Getty Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots a jump shot over the reach of Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks.
When it comes to emerging superstars in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic belongs at the top of the list. Despite only being 23-year-old, he has already proven to be one of the league’s top talents.
Through his first four seasons, Doncic has averaged at least 27 PPG, eight RPG, and eight APG in three of them. This high level of output has landed him multiple All-Star and All-NBA nominations, along with putting him in the same breath with the likes of LeBron James.
Most PPG by a teenager (minimum 40 games):
21.9 — LeBron James
21.0 — Carmelo Anthony
20.9 — Luka Doncic
20.3 — Kevin Durant
19.3 — Anthony Edwards
With his prime right around the corner, many expect Doncic to soon be the best player in the NBA. However, another generational talent could stand in his way of achieving that title.
Before the 2023 season gets underway, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps decided to survey scouts and executives on a variety of topics. One of which being who will be the league’s best player five years from now. Doncic received a high number of votes but came in second to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The argument: Doncic is already an MVP-level talent who, in five seasons, will be just entering the prime years of his career.
It’s hard to bet against him, an East scout said. There’s some worries about whether he’ll keep up with his conditioning, but I’m not betting on anybody over him in five years.
Luka Doncic Among MVP Favorites
Along with being viewed among the top players in the future, voters were also high on Luka Doncic now. When it came to MVP favorite for this upcoming season, the All-Star point guard was tied with Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid for the second-most votes. Giannis Antetokounmpo once again took the top spot.
With Jalen Brunson heading to the New York Knicks in free agency, the belief is that Doncic’s production will take another step forward and get him in the MVP discussion.
The loss of free agent guard Jalen Brunson was seen as a hit to the Mavericks’ overall chances but was viewed as a potential boost to Luka’s MVP hopes.
But I’ll take Luka. His numbers will be super high, [Christian] Wood will help, they’re going to win 50-plus games … losing Jalen Brunson stinks [but] whatever [Doncic’s] usage was last year, which was already off the charts, it will only boost his chances.
Mavericks Voted Among Biggest Offseason Losers
After reaching the Western Conference finals last year, it was an underwhelming summer for the Dallas Mavericks. While they bolstered their frontcourt by adding Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, there is still a major void on the roster.
Part of why the Mavs made it so far was because of the emergence of Jalen Brunson. The 26-year-old posted career-highs across the board and proved to be an ideal complement next to Luka Doncic.
When it came time to pay Brunson, the Mavs were unwilling to invest heavily in him. In the end, he inked a four-year, $104 million deal with New York. Since they let their second-best player walk and got nothing in return, the Mavs were voted the team with the worst offseason by a landslide.
They lost him for nothing, a West executive said, then turned around and gave JaVale [McGee] a lot of money and traded for Christian Wood.