Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic making a strong case for an All-Star appearance

Luka Doncic has been outstanding this year for the Dallas Mavericks, leading the team with 19.5 points per contest, making himself a serious candidate for an All-Star appearance in his rookie season.

It’s safe to say that Luka Doncic has been the most impressive rookie this year in the association. The Slovenian is extremely fun to watch given his various talents on both sides of the ball. In the first ballot of fan voting for the All-Star game in Charlotte, the rookie sensation finished ahead of Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Paul George in votes.

Doncic has been absolutely clutch this year, hitting several big 3’s in the last month, including a game-winning catch and shoot 3-pointer against the Trail Blazers in December. He went on to win the Kia rookie of the month in December, the second time he’s won the award already this season after also capturing it in November. It seems like Doncic likes to take the difficult looks rather than the easy ones. A ton of his field goals this year have come in situations where he crossed over the opposition, stepped back, and hit a fadeaway jumper.

Does Luka Doncic deserve to represent Dallas in the All-Star game? In my opinion, there shouldn’t be any doubt about it.

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His case for an appearance in Charlotte

The last rookie to make an All-Star team was back in 2011 when Blake Griffin did so with the LA Clippers. He averaged 22.5 points that year to go along with 12.1 rebounds per contest.

Doncic is averaging just under 20 points per night, but also has 6.6 rebounds and five assists per game on 43 percent shooting from the field. He’s also shooting 37 percent from downtown. the 6 foot 7 guard isn’t the most explosive athlete, but he really knows how to play every aspect of the game well.

Sure, he is an elite scorer. But Doncic’s ability to find teammates in the tightest of spaces with passes is outstanding. His playmaking abilities are the one part of his game that makes him a complete player in this league.

The strength he possesses to get inside and finish at the rim is very impressive as well. He may not have the speed of other players in this league, but his court vision and basketball IQ are high and help him find lanes to the hoop or teammates in space for open looks.

Making history

Among all qualified rookies in the league, Doncic is first in minutes, first in points, second in assists, third in rebounds, and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage. He was the first player 19- years old or younger to drain seven 3-pointers in one game when he did so against the Charlotte Hornets on December 28th. Doncic finished with a career-high 34 points that game and shot a breathtaking 7 for 10 from beyond the arc.

After playing for several years in the EuroLeague for Real Madrid, it’s clear to see that Doncic is more advanced than most rookies in the NBA. He has faced elite competition since the age of 16 and has adapted very well to this league. The EuroLeague is arguably the best in the world besides the NBA, so it was the perfect place for him to evolve as a player.

Will he be a starter in the All-Star game? Most likely not considering he is a rookie. But Luka Doncic most certainly deserves a spot on the Western Conference roster after such a blistering first half of the 2018-19 campaign.

The future is here in Dallas. Luka Doncic will be the building block for this franchise for years to come.