Luka Doncic has had a spectacular playoff run thus far. He has been taking on a huge offensive load for the Dallas Mavericks, and he has managed to help them win Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns. Currently, Luka Doncic is averaging 32.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 6.8 APG.
The performance that Luka Doncic put on against the Phoenix Suns led Paul Pierce to suggest that Luka Doncic is the “real MVP”. He also claimed that if the Mavericks were to ever put an All-Star caliber player next to Luka Doncic, that would immediately lead to an NBA title.
How is Luka doing it with this team is he the real MVP
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 7, 2022
I think if u put any Allstar around Luka instatitle jeeez Luka and the whoevers
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 7, 2022
How is Luka doing it with this team is he the real MVP
I think if u put any Allstar around Luka instatitle jeeez Luka and the whoevers
The Dallas Mavericks don’t necessarily have a lot of star power currently, but they have a lot of solid players like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie. Jalen Brunson in particular has elevated his game in the playoffs and has been helping Luka Doncic offensively. There is no doubt that the Mavericks have looked like they could be competitive with the Phoenix Suns even without a true star next to Luka Doncic, and an anonymous NBA coach even picked them to upset the Suns prior to the beginning of the series.
“I look at matchups. Mikal Bridges will match up, and Jae Crowder will match up at times, with Doncic. And both teams play small, so it helps. I think where Dallas gets the advantage is when their small ball comes into a game, their scoring becomes a lot better with the 3-point line, and the Mavericks can match up. Jalen Brunson is playing so well right now, as well as Doncic. They’re all playing at a great clip, and I think Chris Paul is going to be able to get worn down like you saw a little bit in that New Orleans series with (Jose) Alvarado guarding him. I think Dallas has bigger defenders that can get into him, and the Mavericks can switch between Devin Booker and Paul and create that matchup problem for Phoenix.”
Coach’s pick: Mavericks in six
It remains to be seen if the Dallas Mavericks end up upsetting the Phoenix Suns. There is no doubt that the Phoenix Suns have shown that they are an elite team in the playoffs thus far, and they will still be favored in this series.
With that being said, Luka Doncic is playing at an MVP level, and those types of players can often work miracles. It remains an uphill battle for the Dallas Mavericks, but if they were to win Game 4, that would even up their standing in the series and put them in a better position to upset the Suns.
