A scoring machine (almost) like Mike
Luka Doncic’s stats don’t lie
Do not confuse this as a di- rect comparison. Luka Doncic trails Michael Jordan by sixNBA championship rings along with many other honors and accolades. There is a long, long road to travel here when it comes to all that matters. But what you are looking at these days in a No. 77 uniform for the Dallas Mavericksis one true scoring machine.
They do not hand out certificates for scoring 45 in a playoffloss as Doncic did this past Monday night against Phoenix in a Game 1 loss in the Western Conference semifinals. Or 35 as he did in a Game 2 loss Wednesday night. Or 26 as he did Friday night when the Mavericks got back into the series with a103-94 win. Still,about those 45 points. Itwas the most points ever scored by an NBA player in his first second-round game in the four-round history of theleague. Doncic has scored 40 or more six times in his playoff career. That’s six times in 19 games through Game 3.. That’s more times than two-time MVP and reigning playoff champ Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s more times than three-time MVP and threetime NBA champ Larry Bird.
That’s more times than a lotof people.
After those 106 points in the first three games vs. the Suns, Doncic’s career playoff average stands at 33.1 going into Game 4 Sunday. If that number sounds vaguely familiar to your NBA brain, it is because the only player in league history to average 30
points per playoff game is Jordanand his 33.4.
On a list of of all-time greats and current stars that have played in at least 25 playoff games — one Doncic will not qualify for until next round or next year — the numbers begin to inform us as to just how other-worldly his scoring really is. Phoenix’s leading scorer, Devin Booker, who had a 70-point regular season game early in his career, sits at 26.7. Golden State’s Steph Curry, whose scoring range extends roughly to midcourt, checks in at 26.5. Last year’s MVP (and perhaps this season’s), Denver’s Nikola Jokic, is at 26.6, and Giannis is right there at 26.
Inching higher — just below Jordan and Allen Iverson’s 29.7 is Kevin Durant with a 29.4 average. LeBron James is not far behind at 28.7, and bear in mind that’s over 266 games — a little more than three full regular seasons.
And, just in case you were wondering, like I was: Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 30 points per game in the regular season, had a career 22.5 scoring average in the playoffs.
Doncic exists on a different plane when it comes to scoring, but that is, in part, because many teams want him to shoot. Or at least they willingly allow it. Unlike most of the players on this list, Doncic is no stranger to 10-assist games. And, odd as it sounds, Phoenix is more concerned with his passing to the 3-point line out of penetration than his ability to fill thebasket with two-pointers.
“Anytime a guy has 45 against you, you look at that number and you don’t like it,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “But you look at their system and nobody else got going. I just don’t like the way we guarded him when hegot into the paint.”
The funny thing is: Doncic didn’t shoot particularly well on this night. The first three Dallas possessions of the game were Luka miss, Luka turnover, Luka turnover as Phoenix grabbed a 9-0 lead before the Mavericks even got untracked. He made half his shots (15 of 30), under 40% of his 3s (4 of 11) and just under 80% from the foul line (11 of 14).
It makes a makes a man wonder when 50 is coming and how far off 60 might be.
Doncic is going where only one other player has ever been. Now, if he could only bring the rest of his team along like the other player did.