Mavs rookie Luka Doncic expected to play vs. Suns

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that Luka Doncic is expected to be active against the Phoenix Suns.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that Luka Doncic is expected to be active for their game against the Phoenix Suns.

However, Dirk Nowitzki and Dennis Smith Jr. are both expected to be out.

Carlisle says he doesn’t think Dirk will play tonight, nor Smith Jr. Carlisle expexts Doncic to play.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 9, 2019

Luka Doncic has taken the entire league by storm. He came into the league with years of professional experience under his belt. This shows as Doncic is one of the most advanced rookies the NBA has ever seen.

Doncic is a multi-faceted player. He's able to run the offense as the primary playmaker as well as play off-ball. His pick and roll game with DeAndre Jordan is deadly, they are one of the best offensive duos in the entire league.

Though Doncic still does make mistakes from time-to-time, he's still proving himself to be a future NBA All-Star in just short time. His step-back three point jumper is something only a few superstars can pull off. He's mesmerizing and has kickstarted a new era for the Mavericks.

On the season, Doncic has averaged 19.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. His shooting percentages will only rise as he improves his shot selection and becomes more comfortable with reps and experience.

So far this season, the Mavericks are 18-22 and sit 13th in the NBA's Western Conference. If they were to be playoff contenders, they'd need to get on a hot streak sometime soon.

They will face off next against the Suns at home.