With all the rumors surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ offensive prowess, little attention has been paid to covering their defense. However, the graph appears to be on an upward trajectory, as even Dallas forward Luka Doncic has improved his defensive game. The Mavericks have thus improved to the tenth place in this year’s defensive ratings. A fan posted a surprising fact about the Slovenian’s attempt to change the narrative.
The post makes Doncic look good on the defensive side of the ball. However, many NBA X skeptics were quick to respond to the post. In reaction to the post a fan wrote,
“It has a lot to do with the Mavs putting Luka on the other team’s worst player every time, to be honest…. He’s not a horrible defender when he tries, but in no world is he a good defender.
In the playoffs, teams will run a million screens for him to defend the ball for a reason.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Mavericks often look to give Doncic the easier task on the defensive end. Another user seemed to agree with this logic, he indeed wrote @F_Benk,
“How often do they cut your back? How often do you not defend again? This is just a selection of select statistics. “Luka is still quite negative in defense.”
But Luka wouldn’t be without his followers, who burst into the comments to defend their franchise player. Responding to the detractors, one fan wrote:
“He’s been a good defender all season, but people pretend he doesn’t play defense so they can continue the narrative.”
The narrative surrounding Doncic’s defense can be practically summed up in one statement: “He can defend, but he doesn’t want to,”, as another fan rightly highlighted,
Luka can certainly be a great defender with a 6’7″, 230-pound frame. Not only that, he even has the IQ to read plays on the fly, and he’s often the one calling coverages.
But there is no doubt that Doncic has to work on his motor, since the only tool he lacks is ‘persistence’.
The Dallas Mavericks could go all the way
The Dallas Mavericks seem to be having a lot more fun this year. Kyrie has come to life, as the 2016 Champion has been catching lobs.
Kyrie’s averages have also increased, as the 6’3 guard averaging 25.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists, shooting 49% from the field.
But Kyrie isn’t the only one playing on the team, as Doncic has taken another leap this year. He even entered the MVP race this season, as is the Slovenian. averaging crazy, 34 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists with 48.6% shooting.
The Mavericks don’t need to change much as they currently are a set of four streak. It’s no surprise that Doncic has to work harder on defense, as even Kyrie can look lacking on the defensive end.
But the Mavericks can’t afford to get complacent just yet, as the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers could catch up with them in the remaining games on the schedule.
