Luka Doncic has struggled to carry the Dallas Mavericks past the first round of NBA playoffs for two straight years.
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The last time Dallas Mavericks won a playoff series, they lifted the Larry O’Brien after it, courtesy, their legend – Dirk Nowitzki. Since then, they have been to the playoffs 6 times in the last 10 years but did not win a single series.
Dirk retired in 2019, handing over the reins of Mavericks, ironically, to the next European sensation Luka Doncic. Although being just 22 years of age Luka is one of the league’s best players already, he was in the MVP conversation the last term and is expected to win multiple laurels in the future.
But can he bring one for the Dallas Mavericks?
Already a 2-time All-Star, in his 3rd year in the league, Luka averages 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists a game. Mavericks finished mid-table in the Western Conference in both of his All-Star years. But he couldn’t drag them past 1st round both those years.
This season, the Dallas Mavericks have started their season with 3 wins and 2 losses, behind the same scratchy form of their second superstar Kristaps Porzingis. But Luka Doncic is as usual putting up big numbers, and with the new leadership of coach Jason Kidd, he would surely want to go further than the 1st round of playoffs this time. But,
ESPN expert Tim Legler thinks Mavericks wouldn’t go past 1st round again this season
Malika Andrews, on ESPN’s show NBA today asked fellow analyst and former NBA player Tim Legler, were the Mavericks right as they didn’t make enough changes this off-season, and what’s the ceiling for this team?
To which he the ex- Washington Wizards shooting guard said,
“I think they are a team that’s going to be anywhere from 5-7(seed) range in the Western Conference, and they are probably going to run into a team that’s going to be hitting their stride at the right time and they’re going to be out in the first round.”
“Luka Doncic is good enough to win any game in any playoffs series, so he can keep you in a series, we have seen it. We saw what he did against the Clippers couple of years ago, he has that ability.”
Luka almost eliminated a Kawhi Leonard and Paul George led LA Clippers in the 2020 NBA playoffs, who were the favorites to win it. He averaged a massive 31 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 6 game series.
In the 2021 playoffs, Mavericks again faced the Clippers in the first round, and again their only hope was their 22-year old All-Star. He further upped his performance and delivered 35.7 points, 10.3 assists, and 7.9 rebounds. But they still couldn’t go past the Clippers because of no help from his teammates.
Legler continued:
“But you’re gonna get worn out in the course of a 7-game series against these top teams in the West because they can basically dictate their entire game plan around defending 1 guy, I don’t think teams fear Porzingis and Hardaway to have enough firepower to beat them on a given night if you overload towards Luka.
So I think that is their ceiling, they are a first-round playoff team and they’re just not on the level of a team like Lakers, even Utah, Phoenix, I think I’ll put Denver ahead of them.”
Tim finished up by saying that this might be the year Mavs realise they need to have another superstar alongside Luka who can create his own shots.
When a team has to be carried by a 22-year old kid, to do everything, despite having a 7’3 max contract player, nicknamed “Unicorn” who barely delivers on any end of the court, it is not fair to expect them to go any further than the 1st round in this tightly packed NBA. Mark Cuban will have to do something for this to change.
