Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will be packing their bags after a 4-2 defeat in the first round of the Playoffs. However, it wasn’t for lack of effort by Doncic. In fact, the 21-year-old created history in this series.
For starters, Doncic became the first player in NBA history to average 30+ points, 8+ board, and 8+ assists in his first playoff history. Moreover, Luka was a problem for the Clippers defense this entire series. He set a new record for the most playoff points in a debut with 42 in Game 1 vs the Clippers.
The Former Euro league MVP has already been touted as the next face of NBA in just his second year. He has already drawn comparisons to NBA legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant as just a sophomore in the NBA.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Doncic’s first playoff run will forever be in the NBA history books. He averaged 31 points in the series, the sixth-most points per game by an NBA player in a debut series.
Most points per game by a player in their first playoff run:
35.2 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
34.7 — Rick Barry
33.2 — Wilt Chamberlain
31.7 — Bob McAdoo
31.5 — Anthony Davis
31.0 — Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/pOh5GVVCqP— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 30, 2020
Luka Doncic: The next superstar of the NBA
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Doncic’s first playoff series puts him in an elite category. But what’s even more amazing is the comparison of his performance with LBJ, Kobe, and MJ in their first playoff series, respectively. The European star outperformed all three of them in the series.
For comparisons, Kobe Bryant averaged just 8.2 points in his first playoff run. Meanwhile, MJ registered 29.3 points for his first postseason run. And King James had a staggering 30.8 ppg in his first stint in the NBA playoffs.
The Mavericks superstar has just two years of experience under his belt. Yet he plays like a well-furnished NBA veteran. Moreover, he gave the Clippers a run for their money with his second-best player watching from the sidelines.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Maybe if Porzingis was healthy enough, the Mavs could have advanced to the second round. However, that is a discussion for another day. This early playoffs exit should be nothing but a stepping stone for Doncic.
If the Mavs can build a better team around him, he might lead them to a few championships. The future is bright for this young Dallas team. Doncic has proved that his team will be a contender for the NBA ring for a foreseeable future.