After missing 10 consecutive games, Luka Doncic is back in the fold for the Dallas Mavericks' Sunday night matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Doncic suffered an ankle injury against the Denver Nuggets and then entered health and safety protocols when he was due to return from the injury.
At the beginning of the season, there were games where the Mavs would blow second-half leads because Doncic would be exhausted already. There were reports that he was overweight because he relaxed too much after his Olympic stint with Slovenia. But now with a hopefully refreshed Doncic back, this is the time for Dallas to elevate its status and avoid the play-in tournament as he works his way back into tip-top shape.
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How Luka Doncic will help Mavs avoid play-in tournament
1. Primary ball handler to facilitate offense
Jalen Brunson was tasked to become the starting point guard in the absence of Doncic, and he did an incredible job. However, it decreased their second-unit production because Brunson is normally the individual who is vital off the bench. With Doncic's return, it will open up more opportunities for Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, and Kristaps Porzingis to continuously convert long-range shots.
When Doncic is on the floor, his lethal scoring and excellent vision are a constant headache for opponents. His teammates were struggling to convert those outside shots earlier in the year, but this is another chance for them to search for their shooting touch as Doncic will create more and more wide-open shots for them.
In the victories without Doncic, Porzingis was the catalyst as he has regained his shooting touch with new head coach Jason Kidd. Thus, the dynamic duo should find new heights.
2. Inevitable for Luka Doncic to find his shooting rhythm
Entering this season, Doncic was a top candidate for MVP. That is currently out of sight given some of his struggles to start the season, and then his lengthy absence happened. His splits sit at a disappointing line of 44.7%/32.6%/69.8%, and he has even increased his turnover numbers as well.
Dallas is currently eighth in the Western Conference with a subpar 17-18 record, but that's only 1.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Denver Nuggets. The teams in the same tier as them are decimated with unfortunate injuries to key pieces, meaning the Mavs are built to overtake them and possibly contend for the fifth spot in the West. Both LA teams and Denver are missing stars on their roster, so Doncic must put his foot forward and regain his shooting stroke after shooting much better in 2020-21.
3. Young leader for a squad in dire need of one
Even with Jason Kidd at the helm, Dallas lacks leaders on the team to mentor and guide the young players on and off the court. Even at just 22 years of age, Doncic has portrayed commendable leadership qualities already, especially in their two prior playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. In their critical Game 7 loss last year, Doncic scored 46 points and dished off 14 dimes in an unfortunate defeat.
In 13 playoff career games, Doncic has already scored over 40 points five times. On the biggest stage, inexperienced individuals often succumb to pressure and get affected with their dismal performances. Doncic is not that breed, as he has that constant winning mentality to do anything in his arsenal to bring his team to a victory every night.
The Mavs are excited to have Doncic back leading the charge to start 2022. They still have 47 games to improve on their performance after many fans and media members expected Dallas to be one of the top contenders in the West this season. Even with the early disappointment, this is an enormous opening for them to find their edge and prove their value in the league, led by Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic.
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