Mavericks coach says players don't want to play with Luka Doncic

As great a player as Luka Doncic is and as good as he’s been for the Dallas Mavericks, it seems like his teammates aren’t particularly fond of playing with him, according to an assistant coach from the team.

There’s no denying that Luka Doncic is a unique and special kind of talent. He’s one of the best offensive players in recent NBA history, and he could go down as one of the greatest ever.

Nonetheless, as good a player as he is, his style of play might not favor winning, at least in the playoffs. He tends to hold onto the ball for long stretches, and the offense becomes stagnant.

Apparently, even some of his Dallas Mavericks teammates feel that way. According to an unnamed assistant coach, there’s actually a ‘sign of relief’ whenever he checks out of a game.

Mavs Players Don’t Like To Play With Luka Doncic, Says Assistant

“One veteran assistant coach, underscoring the ball-dominance issue, said you can almost sense a “sigh of relief” among Doncic’s teammates when he checks out of a game, “because it opens up a little more freedom” for others to make plays. “It’s a sense of, ‘Hey, now we get to play,’” the coach said. “It’s difficult to have any rhythm if you’re not touching the ball.” And when Doncic is off the floor, it’s a chance for those teammates to show “we don’t have to depend on him,”” reported Howard Beck of The Ringer.

Luka Doncic

Doncic’s assists numbers are impressive, but that doesn’t mean he gets his teammates involved. Also, a stagnant offense allows opposing players to rest on defense, as they don’t have to move or switch.

All players need to get touches to get into a rhythm, and while Doncic is more than capable of putting up 30+ points with ease, it takes a team to win an NBA championship.

The Mavs have two iso-heavy players and elite talents in their backcourt, and it’s paid off thus far. Whether that’ll be enough to get to the ultimate stage remains to be seen.

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