Read on Twitter
NBA Myth Busters #1: “Luka Doncic is a great rebounder.”
Thread Below
Thread Below
As you probably know, this season, Mavs guard Luka Doncic has averaged 9.5 rebounds per game. These numbers put him at number 16 in the NBA in terms of rebounds per game. These shocking numbers would probably lead you to believe that Luka is an elite rebounder, right? Well, no.
In order to fully grasp just how many rebounds this is, we need to look at his competition. Luka ties with Kristaps Porzingis for the Mavs leading rebounder. But, Porzingis is 7’3”, how can they be tied??? Well, you’d need to look at the box out numbers...
Porzingis boxes out about 3 rebounds per game, which is good for 9.5 boards. Maxi Klebler boxes out just over 3 boards for 5 rebounds, and Dwight Powell does about the same.
On the other hand, Doncic averages 9.5 rebounds while boxing out a shockingly low .3 BOARDS...
On the other hand, Doncic averages 9.5 rebounds while boxing out a shockingly low .3 BOARDS...
These box out numbers are a clear indication that Lukas rebound numbers are inflated. The big men do all the work down low just for Luka to grab the board.
But, that’s not all, just wait until you see this...
But, that’s not all, just wait until you see this...
Some of you more hard-core fans probably remember when Luka Doncic grabbed 18 rebounds on December 3rd, 2019 against the Pelicans. Most of the time, it takes a lot of skill and luck to go for this many boards. However, if you watch the tape, most of Lukas boards were wide open.
So, after all of this, you’re probably asking how it is that Luka ends up with all of these rebounds. Well, the answer is actually pretty simple. We’ve seen this time and time again with players like Russell Westbrook. Sometimes, a team benefits from their primary ball handler...
... getting the ball in his hands as early on in each possession as possible. Doncic is similar to Westbrook in the sense that they NEED the ball in their hands in order for their team to be effective. This is why we see these players going for seemingly odd rebound numbers..
... so often. Westbrook caught a lot of backlash for being a “stat padder” for this reason. However, I don’t see nearly the amount of backlash for Luka. Why is this? Simple, people love to hate on Westbrook while Luka is sort of the “Golden Boy.”
We need to look at context before we use stats to jump to a conclusion. Stats can be a very effective tool to gauge a players talent, but they can be misleading if not used with context. Lukas rebounds are a prime example of why we need to look at the context for stats.
We can appreciate Luka for what he is, a young baller who is already leading his team to great things. He is a future MVP, but not for his rebounding. We must refrain from using irrelevant stats to push a narrative, or else people can end up misled.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Is there any NBA myth you want me to cover next in this series? If there is, comment below and I might cover it. Also, thanks to “Stadium Speak” on youtube for the Luka clips. Peace 
