Luka Doncic is coming off a tremendous 2023-24 campaign, averaging 33.9 PPG, 9.8 APG, and 9.2 RPG, becoming the first player to average at least 33/8/8 for an entire season.
Although he didn’t win MVP or average a triple-double, he was able to take the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. One former All-Star thinks he can take his statistical output up to another level.
Gilbert Arenas, who has become infamous for his bad takes and slander toward European players, thinks Doncic is in store for a special performance this season. He had this to say on his show, “Gil’s Arena.”
“I’d be surprised if he don’t [average] a triple-double. If you [were] averaging that many assists with what you had, now you have a guy who’s a catch-and-shoot [in Klay Thompson], so some of your assists will come without any effort. You should average a triple-double. He will probably be the number one candidate for MVP. He’s gonna do something that hasn’t been done in a few years.”
Russell Westbrook was the last player to average a triple-double; who accomplished the feat in four out of five years between 2016-17 and 2020-21. The only other player to do it is Oscar Robertson, averaging a ridiculous 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 11.4 APG in the 1961-62 season. Westbrook won the MVP the first season he averaged a triple-double.
Doncic may not average as many points as he did last year if Kyrie Irving stays healthy and Klay Thompson can be a quality third scorer. Rebounds will be harder to come by, too, with Daniel Gafford and an improved Dereck Lively II as the center rotation. He should be in the MVP hunt either way if the Dallas Mavericks are as good as they think they can be.
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