Getty Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic has the early edge on the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, and as the days go by he continues to prove why. Doncic has done a little bit of everything this season for the Mavericks, but one play he made against the Utah Jazz just recently was one of his best this season.
When Doncic was down in the paint against one of the league’s best interior defenders in Rudy Gobert, the young playmaker used a perfect fake pass to get an open look. Here’s a look at the moment, courtesy of The Render (h/t BBallBreakdown):
It was pretty impressive from Doncic, and the second view even shows Gobert spinning to look around, leaving the rookie for the wide-open layup.
The moment was actually overlooked, as it happened a few games back, but it’s still worth giving a tip of the cap for. Moments like this, among many others, are a key reason why the Mavericks rookie finds himself quickly on the rise and a big reason why the team is 9-9 this season.
Luka Doncic’s Impressive Early Numbers
It’s only been 18 games, but the 19-year-old has proven why he was a top-five pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic has posted averages of 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. He’s also played 33.7 minutes per game and done so at a variety of positions.
In the month of November alone, Doncic has topped the 20-point mark on five occasions while hitting double figures in every game throughout the entire season. His play has helped the Mavericks reel off wins in six of their last seven games and post a 7-3 record to this point in the month.
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