Mavs’ Doncic and Porzingis rank highly on ESPN’s Top 100 list

The Dallas Mavericks are really feeling the love from the national media lately.

For the second time in two weeks, the Mavs have seen their young star duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis rank highly in a couple of "Top 100" lists from major national media publications. Nearly two weeks ago, Sports Illustrated released its Top 100 NBA Players of 2020, which ranked Doncic at No. 30 and Porzingis at No. 37. We discussed those rankings at length on Episode 35 of The Step Back: A Mavs Podcast.

This week, ESPN has been releasing its own Top 100 list, with Doncic coming in at No. 16 and Porzingis coming it at No. 34. In last year's ESPN rankings, Doncic and Porzingis were ranked No. 63 and No. 59, respectively, so both players made a considerable leap this time around.

"What kind of shape will Doncic be in at the start of the season?," asks ESPN's Mike Schmitz. "He played himself into Rookie of the Year condition after coming in with the excess weight that comes with being the king of Madrid. How Doncic maintains his body is a big factor in whether he's an eventual MVP candidate."

If summer workout photos and videos are any indication, it looks like the reigning Rookie of the Year will be ready to hit the ground running this season, while elevating his game to the next level. Doncic made it a point to get in the best shape possible in the offseason, and his work seems to have paid off big-time.

Although Porzingis has spent a considerable amount of time working on his body this summer, his health going forward and his ability to knock off any rust following a 20-month absence from playing basketball remain the biggest questions in nearly everyone's minds.

"Marking Dallas down for more than 40 wins in the stronger of the two conferences strikes me as a small reach, if only because of how long it may take Porzingis to regain a rhythm after sitting out a season to rehab following his ACL tear," said ESPN's Chris Herring.

Due to a lot of the national media not being as high on "the other guys" on the Mavs roster, there are varying opinions on if this team truly has what it takes to make a real playoff push this season. Despite having some questions about the duo's supporting cast, there's one thing everyone seems to agree on.

If Doncic and Porzingis remain healthy, they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.