Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have been at the center of the NBA world this week for all the wrong reasons. Despite going all-in for star point guard Kyrie Irving, the team is struggling to secure a play-in spot in the wild Western Conference.
Speaking to the media on his team’s ongoing issues, Luka Doncic shared what believes is the main problem:
“I don’t think offense is the problem. I’ve always said this. It’s our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us,” Doncic said, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.
Luka Doncic, when asked whether he and Kyrie Irving have had enough time to learn to play together: “I don’t think offense is the problem. I’ve always said this. It’s our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us."
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) April 4, 2023
We all know what Doncic and Irving bring to the table offensively. As two of the best shooters and shot-creators in the game, there was never a question about their ability to score points in bunches.
The problem is on the other end, where Dallas continually bleeds 130 points like it’s nothing. Luka seems aware of the issue, but there’s not much the team can do about it as presently constructed.
Can The Mavericks Build A Contender Around Luka And Kyrie?
Regardless of how this campaign plays out, the Mavericks can’t afford to stand PAT this offseason. With Doncic locked in for several more years, Dallas still has time to build a proper team around him, and that starts with ensuring that Kyrie comes back on a multi-year deal.
“Despite the Dallas Mavericks’ struggles since acquiring Kyrie Irving, the plan is still to re-sign the star guard, league sources told Bleacher Report. Irving is eligible for an extension, but he will instead allow his future to be decided in free agency this summer, sources said.”
Of course, the defense will have to be a point of focus for the Mavericks if they want to turn the situation around. And while the list of available players this summer is not extensive, there may still be ways for them to add some defense under the rim and on the perimeter as they had in Dorian Finney-Smith.
Either way, the ascension of Doncic has put all the pressure in the world on this Mavs team to utilize his talent and ensure they aren’t wasting a minute of Luka’s prime.
The good news is they know what the problem is. Now, they just have to work on solving it before it’s too late.
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