Instead of preparing for a second-round date in the 2021 NBA Playoffs with the Utah Jazz, the Dallas Mavericks are now left answering tough questions and facing scrutiny from media and fans following their postseason exit. The Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was a tough pill to swallow for Mavs stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but especially so for the latter, as the Latvian struggled mightily in the series.

Porzingis was unproductive, inconsistent, and a huge disappointment for the Mavs in the first round. At this point, he must be very aware of how bad he's being viewed, and that must only be adding to his own frustrations, particularly about how he's become a second-fiddle to Doncic, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“But Porzingis has been frustrated, often feeling more like an afterthought than a co-star as Doncic dominates the ball and the spotlight, sources told ESPN. Porzingis frequently made thinly veiled references during his postgame media availabilities, such as saying the “ball actually moved tonight” after high-scoring performances or stating that the offense didn't involve him on low-scoring nights.”

There's a case to be made that Porzingis was underused in the Clippers series, which should trump the popular take that he underperformed.  Sure, he averaged just 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game in the opening round of the playoffs, but his usage rate was at just 15.7 percent. Doncic, on the other hand, had a dizzying usage rate of 39.1 percent. Any player who believes he is a superstar is likely to be frustrated over a diminished role like Porzingis went through against the Clippers.

As it stands, it seems the Mavs have some egos to massage on top of the personnel decisions they have to make in the offseason. Porzingis is under contract up to 2023-24, while Doncic is set to enter the final year of his current deal.