As the calendar flips to 2023, Luka Doncic is in the midst of a historical run to bolster his MVP case, while the Brooklyn Nets have remained the league’s hottest team overall, led by Jacque Vaughn.
With that in mind, this week’s NBA notebook includes Vaughn’s early Coach of the Year candidacy and Jeremy Sochan’s free throw revelation from our own Michael Scotto, the latest trade rumors commentary on D’Angelo Russell and Kyle Lowry from our capologist Yossi Gozlan, a free agency stock watch from our Frank Urbina and a look inside Doncic’s historical run by Alberto De Roa.
Luka Doncic’s historic run enhances his MVP case
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
NBA fans are getting used to plenty of what-in-the-world moments lately. From Donovan Mitchell scoring 71 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo raking up 40-point games to ridiculous Nikola Jokic’s triple-doubles and the incredible longevity of LeBron James. But Luka Doncic’s run of play in the last couple of weeks has been perhaps the most extraordinary thing.
Since December 21, the Slovenian superstar has nearly averaged a 41-point triple-double, leading the Mavericks to seven consecutive wins. This feat is even more impressive considering that prior to this run the Mavericks had lost five of their previous seven games and were hanging on to the last play-in spot with a mediocre 15-16 record.
How special is all this? For starters, his seven-game run averaging 41.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.9 assists is unique. No player in NBA history has ever reached these numbers. He’s also the first to score 40 points per game while shooting at least 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from downtown in seven consecutive wins. Even some of his individual games are nothing short of historic.
The epic win against the Knicks in overtime two days after Christmas was the obvious highlight, posting a never-seen 60-21-10 line. But on New Year’s Eve, at San Antonio, Doncic also became the only player in NBA history to record 50 points and nine assists in a game with zero turnovers. In a four-day span, Doncic had more games with 50-plus points and 10-plus assists than legends such as Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant had in their entire careers.
To say he’s been the key player in the Mavericks’ win streak is an understatement. Doncic has not only been a scoring threat but also an elite playmaker, creating 27.3 points through assists in the seven games…