ESPN Picks Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic as ‘Too Early’ NBA All-Star Reserve

Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic is picked as a West reserve behind other West stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Luka Doncic is having an MVP-caliber season for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 31.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game while leading his team to a 13-8 record and third-place in the West heading into Monday night’s action.

In a recent piece, ESPN predicted Doncic to make the it to the All-Star game, but they think it will be as a reserve for the Western Conference, not a starter.

Despite being No. 4 on the NBA MVP ladder and being the best player on the No. 3 team in the West, Stephen Curry of the 10-12 Golden State Warriors was predicted as taking a the final starting guard spot, with his name recognition being the most probable reason. Regardless, there was no lack of praise for the season Doncic has been able to put together so far.

Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic is picked as a West reserve behind other West stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder / Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

"As compared to last year's ball-dominant fast start, Doncic's style of play with Kyrie Irving alongside him seems more sustainable," Kevin Pelton wrote. "Doncic's 35% usage rate is his lowest since his rookie season but he is still averaging nearly as many points per 36 minutes (31.9) by making a career high 38% of his 3-point attempts. As a result, Doncic's .614 TS% is a career high."

In addition to Doncic's unsurprising appearance on ESPN’s list, his fellow backcourt running mate Kyrie Irving made it into the “other contenders" spot, as he’s averaging 23.0 points and 5.2 assists on 47.1 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from behind the arc in 31.8 minutes per game. If he can stay healthy moving forward, Irving has a chance to sneak into Indy in a reserve spot alongside Doncic.

The Mavs' backcourt has not disappointed in what has been a successful third season for head coach Jason Kidd. We’ll see just how far they can go after missing the postseason last year.