What a brutal way to end your season. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks fought through hell and worse during their path to the NBA Finals. They overcame all of the juggernauts in the Western Conference to face the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for them, the Celtics were just on another level. They were able to avoid the sweep, but they bowed out in Game 5 with a rather miserable performance.
In the Finals, Doncic averaged 29 points per game on solid efficiency. His three-point shooting tanked in the last three games, including a 0-8 outing in their Game 4 win. The Mavericks star also added 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, that last number being way below his usual averages. All in all, it was a solid Finals debut for Luka Doncic offensively. That being said, Doncic has been criticized plenty in the playoffs.
LeSean McCoy, a former NFL star wide receiver, had some harsh words for Luka Doncic. McCoy called the Mavericks star the “worst All-Star”. Yeesh! (video via ClutchPoints)
“Luka is the worst All-Star I've ever seen in my life. He can score the ball, he can pass the ball, he can rebound and all that. [But] he has no effort on defense. He doesn't want to play defense. He doesn't hustle for any loose balls, and he doesn't hustle for loose rebounds.”
“He has no sense of urgency in playing solid basketball, and I will not let my son, who wants to be a basketball player, watch his tape. I don't want him to learn from a superstar like that. No hustle. No attitude. No care. Crazy,”
That first quote out of context is crazy, if we're being honest. However, looking at the entire quote, it seems… misguided, for lack of a better term. Doncic is not an elite defender (partly due to his physical limitations), but he puts effort into it. We've certainly seen the Mavericks star dive and hustle too. In the Finals, though, Doncic was dealing with multiple injuries as well as likely exhaustion. Calling him the “worst All-Star” for that seems excessive.
Doncic's impact on Mavericks
Don't let the quote fool you: Doncic had an elite campaign in the playoffs. The Mavericks star put together a statistically impressive playoff run that led the team to the Finals. Doncic averaged almost 29 points per game along with 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per contest. Luka did his part and then some during the entire playoffs.
Doncic has been the lone consistent presence for the Mavericks for the last half-decade and so. There's been a lot of ups (this playoff run, the 2020 Bubble run, and 2022's WCF run) and downs, but Dallas is pretty happy with what they're getting from Doncic. His MVP-esque performance every season gives them a fighting chance all the time.
With the Finals now over, the Mavericks now have to figure out what they need in order to improve and get over the hump next season. They have a solid group now, but it's painfully clear that they need to make adjustments around the margins, so to speak. We'll see how this team adjusts to the heartbreak and how they'll bounce back next season.
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