Mavs star Luka Doncic is being viewed as the top young player to build an NBA team around, according to 15 talent evaluators who were recently polled by HoopsHype.
The evaluators were asked to rank their five top players who are still under the age of 25. Doncic, who just wrapped up his second season with the Mavs, garnered the most No. 1 votes. In fact, he won 100 percent of the tally — a unanimous top pick.
“To me, Luka is the clear No. 1,” one scout told HoopsHype. “He’s a guy who can be a lead ballhandler. He’s good enough to score and create at a high level, has the right mental makeup and is incredibly smart. He’s been a winner everywhere and will probably be a winner in the league.”
Luka Doncic is followed on this list by Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Zion Williamson, with a number of other names behind them.
Though the Mavs were defeated by the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, Doncic enjoyed a fantastic season. And even at a young age, he's proving to be one of the brightest stars in the league.
In his 61 regular-season appearances, Doncic racked up averages of 28.8 points on 46.3 percent shooting form the field (31.6 percent from beyond the arc), 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 33.6 minutes per outing. His 8.8 assists per game ranked third in the NBA for the 2019-20 campaign, just behind LeBron James (10.2) and Trae Young (9.3). He finished fourth in MVP voting.
“He’s a do-it-all type of player who makes everyone better,” another scout told HoopsHype. “His production at his age is unreal. He scores like James Harden in a more team-oriented fashion. He’s one of the most fun players to watch. Dallas overachieved at a high level under his watch.”
Luka Doncic has the Mavs moving in the right direction, and they could be a legitimate title contender very soon.
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