As Luka Doncic is getting in shape, the Dallas Mavericks superstar has begun to flash his All-NBA form.
Doncic had, by far, his most dominant performance of the season in a roadside win by 113-100 Monday night over the Houston Rockets. He hit season highs with 33 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his first triple-double of the season, one that had some historical significance.
Doncic now has three of the five 30-15-10 performances in NBA history by players under the age of 22, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. The others were recorded by a couple of fame salons, Oscar Robertson in 1960 and Magic Johnson in 1981.
There have only been seven performances from 30 to 15-10 since Doncic entered the league in 2018-19, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Nikola Jokic of Denver have two in this stretch. Doncic’s three such performances are the second of all players in the last 30 years, behind Russell Westbrook’s five.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Doncic’s spectacular start. “He’s a great player.”
But Doncic, the favorite of the Las Vegas MVP, did not meet his high standards in the first week and a half of the season, as it is true that his conditioning was a concern.
Carlisle cited the uncertainty of this season’s NBA schedule as a factor in Doncic’s slow start, and said he was one of many players whose off-season routine was interrupted because he originally believed the season would begin in January or February.
“His preparation schedule was eliminated and he ended up behind the curve,” Carlisle said. “It’s pretty clear that he’s back to work where he needs to be now. As I mentioned the other night, all of his physical and conditioning indicators are really going in a good strong direction, which is fantastic. And you can tell on the ground “It looks like it ‘s getting better as the day goes on.”
Doncic, who missed Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls due to a left quadriceps contusion, has been constantly working on an effort to regain the form that made him the NBA’s first pick last season. This included a 40-minute post-game shooting session on the runway at the American Airlines Center following an explosion loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the start of the Mavs’ home, in which Doncic was limited to 12 points. and said his “legs feel really tired.”
“I’m ready to play,” said Doncic, who outscored perennial MVP candidate James Harden (21 points, 5-of-17 shot, 10 assists) Monday night. “I’ll keep doing conditioning, I’ll keep improving, I’ll keep improving form. We have a lot of games, so I’ll be in shape.”