We are about six weeks into the 2023-24 NBA season, and Luka Dončić is putting together an MVP-like performance in the early going. He is second in the league in points per game and averages 8.4 assists per, and the Mavericks were 11-6 before dropping their latest back-to-back. He has been one of the biggest rising stars in the league since being drafted in 2018, but there were plenty of people who were skeptical about his skill set, including Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Mavericks: Dirk Was Skeptical Of Luka At First
“The end of my career wasn’t pretty… We needed a little spark plug. I didn’t think it was going to be [Luka Doncic]… There were plenty of doubts from everybody on the team.”
Dirk Nowitzki was skeptical of Luka at first 😅
(via @shobasketball)
pic.twitter.com/DzDcDU0mX8— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 4, 2023
Dončić’s first year in the NBA coincided with Nowitzki’s last. The Mavericks legend was in his 20th and final year with the team and in the league, and was more of a figurehead and veteran locker room leader than the go-to scoring option that he was for the team throughout his career. He was able to view Dončić in the earliest stages of his NBA road, and he had some serious doubts that the youngster would be the answer to the on-court issues that Dallas was having. He shared a story on the All The Smoke Podcast recently:
We needed a little spark plug to change things. I didn’t think it was going to be this kid. When he walked in the first time…Is he quick enough? Is he athletic enough to go by guys like he is in Europe? So there were plenty of doubts there from everyone on the team.
The doubts were quickly put to rest. Dončić played well enough during his rookie season for those around the league to be put on watch, but he truly broke out in Year 2 and has been one of the league’s best ever since. After hovering around 28 points per during his second and third seasons, he has been well above the 30 point threshold for the last two seasons.
Luka Doesn’t Exactly Need A Mentor, Dirk Says
Luka Doncic tonight:
36 Points
18 Assists
15 Rebounds
2 Steals
2 Blocks
50% FG pic.twitter.com/TYro9dg6U6— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 3, 2023
His current numbers are officially 31.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, and he is currently second on the MVP odds board, behind only Nikola Jokić and coming in at +500.
In the interview on the podcast, Nowitzki goes on to talk about the relationship that he currently keeps with the new face of the Mavericks franchise:
My role with him, I guess we’re friends, we’re cool. You know when I’m in town we go to dinners or whatever. A mentor would be a little strong, because he doesn’t really need me. I mean, as you see, he plays like a 32-year-old veteran.
The Mavericks have a good chance to rack up some wins over the next week, as their next three opponents are the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies.
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