To say the Dallas Mavericks have been a disappointment this season might be an understatement. Since the Kyrie Irving trade, which was supposed to help get them closer to a title, they’ve been a sub-.500 team with major flaws on both ends of the floor.
During this particularly brutal stretch by the Mavericks, even the play of Luka Doncic has been subject to scrutiny as many fans have pointed out his frequent and incessant dialogue with the referees.
According to one league scout, Luka’s constant complaining has made him the worst transition defender in NBA history.
“I had a scout the other day tell me Luka Doncic is the worst transition defender in the history of basketball,” said ESPN’s Tim Macmahon on The Hoop Collective. “I want to say that’s hyperbole, but man, when he gets in all of his feelings and he’s yelling and screaming at refs and he’s not crossing – forget half court – he’s not crossing the free throw line on some of these possessions. He’s playing as poorly defensively as we have seen him play.”
Obviously, Luka is capable of doing better and the Mavericks will need him to get his emotions under control if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Are The Mavericks In Panic Mode?
With the Mavs now at 11th in the West, they are in real danger of missing the play-in tournament if their slide continues. Thankfully, the NBA rescinded Luka’s latest tech, so he’ll be available to play against the Pacers on Monday.
Still, the general feeling of panic has not subsided for the team.
“Sound the damn alarms. Jason Kidd tried to,” said McMahon. “The reason that they made the Kyrie Irving trade— this was a desperate move. Jason Kidd wanted it and Luka Doncic wanted it because he was so frustrated that the Mavericks were mediocre. He was miserable. This is the most disappointing team in the NBA.”
There is no question that the Mavericks have been struggling since their new duo has taken the floor, and they are running out of time to figure things out.
As for Doncic, he’s going to do his best to steer the ship back on track — let’s just hope, in the meantime, he learns how to keep his cool when calls don’t go his way.
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