Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks started a new season on Wednesday, taking on the Phoenix Suns of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. The Suns played a good game against the Mavs, ultimately winning the game in a duel between two of the best young stars in the NBA. The Mavs missed some good opportunities down the stretch, especially Luka, who didn’t have the best night from beyond the arc, missing some big chances to give his team the victory.
Luka missed a shot that could have changed everything for his team in the last minutes. He went 0 for 6 from deep, including a wide-open shot in the last seconds of the game that would have tied the game for Dallas but instead meant the first win of the season for the Suns. After the game was finished, Luka talked to reporters and he took the blame for the loss, not only because of that last shot but his selection down the stretch.
The Slovenian point guard accepted that he has to improve certain aspects of his game, including his shot selection, which damaged the Mavericks on Wednesday night.
“I’ve got to stop taking these very bad shots. It wasn’t just the last one, but it was a couple of them. It’s not good for me, it’s not good for the team and I’ve got to change it,” Doncic said after the game.
Luka Doncic on clutch shot selection: "I've got to stop taking these very bad shots. It wasn't just the last one, but it was a couple of them. It's not good for me, it's not good for the team and I've got to change it."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 24, 2020
This is something he must improve but Luka is still young. However, if he wants to win the 2021 NBA MVP, making those shots is a must for him. The Mavs are expected to be more competitive this year and they need their star to take clutch shots and drain them, just like he did in the bubble against the Los Angeles Clippers.
This was just the first game of the season; Doncic and his team have plenty of time to figure things out, to improve whatever they need to prove and become a team that can compete against the best squads in the West.
