After navigating an unforgiving Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. It’s Luka Dončić's introduction to the big stage, which stimulates questions about his all-time ranking should he prevail.
If he manages to upset the Celtics and win Finals MVP, where does Dončić sit in the all-time point guard rankings?
Luka Dončić's Resume
Dončić has put together quite a strong resume despite only playing six seasons so far. Most notably, he became the 28th player in league history this year to reach the All-NBA First Team five times.
- 5x All-NBA First Team
- 5x All-Star
- 1x Scoring Champion
- Rookie of the Year
If Dončić wins the title and Finals MVP, the 25-year-old would be the 15th player ever to record five All-NBA First Team selections plus earn a Finals MVP. Since the award did not exist when George Mikan, Dolph Schayes, Bob Pettit and Bob Cousy would have likely won it, he’s unofficially the 19th player ever to accomplish both feats.
A 2024 championship would be highly regarded given the path that Dallas walked. The Clippers, Thunder, Timberwolves and Celtics were four of the top five teams this regular season in win percentage. Boston, in particular, profiled as an all-time team by clinching the fourth best net rating across NBA history.
As for career playoff rankings, Dončić currently sits second all-time in points per game, 13th in assists per game and 68th in rebounds per game. Plus, he’s fourth in box plus-minus (BPM) – an advanced metric that correlates with MVP voting.
Speaking of MVP, Dončić has yet to win the award. However, he is already 48th all-time in MVP award shares and above names such as Cousy, Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd and Gary Payton. In other words, the Slovenian possesses more cumulative MVP voting points across his career than those legends.
Finally, the eye test shows a transcendent talent with arguably a top-10 offensive peak form ever. How many players have been as masterful, proficient and unstoppable at creating offensive advantages via scoring and playmaking as Dončić? It’s definitely less than 15.
Where Dončić Ranks All-Time
Among all point guards, there is a case to be made that Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry were the only ones better than current Dončić. Not greater, but better at the game of basketball.
Maybe James Harden slips into that group as well because he played point guard during his prime, but even Harden may not match Dončić — it’s extremely close. Outside of those three, other candidates either didn’t have the scoring package or the playmaking ceiling to manipulate the game like “Luka Legend."
Greatness is another matter though, as accolades and career accomplishments come into the equation. Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas are the three strongest candidates to move above him. Steve Nash and John Stockton are also in the conversation but likely lag behind.
Overall, if the Mavericks pull off the upset behind a strong Dončić showing, then he ranks somewhere around fourth to seventh all-time among point guards based on greatness and either third or fourth for peak form.
Revisit this article in 10 years, and there’s a small chance that nobody stands in his way — including Johnson and Curry. Given his trajectory, it seems like a lock that Dončić finishes as at worst a top-three point guard ever and top-15 player of all time. Can he get the ball rolling by defeating Boston? Based on the +184 series odds (35% implied probability), it’s an uphill climb.
