Cleveland Cavaliers: Ranking the NBA’s best young cores
By Tony Pesta
3. Dallas Mavericks
Potential All-Stars: Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis
Trading up in the 2018 NBA Draft might go down as the smartest move the Dallas Mavericks ever made. The foreign superstar, Luka Doncic, has done more than live up to the hype. Winning the Rookie of the Year Award, it’s clear Luka is ready for a long and prosperous career.
Despite not being a gifted athlete or a freak of nature, Doncic has no trouble picking apart NBA defenses and getting to his spots. He is crafty in his attack and plays to his strengths.
Showing an intelligence that not many young players have, Doncic can read and react to nearly anything a defense throws at him.
Because of this, it’s no wonder Doncic put up a miraculous 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game last season.
In case you’re wondering, Oscar Robertson is the only other player in history to achieve this in their rookie season. It goes without saying how special of a prospect Doncic truly is.
In shocking fashion, the Mavericks managed to pull off another home run deal by trading for Kristaps Porzingis. The 7’3″ forward has a game that should mesh well with Doncic, making them one of the most exciting duos moving forward.
Kristaps has made his name known by being a “unicorn” on the basketball court.
A freakishly tall player with superb shooting and ball-handling ability, KP can impact the game in nearly every way. Becoming an All-Star in just his third year, Kristaps put up 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game last season.
Health will be important in determining how successful this duo becomes. KP is yet to play in all 82 games of a single season and only appeared in 48 last year.
Meanwhile, Doncic played in 72 games, but showed clear fatigue towards the second half of the year and will need to work on his body in order to compete into the late months of the season.
Cavaliers takeaways:
The Dallas Mavericks took advantage of their assets and pulled off two great trades. The Cavaliers should be keeping an eye open on any potential deals they could make to boost their roster in a similar way, even if it means taking a risk.