With all the buzz surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ offensive prowess, little attention has gone into covering their defense. However, the graph seems to be on an upward trajectory, as even Dallas forward Luka Doncic has gotten his defensive game up. The Mavericks have thus improved to the 10th spot on this year’s defensive ratings. A fan posted a jaw-dropping fact about the Slovenian attempting to sway the narrative.
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The post makes Doncic look good on the defensive side of the ball. However, many skeptics of NBA X were quick to fire back at the post. Reacting to the post a fan wrote,
“Has a lot to do with Mavs sticking Luka on the worst player on the other team every time tbh…. He’s not a horrible defender when he tries but no world is he a good defender. In the playoffs, teams will run a million screens to get him to defend on the ball for a reason.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Mavericks often look to give Doncic the easiest assignment on the defensive end. Another user seemed to agree with this logic, @F_Benk effectively wrote,
“How often does he get back cut? How often doesn’t he get back on defense? This is just cherry picking select stats. Luka is still a considerable negative on defense.”
But Luka wouldn’t be without his supporters, as they stormed the comments to defend their franchise player. Replying to the detractors a fan wrote,
“He has been a good defender for the whole season but people pretend he doesn’t play defense so that they can keep going the narrative.”
The narrative surrounding Doncic’s defense can pretty much be summed up in one statement, “can defend, but doesn’t want to,” as another fan rightly highlighted,
Luka undoubtedly can be a great defender with a 6’7″ and 230 pounds build. Not only that, he even has the IQ to read plays on the fly, often being the one to call coverages out. But there is no doubt that Doncic has to work on his motor, as the only tool he lacks is ‘persistence’.
The Dallas Mavericks might make it all the way
The Dallas Mavericks seem to be having way more fun this year. Kyrie has come alive, as the 2016 Champion has been catching lobs. Kyrie’s averages have also spiked, as the 6’3 guard is averaging 25.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, shooting 49% from the field.
But Kyrie isn’t the only one balling on the squad, as Doncic has taken another leap this year. He even entered the MVP race this season, as the Slovenian is averaging an insane, 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists on 48.6% shooting.
The Mavericks don’t need to change much as they are currently riding a four-game win streak. It’s no surprise that Doncic has to work harder on defense, as even Kyrie can be seen lacking on the defensive end. But the Mavericks can’t afford to be complacent just yet as the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers might catch up over the remaining calendar games.
