The Dallas Mavericks wouldn’t be a very good team if it weren’t for Luka Doncic. Certainly not a team playing in the NBA Finals.
If the Boston Celtics are this era’s version of a super team, with several go-to options on offense, the Mavs are the reverse of that. Even with Kyrie Irving in tow, they’re mostly a collection of role players put together to compliment Doncic — the unquestioned star they all orbit.
For that reason alone, it’d be foolish to completely lay the bulk of blame for their shortcomings in the finals at his feet. And disingenuous. Though the Mavs are down 3-0, with a humiliating sweep staring them in the face Friday, these games could have been a lot uglier if not for Doncic’s series-leading 29.7 points per game.
However, when a player is that important to a team, it’s that much more imperative he’s the best player on the floor when the stakes are highest. And Doncic has not been that.
For all the points he’s scored through three games, Doncic has seemingly given it all back on the other end — as demonstrated by a viral social clip showing all the times he was beat in the first two games. His defense earned him a brutal scolding from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst after Game 3.
Brian Windhorst BLASTS Luka Dončić on 'SportsCenter with SVP' after Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
(Doris Burke also called out Luka's defensive effort on the ESPN on ABC broadcast: https://t.co/iAs1rZSpdI ) pic.twitter.com/rGlFwPYwNN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 13, 2024
Now, to be clear, Doncic isn’t on the floor for his defense. That’s never been his calling card. He’s also dealing with a slew of injuries I imagine makes it even harder to stay in front of people. But as the best player, he sets the tone. And the tone set by his defensive effort just hasn’t been a winning one.
That carried over to Wednesday when Doncic inexcusably fouled out with more than four minutes left in the game and his team in the middle of a 22-2 run. Without him, the game ended in another disappointing loss. With him, they may have completed the comeback.
Even if Doncic were perfect this series, it’s possible the Celtics would have still won. They’ve been the NBA’s best team all season. They’re incredibly deep and clicking in a way they haven’t all postseason. Almost as if they were in cruise control until the finals.
But Dallas definitely wasn’t going to win if Doncic was less than perfect. Especially with those aforementioned role players and Irving faltering at the wrong time. He’s one of the most important players in the NBA in terms of value to his team. Since Doncic entered the league in 2018, only Joel Embiid has a higher usage percentage.
The Mavs had a special run. They finished the regular season with a 16-2 spurt to win 50 games and enter the playoffs with positive momentum. They didn’t face elimination all postseason before the finals, going 12-5 in the first three rounds with a gentleman’s sweep in the conference finals.
A top-three MVP finalist, Doncic was the catalyst for it all.
In the finals, though, his abilities are no longer enough to carry the Mavs. And his inabilities are hurting the team. All of it is why they’ll fall short of a ring this season.
