The Dallas Mavericks have blown hot and cold this season as they have a 13-14 record this season. They are somehow staying relevant in the Eastern Conference in the 8th place courtesy of big performances from their superstar Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks need a massive change in mindset if they need to get back to the Conference finals like last season. For now they are somehow languishing in the play-in spots.
The main attraction of the Mavericks has to be their superstar Luka Doncic who has taken up all the burden this season. The Slovenian does not even have a second option in the team and hence he has to do the heavy lifting of scoring and distributing the ball.
Looking at the condition of the Mavericks and how well Luka Doncic has performed as an individual, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith slammed the franchise for not opting for a second option for the Slovenian.
Smith also criticized the Mavericks for letting Jalen Brunson go in free agency as he was a big player for the Mavs last season and did great scoring helping Doncic to play his natural game.
“Dallas is on the clock. They gotta get him some help,” Stephen A. Smith said.
Smith highlighted how Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. are not good enough to support Doncic and be the second option in the team. Hence he feels that there will be too much of a load on the Slovenian.
“Spencer Dinwitty, okay, and Tim Hardaway Jr., good, but not enough. You can’t have that level of discrepancy asking him [Doncic] to carry that load all season long, and it’s not eventually going to work against you,” Smith added.
Luka Doncic is in contention to win the MVP award as he is averaging 33.1 points per game whereas the next top scorer is Spencer Dinwiddie who is averaging 16.8 ppg. To put things in context, the MVP leader Jayson Tatum is averaging 30ppg and his partner in crime Jaylen Brown is averaging as high as 26.8 ppg proving the difference between the two teams and the two duos.
Dallas Mavericks have time till the February 9 trade deadline to secure a deal for someone who can add to Doncic’s heroics and help them soar once again. The front office needs to understand the areas they need to improve and should work on them rather than regretting later.
