Mavericks’ Luka Doncic gets intriguing Hall of Fame endorsement from Gilbert Arenas

Doncic won the NBA scoring title this season, averaging 33.7 points per game to go along with 9.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 37.5 minutes per game. He shot 48.7 percent from the floor, 38.2 percent from three-point range and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line.

The 25-year-old also earned his fifth straight First-Team All-NBA selection and has made five consecutive All-Star appearances to boot.

Doncic is yet to win an MVP award, but he finished third in voting behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this year.

On top of that, he currently has the Mavericks three wins away from the NBA Finals entering Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Can Luka Doncic lead the Mavericks to a championship this season?

The Mavericks did not look like legitimate contenders during the first half of the 2023-24 campaign.

On Feb. 3, Dallas was just 26-23 and was a fringe playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. But then, the Mavs reeled off seven straight wins, and they were off and running. Of course, that also coincided with the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline when the Mavericks acquired P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford in separate deals.

Dallas ended up going 24-9 over its last 33 games to finish 50-32 and snag the fifth seed in the West.

The Mavs then proceeded to rather easily dispatch the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round before taking down the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2. Now, they are locked in an exciting clash with the Timberwolves with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line.

But can Doncic lead the Mavericks to a championship?

It will be difficult. That’s for sure.

Yes, Dallas took Game 1 against Minnesota, but the Wolves did just defeat the defending champion Denver Nuggets. It will probably be a long series, and Doncic will have to bring his A-game in order for the Mavs to emerge on top.

Then, if the Mavericks beat the Timberwolves, they would have to face the Boston Celtics (barring a miracle from the Indiana Pacers) in the finals, a team loaded with fierce perimeter defenders who can make life very difficult for Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

If Doncic is able to overcome all of the odds and pilot Dallas to an NBA title next month, it would make Arenas’ argument that Doncic is already a Hall-of-Famer all the more valid. Seriously. Imagine winning a championship this season, when not even the most diehard Mavs fan expected the team to make this much noise in the playoffs?

Couple a ring with the fact that Doncic already boasts career averages of 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game over his first six NBA seasons, and it would become hard to make an argument against Doncic.

Sure, longevity absolutely matters, but short of winning an MVP award, what would be left for Doncic to accomplish at that point?

Make no mistake, though: Doncic has a long road ahead of him. The Timberwolves are no joke, and if he gets through them, he will have the 64-win Celtics waiting for him.