Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic might soon get the James Harden treatment from opposing defenses. The Mavs star is in the midst of one of the most sensational sophomore seasons in NBA history, and head coaches around the league are beginning to realize just how big a problem he is offensively.
Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said that it is impossible to have a typical assignment for Doncic, who is pretty unguardable in isolation:
Casey on Doncic: “I don’t think there’s any one guy in the league sho can guard him continuously one-on-one.”
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) December 13, 2019
Doncic is averaging an even 30 points per game to go along with 9.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists this season for the Mavs. Most impressively, he is converting on close to 62 percent of all of his two-pointers and is pretty automatic from the midrange, which has become a lost art in the NBA.
The 20-year-old also utilizes his size and strength to create space against smaller defenders while also carving out lanes to the basket. Because he can play three different positions, he is a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches like Casey.
Teams around the league are trying to deal with supreme talents like Doncic and Harden. “The Beard” has responded to all the defensive attention by attacking the paint before help arrives. It remains to be seen if defenses will start to throw extra defenders Luka's way, especially when he gets into the post.
Detroit certainly figures to have their hands full with Doncic. The Pistons rank 14th in opponents scoring average and 16th in defensive rating, according to Basketball Reference. Regardless, expect Casey to mix and match the individual defenders against Doncic.
The Mavs and Pistons will tip off in Mexico City at 9 p.m. EST.
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