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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban knew the Mavs had something special in Luka Doncic just 10 games into Luka's rookie season.
Doncic has taken the NBA world by storm, similar to how LeBron James did when he was a youngster with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The reigning Rookie of the Year said last season he was surprised how well he played. Now, he’s an MVP candidate and the new face of the Mavs franchise in the post-Dirk Nowitzki era:
“Probably 10 games into the regular season. We saw some amazing things when he was in Europe, obviously. You don’t just win MVPs and championships at 17 and 18 years old in the world’s second-best league and not be amazing,” Cuban told Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype.
“Then, we saw a lot of great things when he came in and worked out prior to the draft and played pick-up. I mean, he was just dominating. But you still don’t know; there are a lot of guys who come into the NBA with a lot of talent and you get excited about them, but you just don’t know until you really see them in NBA regular-season games.
“Then, there’s a whole different level in the playoffs that we haven’t seen with Luka yet. But when we saw him in those first 10 games, you could just see that he was special. I just didn’t think that it would come together this quickly for him. Winning Rookie of the Year and then taking another quantum leap forward this year? That’s a testament to not only Luka’s talent, but also his willingness to work hard.”
Doncic, who made his first All-Star team this season, is averaging 28.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists on the season for the Mavs while shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from beyond the arc and 76.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Barring a late-season collapse, the Mavs appear on their way to making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Basketball fans are anxious to see Doncic and fellow All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis on the NBA’s biggest stage.
The Mavs are 37-25. They are in seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
