Luka Doncic moves up in The Athletic Player Tiers update

The Dallas Mavericks have reached another level as superstar Luka Doncic has found his stride. The 23-year-old struggled out of the gate, but he is averaging 29.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game since the calendar flipped to 2022.

Doncic is solving every defense. Teams are throwing out everything to stop him, and the 23-year-old just keeps putting up monster numbers. The Mavs traded Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline, but it has not slowed them down. They have won five of seven since the move with Luka scoring 30-plus four times.

The Athletic updated their Player Tiers (subscription required) on March 1. Before the season, Luka missed the top tier but was still a top ten player in their list. Where did he land in the latest update?

Luka Doncic moves up in The Athletic Player Tiers update

Tier 1 featured eight players in The Athletic’s list. The top three were considered to be in Tier 1A with the next five in 1B. Luka Doncic moved up from Tier 2A to 1B in the update. The Mavericks superstar ranked outside the top three, but among the top eight players in the league. Stephen Curry was the only other point guard in his tier, and Luka was the only player under 25 in Tier 1.

Luka is well on his way to making first-team All-NBA for the third straight year. Voters may favor Ja Morant given the Grizzlies' success, but Doncic has produced better numbers and is proving to be the superior talent. If starting a franchise, there should be no question in which player to take first.

Can Luka move into Tier 1A? What does he need to accomplish to make that leap? Doncic needs to prove his defensive gains are real and lead the Dallas Mavericks on a deep playoff run. Luka will be the best player in the league during his prime, and fans won’t want to miss a second of it, so please stay tuned.