What did Luka Doncic say about the idea of sitting down for the last games of the season?
Seemingly in a defiant mood, the Slovenian star isn’t ready to entertain the idea of throwing in the towel and just as well given that his team does still have a chance.
Despite the daunting task that’s ahead of them and the speculation about whether they will continue to field their best players, the Mavericks’ biggest star has made it clear that he has every intention of playing in each of the games that remain in the regular season and beyond - should they make it that far.
What do the Dallas Mavericks face?
What a difference a few months can make. In early February, the Dallas Mavericks sat 4th in the Western Conference on a record of 30-26. Since then, they’ve won just seven of the 23 games that they’ve played and are now 11th in the conference. What’s worse is that they’re going to need favorable results from other teams, just to get into the play-in tournament.
At present the Mavericks are one game behind the tenth seeded Oklahoma City Thunder with three games left to play, but it’s important to note that the Thunder have the all-important tiebreaker between the two teams. To be clear, should the Thunder win two of their remaining games and the Mavs lose two, Dallas’ chances of a post season trip will be done and dusted. To that end, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that things are currently so bad in the Dallas, that reports have suggested the team has considered benching both talisman, Luka Doncic, and their newly arrived star, Kyrie Irving. Yet, it’s got to be said that Doncic has in no way considered that a possibility.
What did Luka Doncic say about potentially being benched?
Speaking on Tuesday, the four-time NBA All-Star made it clear that he intends to face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. “When there’s still a chance, I’m going to play,” Doncic declared and to be fair, one can’t fault him. Despite the struggles of the team, it wouldn’t be honest to point a finger at the 2019 rookie of the year given his average of 31 points and 7.8 assists per game across the last two months. On the other hand, it’s now safe to say that the acquisition of the enigmatic Kyrie Irving has not helped the team’s cause. What that means going forward remains to be seen.
The Mavericks have a complicated situation
Here’s the thing: If the Mavericks miss the playoffs it may actually work in their favor. That’s not to say that they should simply tank the season. After all no fan wants to see their team intentionally losing games in the name of future benefits, but it is what it is. At present, the Mavericks owe a first-round pick to the Knicks that can only be maintained if it’s selected in the top-10. Now, it’s important to understand that given the cost of Dallas’ current roster, it will be increasingly difficult for them - they have the 10th worst record in the league - to add a high-profile Draft pick. In contrast, a cheap top-10 rookie would do the trick. At that point, they’d have a a solid bargaining chip in any potential trade. Of course, this is all theoretical which is to say that when the cookie crumbles, Dallas could still possibly secure a top-10 pick without tanking. It will just take a lot of work and even more luck. The question is whether or those two things are possible right here and now.