Startling stat shows Luka Doncic is better than 99.1% of NBA players
Luka Doncic's slow start to the season has rivals and fans asking the same question, is he the same player he was last season? A startling statistic shows that he is and that he might be better than 99.1% of all NBA players ever.
It is no coincidence that Doncic averages 28.7 points in his career. He finds his spots, uses his rhythm to his advantage, and orchestrates the game. Perhaps it is easy to claim that there is no better manipulator of the basketball than Luka Doncic.
Despite all that is made out to be, the Slovenian has had a slow start to the season by his standards. Last year, he averaged a whopping 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. This time around, he's averaging 27.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Is the drop-off visible?
Well, despite what fans and detractors might think, he is still playing at an elite level and today's 32-point game puts him a full echelon above all NBA players; ever.
Luka Doncic continues to rewrite history and script a new narrative
According to StatMamba, Doncic now has more career 30-point games than 99.1% of all NBA players in history.
To beat the odds by that margin all before you are hardly older than 25 is a feat in and of itself.
Doncic is a pass-first player but make no mistake, he is a scoring machine. When he needs to turn on the fireworks he does it, almost intuitively. In the game vs the Magic, he had a 25-point half draining 5/10 threes.
In a season where he is yet to find his footing from behind the arc, he still manages to show what he can do to defenses around the league. But when will he start firing, well and truly?
Dallas Mavericks' new team is putting a hitch in Luka's step?
The Dallas offense looks fresher and fuller by some margin compared to last season. Despite the growing pains of not being able to find a rhythm at the start of games, they are able to play out their slump and gather enough momentum in the 2nd half of their games.
Doncic has a new offensive weapon in the form of Klay Thompson and 88% of his 3-point attempts till October 29th have been from open or wide-open looks.
However, despite the team's success, Doncic's offensive output feels like it has suffered the most. He is down on his scoring, and his assist rate is lower than usual. And there have been games where Dallas' slow start has been their Achilles heel.
An adjustment period of around 25 games should provide us with a clearer picture. Doncic's performance vs the Magic might be a sign of better things to come.
Are the Mavericks' true signs of improvement coming in the NBA Cup?
The next 10 Dallas games feature a slew of teams, from the now tanking Utah Jazz to the currently undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder.
The NBA Cup is a stern test for their new look and title credentials. They will look to turn it up a notch and have control over their season. Doncic's scoring and his prowess as one of the NBA's best needs to show up.
For context, last season he dropped the 4th highest-scoring game of all time, with a 73-point masterclass vs the Hawks. And he is not just a regular season numbers machine. Luka averages the 2nd scoring average in playoff history. He is a nuclear scorer and the sooner he finds his footing, the easier the Mavericks will coast to the NBA Cup and a top seed.