Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is just in his third year in the NBA and analysts are already raving about him. They are all in agreement that Doncic will be the next face of the league in the next few years. The Slovenian has it all with the Mavs: talent, smarts, looks, the clutch gene, and a competitive spirit only special people possess.
Now, the lingering question: How many years before fans and analysts insert Luka Doncic into the “Greatest of All Time” conversation?
It's not as simple as it sounds. The likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James went thru hell to be considered the greatest of their sport. Jordan literally took the NBA by storm right from the get-go with his high-flying dunks and scoring prowess. However, he had to endure several playoff heartbreaks before he won his first title. Though Kobe had won three titles by age 24, there was this pressure placed on him to be able to win a title without Shaquille O'Neal by his side. LeBron, for his part, was the most hyped basketball player on the planet. From day one, people expected him to be great. Props to him for proving why he's the chosen one but it also took him several years to win a title.
Doncic has his own narrative. He was the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft but not a lot of American fans knew him. We can say that somehow, this relative anonymity worked in his favor. Not a single soul expected him to be great. That's why everyone is raving about him like he's the greatest thing that ever happened to basketball. However, the attention and hype seem to be catching upon him. Especially now, as of writing, they hold a 2-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Clippers. No one knows for certain if the Mavericks can boot out the Clippers or if they can win it all this year or in the next couple of years. But like the greats that came before the talented Slovenian, there's a high probability that Luka Doncic will get lambasted and slammed by fans and “basketball experts” if he lets time pass by without winning a title.
Looking at Doncic's game, there seems to be no glaring weakness in his offense. There's been a ton of comparisons already. Some see LeBron James and Magic Johnson's basketball IQ in him. Some have even spotted Jordan or Kobe's intensity as well. Among all players compared to Luka Doncic, Larry Bird seems to be the closest one. Both of them essentially play the point-forward position. What's astounding is they seem to lack the athleticism that most NBA players have but still manage to slaughter their foes.
However, if we look at Luka Doncic carefully, he seems to try to do everything for his team. This leads to a chunk of turnovers, some of which are pretty careless ones. He averaged 4.28 turnovers per game which ranked second in the regular season behind Russell Westbrook. This might be a consequence of him being the main orchestrator of his squad. But he needs to iron this little crease in his game.
But on defense, there's a lot to nitpick with Luka Doncic. He has shown some great improvement over the years without a doubt. He utilizes his big frame in post-up situations. He has also developed a knack for using his quick hands and high IQ to deflect the ball en route to a steal. However, it isn't near the level of those in the GOAT conversation.
Article Continues BelowFor all of the improvements Luka Doncic has made on defense, they haven't been good enough to get noticed or more importantly, translate into wins for his team. The Mavs had a 112.3 defensive rating in the regular season which ranked 21st. While there have been statistics and clips which show Doncic's much-improved defense, the real hallmark of a great player is how he's able to influence his entire team to play better. So far, Luka Doncic has been lacking in this regard.
We cannot blame Luka Doncic for all of his shortcomings. He's done everything he can to bring the Mavs back to playoff contention. But looking at their roster, it's evident that a lot of work still has to be done to make them a legitimate title contender.
Props to the front office for pairing Luka Doncic with another star in Kristaps Porzingis. The rise of Tim Haraway Jr., too, has been a welcome sign. But there's still something lacking in the squad. Do they need more time together? Do they need more veterans who have been part of championship teams?
Given what we know about the Slovenian, how many years until Luka Doncic enters the GOAT conversation? There's a popular belief that basketball players enter their prime somewhere in the mid-late 20s.
Luka Doncic is just 22 years old but he's been playing professional ball since he was 16. However, given the apparent holes in his game, we can never really say Doncic is already in his prime or near it. There's no doubt he'll work on these liabilities. But the next question is, will the Mavs organization follow suit?
Assuming that we see the best version of Luka Doncic in the four or five years, will the Mavs surround him with the players he needs?