Mavs star Luka Doncic has quickly become one of the toughest players to guard in the league and he showed why on Friday vs. the Miami Heat.

While showing off his ball-handling skills, Doncic shook Bam Adebayo en route to an easy basket with his uncanny footwork.

When Doncic sees a big man on him, regardless of whether it's a talented defender like Adebayo, he's going to take advantage of the matchup. So when the Mavs star saw Adebayo guarding him near the perimeter, he decided to pull out a variety of moves to get a shot in the paint.

Related NewsArticle continues below
NBA Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) during the second half at the AT&T Center. The Mavericks won 103-94.
Dirk Nowitzki joins LeBron James, Steve Nash to break down signature play
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
DeMarcus Cousins proposes Mavericks’ Kevin Durant-Cooper Flagg swap

Seeing that you have to defend the step-back three-pointer from Doncic, Adebayo overcommitted to Doncic's subtle shot fakes. Then, Doncic would fake a fadeaway jumper in the paint, only to finally get an open finger-roll layup at the rim after getting Adebayo in the air.

Despite being the favorite to win the NBA's MVP award, Doncic has gotten off to somewhat of a slow start this season with the Mavs. In the first four games of the season before Friday's contest versus the Heat, Doncic was averaging 23.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.

Additionally, Doncic is shooting an abysmal 9.5 percent from downtown this season. The 21-year-old superstar is attempting 5.3 three-pointers per game, which is the fewest of his three-year career with Dallas.

Even though his three-point shots aren't falling right now, Doncic was able to use his shooting ability to maneuver his way past Adebayo for an impressive basket for the Mavs.