"He's a younger LeBron minus the athleticism" - Kendrick Perkins praises Luka Doncic for putting up Michael Jordan like stats thus far

Luka Doncic has been playing at an MVP level to begin the season. Through his first nine games, the Dallas Mavericks star is averaging 36.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins recently compared Doncic to future Hall of Famer LeBron James during a recent appearance on NBA Today.

"Luka Doncic, and people made fun of me when I said this and I'ma double down on it, he's a younger LeBron James, minus the athleticism, offensively," Perkins said.

"When you talk about a guy, 6'7, 6'8, big frame, 240, 250, take you on the low block, he's got turnarounds over both shoulders, the ability to get downhill, finishing around the basket at the paint, getting to the free-throw line.

"He has a more consistent jump shot than a younger LeBron James, but then you talk about his playmaking ability. On time, on target passing. His rebounding, he can go out there any given night and get you 10 to 15 rebounds at that position."

Luka Doncic has shown that he is not done improving his game and taking it to the next level. The next step for the Dallas Mavericks star will be to show that he can lead his team to a championship.

Watch Kendrick Perkins' comments on Luka Doncic below (starting at the 0:50 mark):

Luka Doncic's impressive streak to start the season

Luka Doncic has been on a historic run to start the 2022-2023 NBA season. He has scored at least 30 points in each of his first nine games, the longest streak since Wilt Chamberlain 60 years ago.

Can Luka Magic ever top Wilt the Stilt? 🤔 🪄

Most straight games with 30+ PTS to start the season:

🇺🇸 Wilt Chamberlain - 23 (1962-63)
🇸🇮 Luka Doncic - 9 and counting (2022-23) https://t.co/xOvyMQtvj3

Doncic's scoring display has been nothing short of remarkable. While he is unlikely to maintain this pace for the full 82 games, Doncic has taken his scoring and efficiency from the field to a new level.

Entering 2022-2023, through four NBA seasons, Doncic averaged 26.4 points per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. His career high was 28.8 points per game, in 2019-2020, and 47.9% from the field, in 2020-2021.

Through nine games this season, the 3-time All-Star is shattering those marks. He is currently averaging 36.0 points per game while shooting 52.4% from the field. His 3-point percentage is well below his career average and single-season low. If Doncic is able to rediscover his outside shot, he may be able to, once again, take his game to another level.