5. Luka Doncic
Like so many of the early greats before him, Luka Doncic’s regular-season dominance only brought his league standing so far. To further a near-unprecedented track towards greatness at such a young age, he’d have to do it in the playoffs.
Fortunately for Luka, he was able to guide his Dallas Mavericks to a spot in the 2020 postseason. Unfortunately, their first-round matchup was an LA Clippers team that limited Doncic to 42.6 percent shooting from the field in three regular-season meetings and 27.3 percent from distance. They also pressured him into 15 turnovers.
An opponent with title aspirations was supposed to teach the hard lessons Doncic had yet to learn about the difference between the regular and postseason. Instead, the 21-year-old averaged 31.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game.
Luka Doncic in his first playoff run:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 30, 2020
- 31.0 points per game
- 9.8 rebounds per game
- 8.7 assists per game
- Most points in a playoff debut
- 2 triple-doubles
- 40/15/10 game (3rd ever)
- 1 walk-off game winner
- Youngest player with a playoff game-winner
He's 21 years old. pic.twitter.com/tlzhZfhWeQ
If Luka needed a singular moment to convince any doubters of the historic heights he’s reaching in the present, it came in Game 4. 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists. The game-winning step-back 3-pointer just two nights after badly spraining an ankle that looked like it would keep him out of that pivotal Game 4.
LA wound up needing six games to advance. Doncic used the national stage to put the league on notice. He had two triple-doubles and crossed the 40-point mark twice, slicing through whatever defense the Clippers threw at him, including Kawhi Leonard.
The Mavericks are a team for the future. Doncic is the biggest reason why. After these playoffs, it’s clear that future is arriving a lot faster than expected.