Dallas Mavericks: 5 goals for Luka Doncic’s rookie season

As the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft acquired via trade, Luka Doncic could be the new face of the franchise. Here are five goals he should have for his rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks.

All the trade rumors and speculation leading up to the 2018 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks were the main headline, coming out ahead with a blockbuster trade acquiring the third overall selection, Luka Doncic.

The electric trade was felt throughout the Barclays Arena and by NBA fans everywhere. The Slovenian phenom was a Maverick, and has the whole fanbase was excited for his potential to be the next European NBA star. The trade saw Dallas part ways with its fifth overall pick (Trae Young) and a future first round pick to acquire Atlanta Hawks‘ third overall selection.

The European baller has already logged over 2,000 minutes in a professional basketball league compared to the other draft prospects, and boasts the most star potential at this age. At only 19 years old, Doncic led Real Madrid to a EuroLeague championship and received EuroLeague MVP honors.

In his MVP EuroLeague campaign, Doncic posted averages of 16.1 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25 minutes per game. Other players in the EuroLeague before joining the NBA that posted similar numbers are Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, and Nikola Mirotic, except none was 19 years old at the time. The youngest was Saric at age 22, posting 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game — impressive numbers, but not as impactful as Doncic this season.

Players coming from Europe are difficult to scout when translating their talents to the NBA floor. With that being said, “Wonder Boy” probably has the highest ceiling and floor out of the top 10 players picked in his draft class. It remains to be seen what Doncic is capable of accomplishing in his first NBA season.

Here is a look at five reasonable goals for Luka Doncic to focus on during his rookie year with the Dallas Mavericks.