5 stars vying to dethrone LeBron James and be crowned as the new face of the NBA

4) Luka Dončić

For a while, it seemed Luka Dončić was the next big thing in the NBA. To his credit, that has largely been true; it's just that the success of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and others has kept him from entering a tier of his own: that, and a continued refusal to improve his ability defensively.

Still, Dončić remains an offensive enigma and one of the brightest stars in the entire NBA. Coming off of a recent NBA Finals appearance, the stage is set for Dončić to take his game another step further. While often it seemed he suffers from Allen Iverson/James Harden syndrome—that being a lack of support and talent on his roster, the addition of Kyrie Irving has allowed Dončić to improve thanks to some additional breathing room.

It's not all Irving though, as the Mavericks feature a thrilling air attack in the postseason with Dereck Lively II, Derrick Jones Jr., and Daniel Gafford. While Jones Jr. is no longer in town, the Mavericks replaced him with knock-down shooters Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall.

The offensive boost they have provided has been one thing, but the defensive ability of Lively and PJ Washington also significantly minimized Dončić's defensive inefficiencies. Josh Green, who is now with the Charlotte Hornets, was also a major part of that, meaning that Luka must improve in his own right, lest he continue to be a target defensively.

While that' s the ideal scenario, it's Luka's offense that makes him a superstar, and it's that ability—mixed with his world-wide recognition—that could allow him to become the face of the NBA.