New general manager Nico Harrison knows what the Dallas Mavericks' problem is: overreliance on Luka Doncic. This is the reason why the Mavs will look to resolve that issue heading to the 2021-22 season.

When asked whether the Mavs will benefit from Luka not initiating, Harrison emphasized that they would always want to have the ball on Doncic's hands down the stretch. However, he emphasized that it will greatly help if they can lessen the burden on the Slovenian youngster early in games.

“Really with great players, the good thing about them is they’re so great, so they can do so much. Getting him off the ball early on is a good thing,” Harrison said on 105.3 The Fan, via Dallas Morning News. “Down the stretch, there’s no doubt about it, you want the ball in his hands, I mean that’s what he does. But if he has to do that every play, every possession, that’s a grind, and that’s wear on your body. Getting him off the ball, getting him some easy stuff will be a good thing.”

Luka Doncic is undoubtedly an MVP-caliber player, but as everyone saw in the 2021 playoffs, he needs help. The 22-year-old struggled to close out games for the Mavs throughout their first-round series with the Los Angeles Clippers, which is likely a result of exhaustion after starting off hot.

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Stat Muse pointed an ugly trend for Luka throughout Games 1 to 6. Apparently, he scored 127 points with over 50 percent shooting in the first half of those contests. However, his production in the second half decreased significantly, only scoring s total of 29 points in the final period in the same stretch.

The addition of a second offensive option will definitely help Luka, or if Kristaps Porzingis can get a bigger role offensively. The Mavs might also need another playmaker behind Doncic since Jalen Brunson appears to be more of a scoring guard rather than a floor general.

It remains to be seen what the Mavs will do to get Doncic some help, but it is clear they have to do something so as not to end up wasting what should be another magnificent Luka campaign.