Doc Rivers Lauds Luka Doncic as a Blend of Larry Bird and Jason Kidd

As the Los Angeles Clippers prepare for their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, head coach Doc Rivers had high praise for Luka Doncic's skill set. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Rivers said Saturday the Mavs superstar combines the scoring ability of Larry Bird with Jason Kidd's passing. 

This actually isn't the first time those two Hall of Famers have been brought up when assessing Doncic's talents. 

Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle had this assessment when speaking to reporters after his team's 136-132 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Aug. 8: "He knows where everybody is not only on offense, but defense. That's the sign of a savant-type guy. I've played with Larry Bird, he could see everything like that. I had the privilege of coaching Jason Kidd ... Luka is in that same mold."

Just 21 years old, Doncic has established himself as arguably the best young star in the NBA. He finished this season averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. 

Dallas is in the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Doncic's contributions are the main reason for the team's 43-32 record this year and why its future looks so bright.