Luka Doncic, the Mavericks are in unfamiliar territory
Luka Doncic, the Mavericks are in unfamiliar territory
It took a full 24 hours after the Dallas Mavericks dropped Game 4 to the Los Angeles Clippers 116-111 at the American Airlines Center on Sunday to fully understand the feeling. This wasn’t a feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach during the barrage of three-pointers that every Clipper was capable of raining down like fire from heaven in the first half. It wasn’t a feeling that formed late in the fourth quarter, after the Mavericks came back (twice!) through insurmountable odds, as James Harden floated through the lane or Paul George miraculously hit a three from the tunnel.
No, this feeling began earlier in the series, bubbling beneath the Game 1 near-blow out and even simmering in both Dallas Mavericks victories. But it wasn’t apparent until Monday, with time to digest and recover from an emotionally chaotic first four games in a series with two talented teams slugging each other over and over again. It was a feeling that I, MFFLs everywhere, and the team itself has surely never felt before. The feeling was that we need more from Luka Doncic. In any playoff series in the past five years the questions always lingered around the supporting cast, and now Dallas’ superstar is tasked with digging deeper than perhaps he ever has before. It is an unfamiliar position, and one that might tell the story for the rest of the series, starting in Game 5.
This is the fourth postseason trip for the Mavericks being led by Doncic, who is not just a superstar that thrives in clutch situations but an automatic showman in the brightest of lights. Never once in those previous three runs — even when their backs were not just against the wall but through the wall in the 2022 Western Conference Finals — has there been question about what you’ll get out of Luka. His numbers are staggering: in the two Game 7’s he’s played in, both on the road, Doncic has averaged 40.5 points, nine assists, and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 11-of-22 from three. His career playoff scoring average is second only to Michael Jordan.
Even in writing this the context must be acknowledged. Doncic is averaging 29 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists through four games, while playing the most playoff minutes per game of his career at 43. He’s given of himself entirely, playing fantastic defense in Games 2 and 3, and playing through clear knee discomfort through most of the last two games. This might be Doncic’s worst playoff performance offensively, and those numbers would still be the best series for 99.99% of any player that’s played the game.
And yet.
“I have to help him [Kyrie Irving] more”, Doncic reflected postgame Sunday, where he contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, but also went 1-of-9 from three. “I feel like I am letting him down so I have to be there. I have to help him more. He’s giving everything that he has. He’s been amazing for us the whole series.”
Luka is always tough on himself when he doesn’t feel he’s meeting expectations, particularly his own. You can see it in how he carried himself Sunday. He’s frustrated, and also likely in a great deal of discomfort as he navigates a knee sprain, which head coach Jason Kidd addressed on Tuesday. This isn’t the first bit of adversity for Doncic in the postseason, though. In the second round two years ago the Phoenix Suns exposed him late in the first two games of the series. Luka used those two games as fuel and responded.
But beyond expectations, he’s navigating how to not only be effective but efficient offensively. His shot attempts, from three and from the field overall, are up compared to the regular season and past playoffs. Still at times he’s looked indecisive, passing out of shots near the restricted area or waiting too long to settle for a contested step back — missing threes at an unusually high rate. That indecisiveness likely is due to his knee, and has played directly into the Clippers’ defensive strategy.
Doncic is an MVP-level talent. Even in his off-games he’s finding ways to be the most impactful player on the floor. And having running-mate Kyrie Irving has sustained the moments where Luka is not himself. But this is unique territory, for Doncic, for the Mavericks, for fans. Every other playoff series the question has always been ‘who will help Luka out’, ‘will the role players show up’. Now the pieces are there. They’re facing a familiar and formidable opponent. But they just need that little extra from Doncic. If they get it, it’s onto the next round.