Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have finally ascended

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 15: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to his bench at halftime of Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

The Dallas Mavericks just embarrassed the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. It was a complete blowout, as the Mavs were up by as many as 46 points.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul had off-days at the worst possible time, while Dallas saw Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson step up. But of course, the main catalyst behind Dallas’ win was superstar Luka Doncic.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have finally ascended

Before this season, Doncic had never made it out of the first round, losing to the LA Clippers two years in a row. But now, after getting his first taste of a deep playoff run, he’s made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Everyone’s pegged Doncic as the next great NBA superstar since the moment he stepped foot in the league, but now it feels like he’s finally reaching that status.

There’s no more, ‘but he can’t get out of the first round’ or ‘he can’t win in the postseason.’ Now, the only thing people can hold against him is the lack of a championship, and he’s still only 24.

That’s not even the craziest part of it all, though. For the first time in what feels like forever, Doncic is leading a championship-caliber team completely by himself.

Doncic doesn’t have another All-Star on the roster. Maybe Brunson could reach that status one day, but right now, Doncic is the only All-Star-caliber player on the team.

We’ve spent the past decade watching teams like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat win titles thanks to multiple All-Star-caliber players, but Doncic doesn’t have that.

He’s so good that he makes everyone around him better, and that’s leading to amazing results. Obviously, Jason Kidd and the team’s amazing defense deserve a ton of credit, too, but Doncic is the main cog in the machine.

Doncic has finally risen to the status of a top-five player in the NBA (if he wasn’t there already). And now, he has the chance to cement himself at that level even further with a win over the Warriors.

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