Fansided

Who could be a first-time All-Star this year?

By Bryan Toporek

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 05: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 05: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles during their game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 20: Dallas Mavericks Guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on during a NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 20, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 20: Dallas Mavericks Guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on during a NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers on December 20, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

History isn’t in Luka Doncic’s favor when it comes to his All-Star chances this season.

The last player to make the All-Star Game as a rookie was Blake Griffin in 2011. If we go by Donovan Mitchell’s definition of a rookie—in other words, Griffin doesn’t fit the bill since he missed his first season with a broken kneecap—then Yao Ming, who received the fourth-most votes of any player in 2003, was the last rookie All-Star.

Can Doncic do what LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis couldn’t? It’ll be far more difficult since he’s in the West rather than the East, but it’s still within the realm of possibility.

Heading into Christmas Day, Doncic is averaging 19.0 points on 43.0 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.2 triples in only 32.5 minutes per game. The reigning Euroleague MVP has quickly quelled concerns about his physical fitness and whether his skill set would translate to the NBA. (As it turns out, he isn’t too fat to succeed.)

Doncic is further bolstering his All-Star case with clutch baskets in close games. He’s tied for 13th in total crunch-time points scored—defined as when his team is ahead or behind by no more than five in the last five minutes of the game—and he’s shooting 18-of-32 (56.3 percent) in such situations. His game-tying fadeaway 3-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, in particular, will be a fixture in highlight reels for the rest of the season.

It won’t be long before Doncic is a perennial All-Star, but he has a legitimate chance this season to become the first rookie since Griffin to accomplish the feat.

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