Like it or not, Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is a top 10 player in the NBA, perhaps top 5 offensively. He is a rare breed of talent that automatically makes everyone around him better, and he is one of the most unique players the league has seen in recent memory. Therefore it is all the more troubling to see his team struggle through what should be an MVP campaign that built upon last season. Doncic is young, to be sure, but he has proven his greatness on an individual level, and now it is reasonable to raise the stakes for his success. The Dallas Mavericks have lost four of their last five games, which at this point in the season counts as a bit of a tailspin, especially if they want to avoid this year's play-in tournament to make the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Doncic opened up about his team's struggles below:

Now, the hopes and dreams of an entire franchise are a lot to place on the shoulders of someone as young as Luka Doncic. But he is the unquestioned leader of this team, and as the lion's share of praise should come his way in the good moments, the lion's share of shortcomings should be attributed to him as well. These are the three reasons why Luka is right to shoulder the blame for this Mavericks slump.

 

1. He is the leader

Luka Doncic, first and foremost, is the leader of the Dallas Mavericks. Rick Carlisle is the coach, Kristaps Porzingis is the veteran, but Doncic is both the team's best player and primary ball-handler. He is the on-court avatar for the entire city and whether he likes it or not, he bears the weight that comes with that responsibility. Anywhere the Mavericks go is ultimately dictated by his play and the example that he sets, so if anyone needed to step up to the challenge of stopping this slump, it's Luka Doncic.

Doncic might not be entirely to blame for the Mavericks recent struggles, but if he didn't want to face the music the way he did, no one else would feel obligated to.

 

2. Defense

Ironically, Luka Doncic has been one of the team's best defensive players through this season which is both good and bad. It's good in that he is one of the few Mavericks that have an actual positive Defensive Plus/Minus (DPM). The bad news is that his DPM is only 0.8.

This next point builds on the previous one, in that Luka is the anchor of the Dallas Mavericks in every single way, including on the defensive end. They are still a great offensive team (11th in the league), but are still having trouble on defense (19th). Over their recent slump, the defense has been one of the key issues. They have allowed three of the league's least efficient offenses to drop almost 120 points on average on their heads. In no world should a defense allow the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Sacramento Kings to beat them in a shoot out, and yet these Mavericks have.

That comes down to their defensive woes. Doncic must not only step up for himself, but for the rest of the team as well to set the tone. This is true especially when it comes to Porzingis, who has athletically declined due to injury but, is still averaging nearly two blocks per game while having a negative DPM (-0.7).

Most of the starters are like this for the Mavericks, which is, right at the border of being positive contributors. The right leader can provide reassurance to help lift them up, and that leader is Luka Doncic.

 

3. Development

Let's get one thing straight: Luka Doncic is already one of the best players in the NBA, and became that in just his second year as a pro. No one in their right mind really expected him to make the same jump coming into this season as he did coming into his sophomore year.

But for whatever reason, Doncic's individual numbers have all just slightly declined. Not by much, but apart from his shooting splits, most of his stats have taken a bit of a dip this season for the Mavericks. That is all alright, of course. This is a player who is still nearly averaging a triple-double while netting a PER in the mid-to-high 20's. So by development, what he actually needs to grow is his attitude as a winner.

Doncic is not timid, which is great. He has the mind and heart of a real competitor, and the skills to back it up. But his complaint about this year's play-in tournament is telling, and a bit troubling for a younger player. Compare his complaint to Stephen Curry, who is leading a depleted Golden State Warriors team to a .500 record, while his co-stars are crumbling around him. Curry is relishing the chance to prove himself, while Doncic is pouting for the Mavericks. Not a great look. Instead of despairing at the prospect of proving himself further, Doncic needs to learn to roll with these punches a little more and reawaken the fire that Mavericks fans fell in love with.

In short, he is no longer the baby phenom we've come to love over the past two years. Luka Doncic has now graduated to the big boy tier of the NBA, and if he expects to succeed here, for both him and the Mavericks, there is another level he must achieve.