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Even if you weren’t closely following the NBA, you couldn’t have missed the jaw-dropping trade that saw Luka Doncic leave the Dallas Mavericks for the Los Angeles Lakers. This monumental shift isn’t just a game-changer for the Lakers and Mavericks; it’s a move that will reverberate throughout the entire league, including for Dallas’s next challengers—the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic has been the focal point of the Mavericks' offense, so with rumors swirling about his potential return during an upcoming road trip, the Cavaliers had to brace for a tough matchup.
Yet, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson remained surprisingly calm despite this monumental change. As the Cavs prepared to take on the Mavericks at home, Atkinson shared the team's strategy for facing a Doncic-less squad, emphasizing their game plan heading into this pivotal matchup.
“We just focus on this game and focus on our team,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, we got to know who's in and who's out. That's always part of it. You listen to the news. Obviously, we have to prepare for it, but like I said, we're focused on the Cavs and how we can get better.”
“Used to this…Used to it,” Atkinson said. “Like if I was two years in the league, I probably wouldn't be as surprised, so nothing surprises me anymore. Really wasn't that surprised, just to be honest.”
So, regardless of who is or isn't available for the Mavericks, Atkinson and the Cavs will remain focused on the task at hand: winning. Cleveland is 23-3 at home this season and will look to maintain that home-court dominance. However, with Dallas undermanned, the Cavs must avoid an upset.
How did the Mavericks react to the Luka Doncic trade before facing the Cavs?
On the opposing side, Dallas head coach Jason Kidd understood that trades always happen, no matter the player's caliber. However, given how critical Doncic was to the Mavericks on offense, it's harder to process when it's personal.
“I think just in shock,” Kidd said, describing his immediate reaction when he learned of the trade. “But unfortunately, I've been in this league for a long, long time, so I've seen a lot. I've been involved in trades by the Mavericks, so it is part of the business.”
Kidd made it clear from the outset of the press conference before taking on the Cavs that he was “aligned” with general manager Nico Harrison's vision for the team following this move. Curiously, though, he revealed that he only learned the trade was going down in the 11th hour of negotiations.
“It is a little shocking. But in the sense, we have to push forward as an organization, as a team,” said Kidd. ‘We have a game to play. We have to be pros about it, but we understand what Luka has meant to the Mavericks, and we wish him and his family the best in LA and also Maxi and Smooth, but we have to push forward, and we believe we have a team that can do that.”
