Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen compared to this five-time NBA All-Star

One of the faces of the league. This isn’t a game changer, but it is a game changer. A dynamic talent who improved his team’s fortunes on and off the field.

Does this description mean anything to you?

This is probably the case if you’re lucky enough to follow a recently successful sports franchise, as that’s a pretty broad description of the “franchise player” prototype. Franchise centerpieces don’t come along often, but when they do, they’re special, serving as the focal point and leader of the team’s roster while simultaneously acting as the face of the team when it comes to marketing.

For Buffalo Bills fans, that description fits quarterback Josh Allen, a dynamic signal-caller who recently built his NFL record fourth straight season with more than 40 total touchdowns. The former Wyoming Cowboy has taken the Bills from the depths of NFL irrelevance to perennial competition over the past few years, cementing himself as one of the NFL’s elite signal-callers over the past six seasons .

Related: ESPN projects bright spot as Buffalo Bills receiving corps regresses

For Dallas Mavericks fans, the description fits Luka Doncic, a 6-foot-7 guard who, like Allen, has established himself as one of the most dynamic players in his league since his draft year. The five-time NBA All-Star averaged 28.7 points, 8.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game during his six-year career; He, like Allen, is a very unique player, a game-breaker with solid skills who almost single-handedly leads his team to relevance.

The similarities between Allen and Doncic go deeper than being franchise players on their respective teams; Their athleticism and well-rounded profiles make them unique players in their sport, with this uniqueness sometimes leading their teams to rely too heavily on them to play “hero ball” and win games on their own. They also share a lack of team playoff success, with neither player ever competing for their league’s respective championship.

These similarities were noted by Ryen Russillo, popular host of “The Ringer” podcast, who compared Allen to Doncic during a recent appearance on Chris Long’s Green Light podcast. The players’ shared drive and lack of team accolades despite their personal successes makes for a rather apt comparison.

“Luka is currently the second best player in the league,” Russillo said. “I think it’s a floating level made up of (Nikola) Jokic, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Luka. I voted Luka second for MVP, I feel good. But he didn’t get over the hump, well, he made it to the Western Conference Finals, and that team wasn’t very good. Allen probably had a better team, but when you look at Allen’s playoff stats, you’re like, wait, are you giving this guy shit? You’re giving this guy a hard time for not beating (Patrick) Mahomes, which basically no one does?

“It has to be someone that you could go to, okay, look, is it possible that you could think that this guy plays his position the best out of every other player in the league? With Mahomes being around for the next 10 years, it’s going to be hard to say that about another quarterback, but Allen at least, like I just decided this year when all was said and done, that I won’t not Allen’s Weekly Legacy. He’s fucking awesome. Maybe there are two or three teams that like their situation better than him, but three teams is probably too long a list.

Their shared lack of playoff success isn’t necessarily due to personal flaws, as Allen and Doncic shine under bright lights. Allen has passed for over 2,700 yards and just four interceptions while accounting for 26 total touchdowns in 10 career playoff games, while Doncic is averaging over 30 points per game in the postseason. Their excellence is regularly offset by circumstances largely beyond their control.

Allen and Doncic share another similarity: their youth. At just 27 and 25 years old respectively, each player has plenty of time to get over the proverbial hump, lead their respective teams, and achieve immortality by winning a championship.