NBA Rookie Rankings: Who is the best pure scorer?

1. Luka Doncic

Doncic arrived in the NBA with a reputation as one of the best passers on the planet. That might have undersold just how good he is of a scorer.

The Slovenian sensation serves as the Mavericks’ primary ball handler on almost every possession. To date, he’s shown no signs of wilting under that pressure. He’s averaging over 19 points per game on a 53.6 effective field goal percentage. That efficiency is astounding for a player of his age.

What has really surprised people about Doncic’s offensive game is his ability to create space against NBA defenders. Many scouts thought he’d struggle to get quality shots up against top-notch defenders. As it turns out, his step backs are just as effective in the US as they were in Spain.

Doncic isn’t an explosive athlete, but he uses his size and craft to get wherever he wants on the floor. He struggles a little against the absolute best defenders in the Association, but so does everyone else in the game. His ability to shoot a high percentage from anywhere on the floor has been a huge boost for Dallas.

Scoring may not be Doncic’s best skill, but he’s still the best pure scorer in this draft class. That’s just how good he is now, and can be later for the Mavs.