NBA coach: Dallas Mavericks teammates feel ‘relief’ when Luka Doncic leaves floor
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks’ first game of the Western Conference semifinals didn’t go according to plan, losing by 22 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Doncic didn’t have his best game, shooting 31.5% while committing five turnovers, the question of whether he’s being too ball-dominant has resurfaced.
Recently, one veteran assistant coach on an unknown NBA team highlighted a fascinating theory relating to Doncic. The nugget was featured in Howard Beck’s latest piece on The Ringer.
“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.”
Howard Beck + an anonymous NBA assistant on Luka Doncic
The entire piece by Beck is fascinating as he takes a deep dive into just how effective Doncic is. While Doncic is clearly one of the most skilled players in the NBA, others question how much his style of play correlates to winning consistently.
Doncic is still just 25, and while he’s already able to lead the NBA in scoring, as others like LeBron James have learned over the years, sometimes it’s not about scoring as many points as you can.
Many players work best when they’re able to get into a rhythm, especially when they don’t see many minutes or touches. It’s possible that taking the ball out of his teammates’ hands leads to more inconsistent play from the rest of the Mavericks on the floor.
It’s true that Doncic could afford to lean on his teammates more often, but if they don’t step up when given a chance, it’s hard to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. As they say, that’s insanity.
Follow us on MSN to see more exclusive sports content.
More must-reads: