Luka Doncic Passes Wilt Chamberlain For Rare NBA Record
The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic has been on a tear to start the season. Many expected him to be in the thick of the MVP race this season, but not many expected him to be this dominant. How dominant has Luka been you may ask? The fact that Doncic just passed the late and great Wilt Chamberlain for the second most 30-point games to begin an NBA season should tell you enough.
His scoring logs this season read as follows: 36 points against Brooklyn, 35 points against Toronto, 33 points against Utah, 44 points against Orlando, 31 points against Oklahoma City, 41 points against Brooklyn, 37 points against New Orleans, 32 points against Memphis, and finally, 35 points against Phoenix to begin the year.
He still has a ways to go to match the the record for the most consecutive 30-point point games to start a season. Funnily enough, this record is also held by Wilt Chamberlain. He did it in the 1962-63 season for 23 straight matchups. After the Mavericks’ win over the Jazz on November 3rd, Luka had this to say about the NBA legend:
“I always hear Wilt Chamberlain. He’s always there. I just wished to play in the NBA. This is really a dream for me.”
Luka Doncic’s Numbers
It is no secret that Luka Doncic has been special this season. Whether he breaks the record or not, one cannot take away the MVP-like campaign he is currently having. So far this year, Doncic has averaged a league-high 36.0 points per game to go along with 8.6 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game. He also has an effective field goal percentage of 57.2 percent. It should also be noted that Luka is tallying a career-best in steals nabbing nearly two per game (1.9 to be exact).
As if these numbers were not impressive enough, his advanced analytics are also something to boast about to NBA peers. Luka Doncic currently possesses a league-best player efficiency rating of 36.7. He is also averaging a true shooting percentage of 62.9 percent and a league-high offensive win share rate of 1.7. Luka also possesses a box plus/minus rating of 13.4, which is also an NBA best as of right now.
Team Success For Dallas
How has this personal success translated to the team so far? While the year is still very young, the Dallas Mavericks are currently ranked sixth in the Western Conference. They have a win-loss record of 5-3. Dallas has caught fire as of late as they have won their last four matchups. Their record will most likely get better as well considering their next two games are matchups they are favored in against the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards. With how well Luka has been playing, the Mavericks are in good hands for both the near and distant future.
Perhaps most impressive about this recent play is how well Doncic has done without another All-Star on the Mavericks. Christian Wood was a nice frontcourt piece the team traded for this summer. However, the roster should still be looked at closely closer to playoff time. As of right now, Luka Doncic is solidifying himself as the front-runner for MVP.
