Just one season ago, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks looked to be on the verge of true Championship contention.
Luka, who was putting up historically great numbers, was among the Top 5 players in the league, and stepped up in the playoffs to give his team a fighting chance against the Clippers.
Coming into this campaign, the expectation was that the team would pick up right where they left off.
Unfortunately, their start has been less than ideal. With a 2-4 record through the first 6 games, they’re tied for dead last in the West. Even more concerning has been the play of Doncic, whose averages are down all across the board.
He’s putting up 24.4 points per game on just 43.2% shooting and 16% shooting from beyond the arc.
Luka Doncic is shooting 16% from three on 31 attempts so far this season. pic.twitter.com/CEE2oFdQkc
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 4, 2021
Those are not the numbers fans were hoping to see from Luka this season, and the critics have taken notice…
https://twitter.com/andrewdifalco13/status/1346159218907340800
Luka Donbrick
— Ram (@DatBoiRam1) January 4, 2021
It’s funny because people legit said he a better shooter than bron… lol
— Kast (@kast283) January 4, 2021
Most overrated player in the game
— Ben Tollinger⚪️ (@bigbenny999) January 4, 2021
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/y4lvHTBIba
— Celtics (@MJ23GoatTalk) January 4, 2021
The good news for Dallas is, it’s still pretty early. There is more than enough time for Luka to find his stroke and for the Mavs to turn things around. Considering the shortened offseason and many of the adjustments this team made over the span of a few months, some growing pains can be expected.
It should also be noted that Kristaps Porzingis has yet to take the court this season, meaning the team has been missing a pretty important member of their core.
So, panic is not yet in order for Dallas, and every expectation is that they’ll get through this and take their rightful place in the top 8. Still, the concern and anxiety being felt by the fans cannot be ignored right now. Doncic’s slow start is just not a good sign, especially for a conference that is so loaded with talent.
