Luka Doncic is unarguably the best rookie so far this season. The rising star of the Dallas Mavericks has been a recurring figure in highlight reels with his arsenal of offensive moves that have been difficult to stop for opposing players.
That is the main reason why when the second returns of the NBA All-Star voting were released, Luka Doncic has already surpassed Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and is now second among Western Conference players with the highest number of votes from fans — trailing only Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Prior to the matchup between the Warriors and Mavs, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr praised Doncic and believes he's an All-Star, whether he makes the actual team or not.
Steve Kerr pre-game still talking about @luka7doncic and his @NBAAllStar chances. “Whether he makes it or not, he’s an All-Star.” #MFFL #Mavs #DALvsGSW #GSWvsDAL pic.twitter.com/bwe924VdNi
— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) January 14, 2019
Steve Kerr's comments make sense. Even though Luka is currently one of the top vote-getters, he isn't a lock to make the All-Star team as fan votes only account to 50% of the overall score of the nominees. Based on the All-Star voting procedure, 25 percent will come from their fellow players and coaches, while the remaining 25 percent will come from the media.
If Doncic makes the All-Star team, he will be the fourth rookie to do in the last twenty years. San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan and Hall of Famer Yao Ming made the All-Star selections in their rookie years (1998 and 2003).
Blake Griffin was technically a rookie when he represented the LA Clippers in the All-Star Game in 2011. He missed the entirety of his actual rookie season due to injury.
Doncic has the numbers to back him up though, as he's averaging 20.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 43.5 percent shooting in 41 games for the Mavs.
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