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NBA: The top 4 players under 21 in the NBA today

By Luke Duffy

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies jump for a loose ball in the second half at American Airlines Center on March 06, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies jump for a loose ball in the second half at American Airlines Center on March 06, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Dallas Mavericks
NBA (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

1. Luka Doncic

He only turned 21 back in February, but Luka Doncic is going to be heading to the playoffs this season with the Dallas Mavericks as their best player and the face of the franchise. Unlike some others on this list, the roster already around him is in a good place and is a balance of talented players and individuals who fit well with the do it all game of Doncic.

The Mavericks rank first in offensive rating this season (115.8), and have a chance to go down as one of the best in the history of the league if they can maintain that pace throughout the rest of the reworked regular season. Doncic isn’t the only reason for this, but his combination of scoring, passing and size is the driving force.

28.7 points and 8.7 assists a night is no joke, while the 9.3 rebounds he also chips in with have him moving towards averaging a triple-double already. The 31.2 percent from deep needs work, and yet when you watch Doncic play he has this ability to knock down big shots from even bigger distances when he needs to.

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With a Player Efficiency Rating (league average 15) of 27.7, only Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Davis are ahead of Doncic in this category. You can easily think of 10 superstar players that are looking up at Doncic then. Ridiculous stuff from a guy who has played 126 games in the NBA to this point. He’s certainly excited the Mavericks fanbase since his arrival too.

Perhaps we should have expected this to happen given how dominant Doncic was with Real Madrid in Europe before coming over, but he has surpassed all expectations of him to this point. Other than Giannis, given his age and what he has been able to do so far, who would you rather start a franchise with?

Doncic is a joy to watch with the ball in hand, and although defensively there is still much work to be done, the Mavericks (who rank 17th in that category at 110) don’t suffer significantly when he is out there either (110.8). If he could take a small step forward in that area in the coming year or two, his position here will only be solidified more.

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