Luka Doncic has been in action for the Los Angeles Lakers for five games so far this season. As usual, he's playing as one of the elite players in the league, helping lead L.A. to a 7-2 record. Although he's mainly known for his offensive abilities, something he's doing on defense will certainly catch the attention of Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
Doncic, who is 26 years old, has managed to record more blocks this season than the Mavs have wins, according to StatMuse. The five-time All-Star has recorded three blocks so far this season, while Dallas has only won two games.
“Fun fact: Luka Doncic has more blocks than the Dallas Mavericks have wins this season. Defense wins championships.”
Harrison, who traded Doncic to the Lakers at the deadline in the 2024-25 campaign, infamously stated that “defense wins championships” as a reason for why he made the deal in the first place. But the Mavericks are seemingly struggling to begin this year, as Cooper Flagg is going through rookie pains, and Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II are enduring injuries. Additionally, Kyrie Irving has yet to make his season debut due to an injury of his own.
Luke Doncic has been red hot to begin the new season, as he's looking like a legitimate MVP candidate early on. Through the five games he's played, the superstar guard is averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 30.5% from beyond the three-point line. He's also averaging 2.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per contest.
The Lakers star should eventually come back down to earth at some point. However, he is currently outplaying his career averages in points, rebounds, and steals. Meanwhile, Doncic is also averaging the second-most assists per game in his career, and his blocks are on par with his career-high.
We'll see Luka Doncic in action once again when the Lakers take on the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. It'll be an away game for Los Angeles, as it will be the first of five consecutive contests on the road.
