Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has inspired comparisons with legends like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in less than two and a half seasons in his NBA career.
Among the active stars, Doncic’s game may be more similar to that of permanent MVP candidate James Harden, who acknowledged Saturday night that he considers these comparisons legitimate.
“There are some similarities,” said Harden after the Mavs ‘115 to 98 victory ended the Brooklyn Nets’ eight-game streak. “He never lets anyone speed him up and gets what he wants. That’s rare for a young guy. I think he’s 21 years old. And being able to dictate the game and control the game like he does, we all know that he has a very, very bright future.
“Mavs have a special.”
Harden’s comments were not necessarily a reaction to Saturday night’s game, in which he was the only All-Star available to the Nets with Kevin Durant (hamstring) and Kyrie Irving (injury maintenance) excluded.
“Whoever is in the squad and equipped has to be better, and that starts with me,” said Harden, who had 29 points and six assists, but was reduced to just four points after the break.
Doncic had 27 points from 11 of 21 shots, six rebounds and seven assists in victory, an impressive but routine performance for a player who averages 28.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game.
Still, Doncic was flattered when he heard about Harden’s praise.
“It’s something you can’t even describe if someone like that says something about you,” said Doncic, who had previously talked about studying Harden, specifically his backward jump and ability to draw faults. “It’s just incredible. I really appreciate that. I watch him. He’s an incredible and really special player.”
It was Dallas’ seventh win in the last nine games, with the 16-16 Mavs rising to 0.500.
An important factor in the Mavs’ resurgence was the recovery of several players from COVID-19 and the recovery of pace. Beginners Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Richardson and reserve Dwight Powell missed prolonged stretches because of the coronavirus, and reserve owner Jalen Brunson also missed several games because of health and safety protocols, although he never tested positive .
The other major development during the Dallas turnaround was perhaps the best stretch of Doncic’s spectacular young NBA career.
Doncic, who turns 22 on Sunday, averages 31.6 points in the last nine games, throwing 51.6% of the ground and 46.1% of the 3-point range. He had the three highest scores in the regular season of his career – 46, 44 and 42 points – during the break and also had an average of 7.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists, taking the Mavs much like Harden to Houston. Rockets for eight years before being traded to Brooklyn this season.
“Harden has been in a situation for the past few years where the attack really revolved around him,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle. “With our team, it happens the same way around Luka, but our style is a little different from Houston and Brooklyn. They are both players of generations. There is no doubt about that.”