Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic is one of the frontrunners for the 2019 Rookie of the Year award. But for Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, Doncic is already among the best players in the league today.
Carlisle had nothing but praises for the rookie sensation after Doncic had another stellar game for Dallas. The 20-year-old rookie finished with 28 points on top of 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the Mavs. Carlisle said that the Slovenian still has a lot of room for improvement, but his impact on the team makes him one of the bests today.
“I'll put it this way: He's one of the top players in the game,” Carlisle said of Doncic via Callie Caplan of Dallas News. “He's still young, he's still learning, but his impact is undeniable.”
Doncic, who is averaging 21.0 points on top of 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season, is already in great company as he is now tied with Lakers legend Magic Johnson for the third-most number of triple-doubles by a rookie. According to ESPN, Doncic's seven triple-doubles is the highest in NBA history by a player below 21 years old.
However, Doncic's big night was not enough to lead the Mavericks to a win, as the Sacramento Kings escaped with a 125-121 win at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. De'Aaron Fox finished with 23 points to go along with eight assists and five rebounds, while Harrison Barnes added 18 markers to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Kings hold a 37-37 record, which is currently the ninth-best in the Western Conference. However, they are 5.5 games behind the eighth-running San Antonio Spurs, which means their fate is no longer on their hands, as they could still fail to advance even if they sweep their remaining games this season.
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