Getty Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks know a thing or two about transcendent superstars. For years, German legend Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs, culminating in a championship in 2011. Now, the team is building around Luka Doncic, who has a chance to leave an even greater mark on the game than Nowitzki.
But as good as Nowitzki was and Doncic is, neither can guide a team on their own. So this summer, the Mavericks set out to improve its roster, including trading for Christian Wood and grabbing Javale McGee in free agency. But the team also lost Doncic’s backcourt partner in Jalen Brunson after he signed with the New York Knicks in free agency.
All of those moves beg the question: did the Mavericks make enough moves to give Doncic a reliable supporting cast next season? According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, that very question remains Dallas’ biggest heading into the new season.
The impetus to get Doncic a ring is even more apparent when one realizes just how spectacular the young star has been through four seasons in the league.
Doncic Is on Pace to Match Basketball Legends
If any good has come of Doncic being on his own, it’s that he’s been forced to do a little bit of everything for the Mavericks during his young career. He’s not had the benefit of playing behind another star, but he’s also not seen his growth stunted by a star, either. This means Doncic is on pace to join a legendary company.
“Luka Doncic turned 23 years old in February. You probably knew that already, but it’s worth the reminder of how ridiculously good he’s been at such a young age and how absolutely absurd his career has a chance to be,” Buckley noted.
“In just four NBA seasons, he has already amassed more than 6,000 points, 2,000 assists and 2,000 rebounds. The three other players to ever match that production by their fourth season are: LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and Grant Hill. Doncic is already off to a historic start, and his presence alone will give the Mavericks at least a puncher’s chance in any postseason series.”
Last season, Luka averaged an excellent 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists en route to an All-NBA First-Team honor. And after putting up numbers like that, it’s not just LeBron, Robertson, and Hill that Doncic is being compared to.
Shannon Sharpe: Luka Will ‘Probably Be Better Than Bird’
On a recent episode of Undisputed, notorious football player-turned-broadcaster Shannon Sharpe spoke out about his expectations for Doncic. And while Sharpe might have invoked a familiar name, Sharpe didn’t stop there.
“Luka is the closet thing to Larry Bird, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll probably be better than Bird! Luka is the one guy that can give 40 points and 15 assist. He’s phenomenal,” Sharpe proclaimed.
NBA execs name Luka Dončić the top player under 25, @ShannonSharpe says it’s not even close:
“Luka is the closet thing to Larry Bird, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll probably be better than Bird! Luka is the one guy that can give 40 points and 15 assist. He’s phenomenal.”
It’s not the first time that Doncic has earned a comparison to the Boston Celtics legend. And while time will tell if Doncic can truly match Bird’s mark, the Mavericks star is certainly on his way.