Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic’s best handles from his rookie season

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic showed off his elite ball-handling ability during his rookie season. Here is a look at his best moves.

Dallas Mavericks fans knew Luka Doncic was a 6’7 forward capable of handling the ball when they acquired him in the summer of 2018. Nobody expected Luka to be an elite playmaker, though. From opening night, the teenager proved he could make the defense look foolish with the ball in his hands.

Doncic finished 19th in the NBA in assists per game as a rookie. He only played 32.2 minutes a night. The plan is to improve his conditioning to take on a larger workload in his second season.

It was not just the assists, though. Luka has a handle that can deceive the defense. His height allows him to see over players, coupled with the vision and ability to make any pass. The combination was the recipe for quite the highlight tape.

The NBA is celebrating Handles Week. The Dallas Mavericks joined in on the festivities by producing Luka Doncic’s top ten from his rookie year.

The NBA also put out on Twitter four and a half minutes of Luka’s best moves.

The encore should only be improved. Doncic finished shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 32.7 percent on his 3-pointers. He is a far better shooter than those numbers indicate. Expect some second year growth. That should only open the floor more for the Mavs.

The supporting cast also improved this year. 2018 All-Star Kristaps Porzingis will be Doncic’s running mate. He is a lethal outside shooter that knocked down 39.5 percent of his 3-pointers during his last healthy season. The additions of Seth Curry and Delon Wright will also better space the floor.

It is an exhilarating time to be a Dallas Mavericks fan. The team has young talent and the desire to contend as soon as possible. It could be a year of growing pains, but there will be plenty of highlights along the path.

The Smoking Cuban will bring fans all the action and in-depth analysis on the team, so continue back to the site frequently.