Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic has been making statistical history nearly every time that he takes the floor in his second NBA season. Following his 26-point, 15-rebound and seven-assist outing during Saturday's win over the Toronto Raptors, Doncic matched LeBron James by being the first player 21 years of age or younger to record at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in eight consecutive games.
The @dallasmavs Luka Doncic has recorded at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last eight games, tying LeBron James for the longest such streak in NBA history by a player before his 21st birthday.
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) November 17, 2019
Doncic has become a nightly must-see experience despite having played just 84 games in the league. Through 12 games this year, he has averaged 28.5 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.1 assists to firmly entrench himself in the MVP conversation, much in the same ilk that James did early on in his career.
Those 12 games have seen Doncic deliver eight double-doubles, five of which have been triple-doubles. Head coach Rick Carlisle has handed him the keys to the team's offense as their point guard on a nightly basis and the team has jumped out to a 7-5 start. His next chance at continuing the streak comes Monday when he faces the San Antonio Spurs, who held him without a double-double in any of their three meetings last season.
Elite excellence at a young age was a precursor of things to come for James, who remains one of the league's premier players even during his age 35 season. Whether or not Doncic is able to replicate a similar level of greatness remains to be seen, but it's hard to imagine a player having as significant of an impact is such a short span as Doncic has had since entering the league.
Follow Us
Subscribe