Mavs’ Luka Doncic joins Michael Jordan in the history books
The Mavericks have a genuine legend in the making with Doncic in their ranks. All that remains now is to see whether or not they can build on the lessons of this season.
While the Slovenian star and his teammates will surely be disappointed that their post season has come to an end, they definitely deserve credit for how far they got and what’s more is that the man himself made a bit of history along the way.
Mavs’ Luka doncic joins Michael Jordan in the history books
Though the playoff run for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks is now over there are definitely a few things to consider. Yes it’s true that they essentially ran out of steam against the now Western Conference Champions and NBA Finals bound Golden State Warriors, but the manner in which they arrived to the finals and then in turn pushed the Dubs has got to be admired. They never led in Thursday night’s Game 5 and in the end were finally eliminated in a 120-110 defeat, yet for a team that was under .500 to even be there competing is quite something. Also remember this is a team that started the first round without Doncic - their talisman - due to a calf injury. That, however, didn’t stop them from taking out the No. 1 seeded Phoenix Suns in a dramatic Game 7, before making it all the way to the Conference Finals.
This is where we come to Doncic himself. It seems ironic now when we reflect on the idea that Doncic actually criticized his own performance, especially considering the manner in which he played during this post season. That’s to say that the Slovenian’s game in the post season was quite literally historic. With his average of 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists during the playoffs, Doncic made this campaign his third in a row in which he has averaged 30 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. Who is the other guy? Michael Jordan himself. That’s right, Jordan who actually took the number to five consecutive seasons between 1989 and 1993 is the only other player to complete the feat.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is proud
Speaking on his team’s achievements this season, owner Mark Cuban couldn’t hide his elation. “I’m proud as hell of ‘em,” Cuban said. “We evolved as a team. We saw Luka blossom - not just as an amazing player, which we already knew, but as a leader. As somebody who can make a team better. There aren’t superlatives enough to describe Luka. Not his play, but just everything else. Every other element of who he is as a person and who he is in the locker room is just a joy to watch.”
In Luka Doncic the Mavericks can trust
While Doncic’s regular season and post season numbers this year will definitely be remembered, it should be said there was some show stopping moments during the campaign as well. Perhaps one of the first that comes to mind is the manner in which he took apart the Phoenix Suns in that historic Game 7. Indeed, Doncic actually equalled the Suns’ first half points total with 27 points of his own while laughing quite literally after each and every basket. On the other hand, perhaps the best example of Doncic’s prowess is not in a specific moment but in the general fashion in which he took over the entire series against Phoenix. Twice on the brink of elimination, the Mavs’ star carried his team on his back all the way to victory. If there is one thing that’s certain at this point, it’s that if the Mavericks can hold on to their main man, they will undoubtedly make waves in the future.