Luka Doncic just proved he is the best player in the NBA right now

The Dallas Mavericks entered their second-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns as heavy underdogs. The reigning Western Conference champions had the best regular-season record in the NBA, and they were the favorite to reach the NBA Finals again. Phoenix was one of the deepest teams in the league with an All-Star backcourt duo, but they did not have Luka Doncic.

The Mavs superstar proved to be the best player in the series as he went for 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.1 steals on 47.6 percent shooting from the field. Dallas held the Suns to their two lowest-scoring games of the season in Games 6 and 7 as number 77 went for 68 points, 21 rebounds, and six steals. He took his game to another stratosphere as the Mavericks eliminated arguably the best team in the NBA.

The talk all season was Luka is great, but his supporting cast is not strong enough to be a serious contender in the West. Well, the Mavs have arrived. They are in the Western Conference Finals and could win the title this year. Yes, the supporting cast is underrated, but Dallas would not be here without Doncic.

Luka Doncic just proved he is the best player in the NBA right now

Sunday’s Game 7 was all Doncic. He had 27 points in the first half to match the Suns' 27 points. Yes, Doncic scored as many points as the entire Phoenix roster in the first 24 minutes of Game 7. Luka finished with a 35-point double-double without playing one second in the fourth quarter because the game was already decided.

No player did that to the Phoenix Suns this season. They had no answers for Doncic, and he did it all with a smile on his face. It was clear from the opening tipoff on Sunday evening that Luka was not going to let the Mavericks lose, and he proved he is the best player in the NBA right now in the process.

Why Luka Doncic is the best player in the NBA right now: 3. Shines in brightest moments

Luka gets better in the biggest moments. He went 46 points and 14 assists in last year’s Game 7 versus the LA Clippers before taking out the top-seeded Suns with a masterpiece. In the biggest game in Doncic’s NBA career, he went for 35 points in 30 minutes on the floor and roasted every defender that tried to guard him. Luka was locked in from the opening minute and destroyed the Suns.

It was not the first time Mavs fans saw Doncic go to a different level on the biggest stages. He won in Lithuania over the host country to send Slovenia to the Olympics with a 31-point triple-double before leading his country of just over 2 million to the bronze medal game in Tokyo. Number 77 gets better when the lights get brighter.

Four teams remain in this postseason, and the Mavericks will have the best player on the court in every game. He is unquestionably better than Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, and Jimmy Butler.

Fans can make a case for Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, or Joel Embiid sitting atop the league's best player throne, but which player can match Luka’s ability to handle the ball, make plays, and score? The short answer is nobody, and there is no defense that stops him.

Why Luka Doncic is the best player in the NBA right now: 2. No defense

The Mavericks topped the Utah Jazz in two of the first three games of their first-round series without Luka Doncic, but the series appeared over from the moment he came back. The Jazz tried a bunch of stuff, but they had no answers in defending him as he averaged 29.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in three games to close out the series after missing nearly two weeks of action.

The Suns had the third-best defense in the NBA during the regular season to go with the league’s best record. The narrative suggested they would shut down the Mavericks' role players and dominate Dallas no matter how well Luka played, but Doncic did not let that happen.

Mikal Bridges finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, but he was no match for number 77. It did not matter who or what the Suns tried, they were cooked as Luka averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.1 steals on 47.6 percent shooting in the series.

The 23-year-old superstar is unguardable, especially in one-on-one scenarios. He will post up smaller defenders. If Doncic creates a switch with a big man, he uses his elite handle to break them down off the dribble or just shoots his step-back three over them. Luka is the best pick and roll ball-handler in the NBA, and do not even think about playing drop coverage against him.

Send multiple defenders at your own risk too. He will use his playmaking to pick apart the defense or just shoot his step back over both defenders if the game is on the line.

Luka Doncic is unflappable. It does not matter what defense is thrown at him, he will find a way to destroy it. The Celtics had success slowing down Kevin Durant in the playoffs. Giannis looked unstoppable against Boston before going ten of 26 from the field in Game 7 to be eliminated. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James are all sitting at home, while Luka prepares for the conference finals. The Dallas Mavericks superstar is the best offensive engine in the league right now.

Why Luka Doncic is the best player in the NBA right now: 1. Unmatched production

Doncic has now played in 23 NBA playoff games in his young career, and his stat line is unmatched. Luka averages 32.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.5 steals on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent on his threes.

Only Michael Jordan averaged more points per game in the postseason than number 77 after dropping 33.5 a night while leading the Bulls to six championships, but Luka also rates in the top 12 in assists per game and in the top 85 in rebounds each night. Yes, he is the second-best postseason scorer and in the top 12 in playoff assists per game. No player can match those incredible stats in all three categories.

Every all-time great goes through playoff failures before winning the championship. Doncic has led the Mavericks to the postseason in three of his first four NBA seasons. Yes, they had never made it beyond the first round until this year, but that is part of becoming one of the best to ever do it.

Luka Doncic is producing postseason numbers nobody has ever seen through his first 23 games and the best is still yet to come. The 23-year-old superstar is already unguardable and has unshakeable confidence. Doncic is the best player in the NBA right now, and he is only improving from here.