball

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 19d

“If healthy”...the phrase that follows Anthony Davis everywhere. The Mavs traded for AD knowing it was a gamble.

I dug into 30+ years of data to see if AD can beat history. And found a sliver of optimism 👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/anthony-da...

Anthony Davis at 32: Can He Still Be a Top-10 Player?

Based on 30+ years of data and historical comps, the odds are against AD — though his unique profile and a few key comparisons leave room for optimism.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · 25d

A couple weeks ago a follower challenged me to quantify my take that P.J. Washington is a better all-around player than Rui Hachimura. With the latest Andrew Wiggins-to-Lakers rumors, I added him to the comparison for extra fun.
🚨New deep-dive here👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/hachimura-...

Rui Hachimura, P.J. Washington, Andrew Wiggins: Deep Dives

Who’s the best among past, present, and potential future Luka running mates—their strengths, weaknesses, and fit

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Sep 11

Slovenia lost a competitive thriller vs favored Germany in the EuroBasket quarterfinals.

For digginbasketball I wrote about The Game. The Tournament. The Lessons. And what they mean for Luka, the Lakers, and the 2025-26 NBA season ahead.
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/eurobasket...

EuroBasket Chronicles: End of the Road for Luka and Slovenia

Lessons from Slovenia’s run, and what might translate to the Lakers and the NBA

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Sep 8

Luka Dončić went off for 42 vs Italy in a do-or-die game.

A 30-point first half that felt like a throwback to his two NBA Game 7s vs the Clippers & Suns. Slovenia survives, Germany up next.

More here👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/eurobasket...

EuroBasket Chronicles: Another Luka Masterpiece on the FIBA Stage

Dončić carried Slovenia past Italy in an elimination game, setting up a clash with the final favorite, Germany

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Sep 5

🚨New words: EuroBasket notes on improved Luka, a quick analytical scout of Deni Avdija, thoughts on P.J. Washington and the strong Mavs offseason.
Plus, of course, the Clippers mess👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/notes-donc...

Around Basketball: Quick Notes Edition

Thoughts on improved Luka Dončić, Deni Avdija, P.J. Washington’s extension and the Mavericks’ offseason, plus the Clippers in trouble

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 29

Slovenia loses to Poland despite Luka’s 34 pts, 9 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

Sochan jerseys everywhere, LA celebs in the front row, France’s young guns in the afternoon. My EuroBasket chronicle from Poland 👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/eurobasket...

EuroBasket Chronicles: Day 1 — A tough Slovenia loss to Poland

Luka’s 34 not enough, LA celebrities in the front row, Sochan everywhere, French prodigies and more

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 26

☺️

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 26

Flying out for EuroBasket tomorrow but before that I had some fun with my Western Conference predictions.

I’ve got the two teams I followed most closely (Lakers & Mavs) finishing well above Vegas projections. Homer bias or valid points?
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/western-co...

Western Conference Predictions and Rankings (Late August Edition)

Where do Lakers, Mavs, and others finish in another wild West race

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 21

The Lakers added Ayton, Smart, and LaRavia… but did they actually get faster?

🚨New digginbasketball deep dive: where are Lakers losing on the margins, tons of nerdy speed metrics, plus the Flagg–AD dilemma in Dallas👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/lakers-nee...

One glaring weakness the Lakers may not have addressed this offseason, plus the Mavericks’ intriguing Cooper Flagg dilemma

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 20

Plenty of fans asked if Luka looked faster last night. Coincidentally, speed has been on my mind all week while working on my next deep NBA dive (coming soon👀).

As for Dončić...here’s a quick video note for digginbasketball👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/luka-donci...

Quick Note: Luka Dončić Showing Burst in EuroBasket Prep

A quick video note from Slovenia’s latest prep game.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 17

For my U.S. readers: I wrote about Slovenia’s latest EuroBasket prep game. Luka Dončić’s 26-point first half magic, then the second half injury scare. And what comes next for Luka and Slovenia 🇸🇮
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/doncic-slo...

First Half Luka Magic, Second Half Injury Scare

Luka Dončić’s second prep game with Slovenia was really fun until it suddenly wasn’t

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 12

From Amen Thompson and Alex Caruso at the top to some surprising names in Tier 2, I broke down the elite perimeter stoppers, the future All-Defense members and the rest.

Lakers fans… where do you think Marcus Smart landed👀
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/best-perim...

Best Perimeter Defenders in the West, Ranked

The next ranking in our search for the West’s true contenders

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Aug 5

Luka Dončić is expected to play this Friday in an exhibition game vs. Germany.

If you plan to follow his national team journey (or want a good reason to start) here’s the history behind it and why it means so much to his fellow Slovenians 🇸🇮
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/eurobasket...

EuroBasket 2025 Series: Why You Should Be Watching Basketball in August and September

Part I.: Meet Luka Dončić’s other team

digginbasketball.substack.com

Reposted by Iztok Franko

Reverse Enigma @reverseenigma.bsky.social · Jul 31

Inspired by @iztokfranko.bsky.social latest post, wanted to see how the western conference teams looked broken down using the clusters from nbavisuals.com/player_style
Cluster names still need some work.

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Jul 30

How are the top 10 teams in the West really built?
I ran a clustering model on 300+ players to break down offensive archetypes. And reveal strengths, gaps, and roster building shifts from last season.

Lakers, Mavs, Nuggets, OKC, Rockets... all included👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/nba-west-p...

How the West Is Built

A data-driven look at player archetypes for the top 10 Western Conference contenders including the Lakers and Mavericks

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Jul 25

Here: www.eventim.si/artist/slove...

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Jul 25

Offseason fun: ranking the top centers in the West.

Where do Ayton, Lively, Gafford, and others stack up?
And who’s number 3 behind Jokić and Wemby?
My full rankings 1-30 here👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/top-center...

Top Centers in the West, Ranked

Let’s have some offseason fun (and fuel your group chat arguments).

digginbasketball.substack.com

Reposted by Iztok Franko

Darius Soriano @forumbluegold.bsky.social · Jul 17

Really enjoyed our talk w/ @iztokfranko.bsky.social:

Laker Film Room podcast @lfrpod.bsky.social · Jul 17

New pod: Luka on Defense feat. Iztok Franko

The guys are joined by @iztokfranko.bsky.social, who has been covering Luka since his years with Real Madrid, for a detailed discussion on his defensive capabilities.

🎧: linktr.ee/LFRPOD

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Jul 20

Marcus Smart was always one of my favorite players to watch and now he's a Laker.
New digbasketball deep-dive on how good his defense still is, offensive fit, health, and what it all means for the Lakers next moves👇
digginbasketball.substack.com/p/marcus-sma...

Smart Move? How Much Marcus Smart Helps the Lakers

A deep-dive into the newest Lakers addition—defense, offense, fit and more.

digginbasketball.substack.com

Iztok Franko @iztokfranko.bsky.social · Jul 17

Thanks for reading