Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has garnered the attention of players currently in the NBA and guys who were in the league years ago. In his latest newsletter, Marc Stein of the New York Times spoke to Cedric Maxwell, who said that the Mavs guard is the spitting image of Larry Bird.
“This would be Larry Bird of the 2020s,” Maxwell said, “exactly how he would play now.”
While Maxwell raved about Doncic's ability early in his career with the Mavs, he did point out that he thinks the next step for Doncic is becoming more of a leader like Bird was.
“Larry had another gear that I’m waiting to see Luka come up with, and that’s the leadership role,” Maxwell added.
Maxwell, who played with Bird for five seasons with the Boston Celtics, got a chance to witness the greatness that Larry Legend displayed every game. Bird was productive in the box score and was able to be the leader in Beantown, winning three NBA titles with Boston.
Similar to Larry Bird, Luka Doncic isn't the most athletic player on the court, but he's capable of creating for his teammates. At the same time, he doesn't shy away from shooting beyond the arc, though the Mavs star will want to become more efficient from outside.
The sky is truly the limit for Doncic as he has become must-watch television in his first three seasons with the Mavs. But for the Slovenian to take his game to another level, Maxwell believes he needs to take the reins as the definitive leader in Dallas.
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