Luka Doncic averages a triple-double for the season
Entering the league in 2018, it was really hard to call Luka Doncic a “rookie” per se because of the fact that he had been playing professional basketball since he was 16-years-old. When you look at the list of career highlights and accomplishments for Doncic before he joined the NBA, it is amazing to think that a teenager could be one of the best players in the world, but this was simply a fact.
Doncic entered the NBA already as a dominant basketball player and since joining the Mavericks organization, he has only been getting better and better. Now, set to begin his fourth season in the league, we may be in store for Doncic’s best statistical season yet since he still is the only star on the Dallas Mavericks’ roster.
Last season, Luka Doncic averaged 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists, but during the 2021-22 season, there is a real chance that he could wind up averaging a triple-double for the season, something that has only been done by two players in NBA history: Oscar Robertson and the triple-double king himself, Russell Westbrook (who achieved this feat 4 different times).
During the 2020-21 season, Doncic recorded a triple-double just 11 times, which ranked him fourth in the league behind the likes of Westbrook, Jokic and Harden, but when you look at players with at least 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a game last season, only Russell Westbrook (29 games) had more games with these stats than Luka Doncic, who recorded 28 games with at least 20-8-8.
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It is amazing that at such a young age, Luka Doncic is already one of the best complete offensive players in the league, but he has yet to reach his full potential. With another shooter in Reggie Bullock next to him, Doncic’s assists numbers should increase and while they still have a ton of big men, Doncic will continue to be one of the leading rebounders on the Mavericks this season.
Kristaps Porzingis led the Mavs in rebounds last year with 8.9 boards per game, but he seemed to regress during the 2020-21 season in the paint, so Luka could actually wind up out-rebounding him this year, especially if Porzingis’ minutes decline.
Averaging a triple-double over the course of the 2021-22 season is definitely not out of the question for Luka Doncic as he continues to transcend into being one of the best players in the league today.
