Not only the The Dallas Mavericks‘ Luka Doncic and the Denver Nuggets‘ Nikola Jokic The two European stars are the best on their teams, but are also close friends off the court. So fans have speculated that one day, perhaps, the two European stars could play on the same NBA team, but for now, they remain rivals in the highly competitive Western Conference. Yet, upon returning to his home country of Slovenia, Doncic has channeled his Nikola Jokic, a horse racing enthusiast.
With a camera crew following closely behind, Doncic spent the day on his family’s farm, doing everything from inspecting cheese to driving a tractor. When asked if he wanted to run a farm in the future, the Slovenian superstar said he would like to do so because he enjoys working on a farm and taking in the scenery.
The Future of the Mavericks
After Nikola Jokic won an NBA title in 2023, Luka Doncic said it was his turn to make the Finals. Although the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games, this recent series solidified Doncic’s claim to be one of the best players in the world.
With Kyrie Irving as his partner, Doncic almost average a triple-double in 22 games in the last playoffs. He averaged 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists en route to the Finals, their first appearance since Dirk Nowitzki’s legendary run in 2011.
During the offseason, the team also focused on improving its roster. Their biggest acquisition may be former Splash Brother Klay Thompson, who the Mavericks recruited Despite all the injuries, Thompson’s shooting ability should help spread the Mavs’ offense and allow Kyrie and Luka to dissect the defense with their dribble penetration.
However, Thompson’s arrival shouldn’t lead fans to believe they’ve formed a Big Three like the Phoenix Suns. The Mavericks are still firmly under the leadership of Luka Doncic, and in some games, Kyrie. Instead, fans should view Thompson as a safety valve for the offense, much like Mike Miller or Ray Allen did at the end of his career with the Miami Heat.
The Mavs should be fun to watch next season.
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The Future of the Nuggets
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets could be facing a downward trend this season. First, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has signed with the Orlando Magic in free agency, meaning the Nuggets lost their best two-way guard and key contributor to their 2023 title. Then, Jamal Murray’s poor Olympic play doesn’t bode well for his future with the team, especially with contract extension negotiations looming.
While fans should be rooting for Murray to come out of his bad patch, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. should still help them win plenty of games.
However, the jury is still out on whether Christian Braun can provide the same spark that KCP did on both sides of the ball. The Nuggets also added Russell Westbrookbut at this stage of his career, his production might not be enough to offset the cold streaks of the starters.
