5 Bold predictions for Luka Doncic for the 2020-21 NBA Season
Luka Doncic will be entering his third pro season in the league when the NBA’s 2020-21 season begins. The Dallas Mavericks guard is slowly becoming the face of the NBA, and many are predicting that he will own this decade.
Even with such high expectations placed on his shoulders, the 21-year-old broke or set multiple records in his first two seasons alone. The stage is set for Luka Doncic to dominate the NBA in year number three.
Here are five bold predictions about Luka Doncic for the 2020/21 NBA season
#5. Shoot 37 percent on 3-pointers
Luka Doncic has one of the most complete games in the NBA. If there is one flaw in his game, it’s that he has yet to master the 3-pointer. Doncic shot an unsightly 31.6 percent from behind the 3-point line last season, which was worse than his rookie season average (32.7 percent).
This offseason, Doncic spent a lot of time in the gym doing a variety of shooting drills. He has the drive to get better as a shooter, and he will get better this season.
We’re keeping it safe in this prediction, but it’s a bold prediction nonetheless— Luka Doncic will make 37 percent of his threes.
#4. Win Player of the Month honors 3x
Luka Doncic got off to a strong start at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, winning the Player of the Month award for the Western Conference in November. Though that was the only time he won it last season, Doncic showed that he was a candidate to win the award every month.
This year, Luka Doncic will nab the award at least three times. His biggest competitors will be Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden (pending a potential trade that could send him to the East), and Damian Lillard. Despite the stiff competition he faces, Doncic will showcase a more refined game that will be evident from the get-go.
#3. Average a triple-double
Luka Doncic was like a walking triple-double every game last season. This year, he will not only average a near triple-double (28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists in 2019-20), he will join Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a triple-double for a season.
In 61 games, Doncic recorded 17 triple-doubles, most in the NBA in 2019-20. He was just eight triple-doubles away from matching Westbrook’s total of 25 in 2017-18, when he averaged a triple-double for a second consecutive year.
This year, expect Doncic to average a triple-double for the first time in his career.
#2. Take the Dallas Mavericks to the Conference Finals
Luka Doncic has a competitiveness that belies his joyful exterior. In the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Doncic played through an ankle injury and the LA Clippers' bullying tactics on him.
The Dallas Mavericks nearly upset the Clippers, who won the series 4-2. That series showed how ready Doncic is for the long post-season grind. The Mavs added several pieces in the offseason to complement Doncic’s game, and they will be enough to help him carry the team to the brink of the Finals.
#1. Win the 2020-21 NBA MVP Award
He was already playing like an MVP last season, but this year, Luka Doncic will take home the trophy and keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from winning it for the third straight year.
He has a strong international following, and the narrative of becoming an ambassador for the sport as a non-American will be an ongoing theme throughout the year. MVP voters will find the story too enticing to ignore.
Whether Doncic averages a triple-double or not, he will still win the MVP award on the strength of his team’s record (the Mavs could win more than 50 games this year) and his exceptional all-around play.
Also Read: 5 Reasons Luka Dončić can be the League MVP