The Dallas Mavericks‘ loss to the Golden State Warriors in just five games in the NBA playoffs proved that Luka Doncic badly needed help. He did everything he could, but couldn’t get past the Bay Area team fronted by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Head coach Jason Kidd was positive in the postgame conference that the Mavericks have built a solid foundation. They just need to get Doncic more reinforcements. Getting a superstar to complement the Slovenian superstar may be more of a problem than meets the eye.
Ric Bucher, on “The Odd Couple,” pointed out how Dallas could struggle to find another superstar to ease the load off Luka Doncic:
“Not the way that he plays now, for sure. I’ve heard plenty of it through his career. People around the league, players and executives will say Luka’s hard to play with.”
Bucher continued:
It’s not like he’s not ever gonna attract anybody of talent, but Paul George isn’t gonna go to play with him, Kawhi Leonard. I’m just throwing names out there. They’re not gonna go play alongside a Luka Doncic.”
Changing the All-NBA point guard’s overwhelmingly ball-dominant style may take more time. To get someone of the caliber of the players Bucher mentioned, those superstars will have to accept complementary roles alongside Doncic.
The way the former Rookie of the Year orchestrates everything on offense may force future superstars to sacrifice opportunities similar to LeBron James. Here’s the veteran NBA Insider on Luka Doncic’s similarities with the LA Lakers superstar:
“I’ve said it with LeBron. It’s the same thing! You have to learn to play off of him. … It’s why stars don’t flock to play with LeBron because it’s going to be the LeBron show. If you are a star, you have to be a complementary player.
“Are you willing to do that? Some guys were when they knew that it was gonna result in a championship, well Doncic isn’t there yet, so he doesn’t have that calling card.”
Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie played their roles well, providing support for Doncic in the postseason. But against the experienced Warriors, they had trouble creating their own shots, forcing the Mavericks into long stretches of inefficiency.
The Dallas Mavericks could follow the blueprint of their 2011 NBA Finals winning team
![The Dallas Mavericks didn't have a legit No. 2 for Dirk Nowitzki in the 2011 NBA Finals. [Photo: Bleacher Report]](data:image/svg+xml,<svg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201280%22></svg>)
Jason Kidd was one of several complementary players who played for the Mavericks’ lone title winning team in 2011.
They surrounded superstar Dirk Nowitzki with players who starred in their roles. Dallas counted on Kidd’s playmaking and veteran smarts. Tyson Chandler was invaluable for his rebounding, defense and energy.
The pieces all fit together, which allowed them to stun the Miami Heat with prime LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Nowitzki pushed that team to the title after losing the first two games of the 2011 NBA Finals.
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Luka Doncic will have to allow others to play more based on that strategy. The three-time All-Star has led the NBA in usage the last two seasons and the 2022 playoffs by a wide margin.
If he can learn to trust his teammates more the way Nowitzki did, the Mavericks might replicate that title run in the future.