Luka Doncic: The Next Face of the NBA

LeBron James is the first name that comes to mind when we think about the face of the NBA. He is by far the biggest name in the league and is still the best player, even as he enters his 18th season. LeBron likely has four to five years left in the league before he retires.

An intriguing question that has been discussed lightly has been “who is going to be the face of the league when King James hangs up his sneakers?” Enter Luka Doncic, the 21-year old Slovenian superstar from the Dallas Mavericks. The 2018-19 rookie of the year winner and former Real Madrid standout is already a top 10 player in the league.

His sophomore season was better than that of any second-year player we’ve seen since LeBron. He averaged 28.8 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 8.8 assists per game. Those numbers are those we typically see from MVP candidates in their prime, not 21-year old prodigies. In fact, Luka is the betting favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award for the upcoming season. Whether he wins the coveted award or not is to be seen, but it is absurd that he is already in the conversation at this stage of his career.

Giannis Antetokounmpo currently looks like the only other player in the league that can challenge Luka for the title of “next face of the NBA.”

Antetokounmpo may very well be the next face of the league, he did just sign the most lucrative contract extension in NBA history and is the reigning back to back MVP after all. Where they differ however is the pace at which they developed and hit their stride. Giannis was not garnering superstar labels in his second year in the league, he took longer to develop. Age plays a large factor and Luka is in fact five years younger than Giannis.

There is plenty of young talent in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Ben Simmons, Devin Booker, and plenty of other household names who provide us with jaw dropping highlights on a nightly basis.

Kyrie Irving is known for his wizardry ball handling abilities. Stephen Curry is known for his unlimited range and deadeye precision from long distance. Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his length and unique knack of bodying through opponents and finishing in transition.

Why is Luka so special? Luka is somewhat different from the other stars in the league because he doesn’t seem to have one defined skill which sets him apart from the rest. He does have a basketball IQ that is incredible for a player his age. He isn’t the fastest or the most athletic, but he understands how to use a balance of both those qualities to always make the right play, whether that results in a shot attempt or finding an open teammate for a high percentage shot. He is reminiscent of a right-handed James Harden; their personalities could not be more different, but their style of play draws many similarities.

Where Doncic can improve is on the defensive end as well as offensive efficiency. He is not the best defender but still has plenty of time to improve on that end. In 61 games last season, Luka had shooting splits of 31.6 percent from three and 75.8 percent from the free throw line. While he does attempt difficult looks, it would be largely beneficial if he could raise those shooting splits to 35% from three and 80% from the line.

Luka is already a top 10 player in the league and who knows what his ceiling is. While it is still too early to jump to conclusions, Luka has all the tools to be a top three player in this league one day and a future hall of famer.

The Mavericks knew Luka was their guy in the 2018 draft. They traded with the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that would swap Trae Young and a future first round pick (Cam Reddish) to the Hawks for Doncic. Thankfully for the Hawks, Young is looking like a franchise cornerstone himself or this trade would appear like a fleece for Dallas, if it doesn’t already. Young has All-NBA potential for sure, but what Doncic possesses is even more rare, he looks like a once in a generation type of player.

He has a genuine smile, he loves to have fun on the sidelines with his teammates, and he loves to give back to the fans. The mind-boggling thought about Luka is that he is still just 21 years of age, who knows what type of level he’ll be playing at in five to seven years.

Luka Doncic has all the tools to be the next face of the NBA, that’s not a light statement. It’s high praise for the best rising star we’ve seen in recent memory.