Why Luka Doncic is an unquestionable first-team All-NBA selection

No player can put up the stats Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic produces

There was much talk about his slow start. Rumblings of Luka reporting out of shape and carrying extra weight added motivation for the Mavericks star. He had a long summer of Olympic basketball in an already short offseason. Doncic did not start the season at the top of his game, but it has not stopped him from producing unbelievable numbers on the year.

The 23-year-old is fifth in points, fifth in assists, and 17th in rebounds per game. Luka and MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic are the only two players in the top 20 in the NBA in all three categories. Jokic will not be listed as a guard in the All-NBA voting, so Luka should be at the top of the ballot based on pure counting stats alone.

Doncic’s name may not be in the MVP race, but it should be because of the numbers he produces. He has six 40-point games, nine triple-doubles, and he leads the Mavs in almost every statistical category. Luka shows up and produces no matter what the defense throws at him.

His stat line is unique, but it is not just the traditional number that separates Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic from the field in the first-team All-NBA balloting.