According to Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports, there is only one player in the NBA better than Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, and that is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Still, the praise for the Slovenian superstar is palpable in NBA media circles, and for good reason.

It makes sense to have Doncic as highly as they do, considering his performance not only last year, but over the past six seasons – from Rookie of the Year to five straight all-NBA First-Team nods, he was the elite of the elite, essentially since he first stepped onto a basketball court in the United States. Not only did he lead Dallas to the NBA Finals last season, but to the Western Conference Finals in 2022 with a much weaker supporting cast before losing to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

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Last season, however, was extremely impressive for Doncic: In 2023-2024, Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds, nearly posting a triple-double every night while finishing as the NBA scoring champion. His wizardry was the driving factor behind Dallas’ trip to the Finals this past season, and he’s getting the recognition he deserves.

Players after Jokic and Doncic on the list included the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo at three, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum at four, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at five, with an honorable mention from a few players as well: the aforementioned Steph Curry, second-year Spurs player Victor WembanyamaTimberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, Sixer and former MVP Joel EmbidSun star Kevin Durantformer Maverick and current New York Knick Jalen Brunson, Hall of Famer and Laker LeBron James, and Grizzlies point guard Yes Morant.

Still, Doncic is at the top of the list, and with the team he has around him, his success will likely remain at a high level. Even though his scoring numbers are down due to the acquisition of Klay Thompson. with an increase in emergency numbers.

Doncic is truly one of the best leading men in the NBA, and hopefully for Mavericks fans, this continues into his next season.

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