Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks became just the third team to qualify for the NBA Playoffs, a tremendous achievement considering the team was below .500 in December and have been one of the best teams in the NBA since the calendars turned to 2022.
Doncic has been absolutely sensational in terms of his production, averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double over the last three months of the season. He is putting in these performances with style, with memorable plays making highlight reels regularly.
In yesterday’s game against the Lakers, Doncic missed a shot after crossing over Kent Bazemore to miss out on a highlight. Today, Luka faked out former teammate, 7’2″ center Moses Brown, under the post before an easy bucket to add two more points.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 30, 2022
The Mavericks can become the third seed in the West if the Golden State Warriors fail to beat the Phoenix Suns tonight. That will be a tremendous achievement for a team that many thought could fall to the play-in after an inconsistent start to the season. However, the Mavericks have tweaked personnel and have unified under Jason Kidd’s coaching.
Moses Brown is one of the Mavericks’ players that were moved this season after his playing style didn’t fit alongside Kidd’s system. He wasn’t played that often and was unable to usurp Maxi Kleber, Kristaps Porzingis, or Dwight Powell in the rotation. He was traded away after Marquese Chriss impressed in successive 10-day contracts for the team.
The Mavericks will look to finish the season with the third seed and possibly face the winner of the 2-7 matchup in the second round of the playoffs. However, this is a team that hasn’t made the second round since 2011. This season is looking great for Dallas, they just need to transition it into a successful postseason.
