The 2018-19 NBA season may have been the last hurrah for Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, but he has already left a lasting impact on Luka Doncic. Doncic–who in many ways is the perfect European star to succeed Nowitzki as the face of the franchise–told Eddie Sefko of NBA.com that he wants to build a legacy with the Mavs.
“Dirk’s been here 21 years,” Doncic said. “I want to stay here and follow Dirk’s steps.
“It (building a winning culture) is important. We want to go to the playoffs and I think we can. For sure, that’s my goal this season. The whole team is excited about the season.”
Mavericks fans will most certainly be looking to see what Doncic will do in his sophomore season after winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and vaulting into superstardom.
Doncic was one of the elite playmakers in basketball, and he should have more freedom playing a number of positions and working in the pick-and-roll with Kristaps Porzingis.
Luka can certainly shoot from beyond the arc, but Mavericks fans might be hoping that he takes a Dirk-esque approach this season.
Nowitzki shot 38 percent from deep from his career and had five different seasons where he shot above 40 percent from beyond the arc. Doncic, on the other hand, shot below 33 percent on over seven attempts per game.
However, with Porzingis in the rotation, Doncic has another offensive weapon to take some of the pressure off and space the floor. If Doncic can get cleaner looks, he should have more efficiency as an inside-out scorer that can also set up his teammates.
His career is only just beginning, but Doncic is setting the bar high.
Follow Us
Subscribe