Dallas Mavericks: Is Luka Doncic a top five pure scorer in the NBA?

The Dallas Mavericks jumped back into the playoffs last season as Luka Doncic had a superstar breakout. He averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game on his way to finishing fourth in MVP voting.

Luka quickly became one of the best scorers in the league. Only five players have averaged more points per game than the Mavericks superstar over the last two seasons combined. Kevin Durant, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only ones. It is a star-studded cast that places Doncic in elite company.

The Athletic surveyed 30 people who work in the NBA asking who are their top five pure scorers in the league (subscription required). Doncic finished eighth and got a surprisingly low voting total. Why was the 22-year-old not in the top five?

Is Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic a top-five pure scorer in the NBA?

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was the runaway winner in The Athletic’s poll by receiving 20 of the 30 first-place votes. Doncic had just one top-three vote among the 30 people surveyed. One scout noted that Luka, LeBron James, and Giannis’ ability to do other things left them off his ballot for the best pure scorer.

Doncic is a top-five scorer in the league that is only improving. Over his last 25 games, the 22-year-old superstar is shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 39.5 percent on his threes. Luka improving from 3-point range makes him unstoppable. Expect him to continue working on his foul shooting too. Doncic is already a top-five scorer with plenty more to add to his game. He could up his scoring total in the second half of the season as the Mavs look to get back into the playoffs.

One thing everybody can agree on is Luka Doncic is a special talent. The best is yet to come from the Dallas Mavericks superstar. Fans will not want to miss a moment in the second half of the season, so please stay tuned.