Doncic Leads the Pack: Mavericks Star Among Top Rebounders

Doncic is the lone active leading rebounder in NBA.com’s top five list of active leading rebounders in the Mavericks’ franchise history. Luka Doncic, 25, has been playing for the Mavericks since 2018. The Ljubljana, Slovenia, native previously played for Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, before being selected with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks subsequently traded Doncic to the Mavericks for Trae Young’s 2018 NBA Draft rights and a protected future first round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Young, 26, became a star point guard for the Hawks, but still, the Hawks’ regret might be within them. Read on for further details surrounding Doncic’s recent ranking.

Luka Doncic’s No. 4 Ranking

NBA.com’s top five list of the Dallas Mavericks’ top five leading rebounders was interesting, to put it mildly. The Mavericks’ top five rebounders featured multiple positions and a current star in Luka Doncic, who could work his way up to the No. 1 ranking by the end of his NBA career — whenever that may be.

As of October 21, 2024, Doncic has accumulated 3,472 rebounds since entering the NBA in 2018 and is expected to own most of the Mavericks’ individual records, especially if he stays with the Mavericks for the long term. Doncic’s ascent to the NBA’s upper echelon in his six seasons separates him from other NBA stars.

Doncic earned five NBA All-Star nominations and five All-NBA First Team honors in his first six seasons. Luka Doncic’s proof as a highly active rebounder adds to the public’s attention to him both on and off the court. The Real Madrid alum averaged 8.7 rebounds per game in his first 400 NBA regular season games.

The Luka Doncic Effect

The Luka Doncic effect has had several effects on the Dallas Mavericks in the past six years and counting. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time in 2011, expanded the Mavericks’ international brand, and improved the team’s shooting as a solid shot-creator with 1.086 points per possession on off-the-dribble jump shots.

Luka Doncic won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his first season in 2018-19. Doncic’s play has changed the Mavericks in general. The 25-year-old hasn’t won an NBA MVP award yet, but some individuals said that he could win an NBA MVP as soon as this season.

The Other Four Leading Rebounders

NBA.com’s other four leading rebounders in Dallas Mavericks history were Power Forward Dirk Nowitzki, Center James Donaldson, Power Forward and Center Sam Perkins, and Center Shawn Bradley, all of whom were memorable players in NBA history.

Nowitzki, 46, was ranked No. 1 with 11,489 rebounds. The Wurzberg, Germany, native averaged 7.5 boards per game for his career, and got there with the help of eight consecutive double-digit rebound averages from the 2001-02 season to the 2008-09 season. He played his entire 21-year NBA career in Dallas.

Donaldson, 67, was ranked No. 2 with 4,589 rebounds. Donaldson put in plenty of strong work on the glass, despite a shorter six-year tenure from 1985 to 1991. The Heacham, England, native first arrived in the Pacific Northwest after being drafted with the 73rd overall pick in the fourth round of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder).

Other Top Rebounders

Perkins, 63, was ranked No. 3 with 3,767 rebounds. Despite being a New Yorker, Perkins’ college basketball career at North Carolina made him a standout in the NCAA. The Brooklyn, New York, native made his presence felt on the boards, as he pulled down 7.4 rebounds per game over 82 games (with 42 starts) in his rookie season, and never averaged less than 7.5 rebounds in his five seasons with the Mavericks.

Bradley, 52, was ranked No. 5 with 3,340 rebounds. The Landstuhl, West Germany-born, Castle Dale, Utah-bred dual citizen finished his 12-year NBA career in 2005 with a lengthy, eight-year tenure with the Mavericks from the 1997-98 to 2004-05 seasons.

After garnering mixed reviews in his first five seasons, Bradley put together some productive seasons in his final seven seasons in Dallas. Bradley’s rebounding production was reliable for the Mavericks, as he pulled down at least 8.0 boards per game in each of his first three Mavericks seasons, along with 6.5 and 7.4 boards over another two seasons.