Luka Doncic is the best playoff performer of the past three years in the entire NBA
Luka Doncic is setting a whole new level of playoff dominance
© Jerome Miron - USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic may not have won a single playoff series yet (expound on the word yet because he's close to eliminating the Utah Jazz), but it's time to acknowledge his unprecedented performance over the past three post-seasons.
Luka Magic went from scoring the most points in a playoff debut (42 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) to constantly pilling up near triple-doubles every single game.
In the 15 games Doncic has played in the playoffs over the past three years, he's had eight double-doubles and three triple-doubles. These are not the typical numbers you see produced by superstars as the Slovenian native continues to put the league on notice.
Uncharted territory
Below is a table of Doncic's numbers in his 15 playoff starts.
| Game | Stats |
|---|---|
Game 1 | 42/7/9 |
Game 2 | 28/8/7 |
Game 3 | 13/10/10 |
Game 4 | 43/17/13 |
Game 5 | 22/8/4 |
Game 6 | 38/9/9 |
Game 7 | 31/10/11 |
Game 8 | 39/7/7 |
Game 9 | 44/9/9 |
Game 10 | 19/6/6 |
Game 11 | 42/8/14 |
Game 12 | 29/8/11 |
Game 13 | 46/7/14 |
Game 14 | 30/10/4 |
Game 15 | 33/13/5 |
Game 1 was the best playoff debut in history, Game 4's low numbers are due to an injury that forced Luka to exit the game, but he returned to Game 5 in style with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Recommended Articles
While these are superior playoff numbers for a 23-year-old, it's as important to point out that they haven't resulted in wins. However, slowly but surely, Doncic is proving that he's a different beast in the Playoffs as he continues to raise his level of play.
The young superstar is averaging 33.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.8 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point area in his three-year playoff resume.
Doncic and Oscar Robertson are the only players in NBA history to reach 450+ points, 125+ rebounds, and 125+ assists through their first 15 Playoff career games.
The Mavericks are going to thrive soon enough.
As mentioned above, despite Doncic's numbers, the Mavericks have been first-round exits for the past two seasons now. But it might be different for Doncic and crew this time around. Not only are they currently up (3-2) against the Utah Jazz in the first round of this year's playoffs as of writing, but the Mavericks finally have the supporting cast around Doncic to help him make a run this season.
Luka is finally receiving second-option help from teammates Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson, who carried the Mavs to two victories while the superstar was recovering from a calf injury. The Mavericks feel like a complete team this time around, with their defensive identity and potent offensive system.
Doncic now also has Jason Kidd by his side, who has surprised everyone with his coaching performance this season. Gone are the days when Luka needs to have a near-perfect game for his team to win because the Mavs have proven that they've significantly improved this season.
So, grab your popcorn, everyone! Luka Magic is here to stay and might one day have the best playoff resumes of all time.
