Luka Doncic will need to perform at the top of his game to bring the Mavericks deep into the Playoffs.
The NBA restart is set to tipoff in less than two weeks. Players are spending their time training and finding their chemistry back on the floor. The restarted season will not just be any walk in the park. It will test the mettle of players and their desire for the NBA championship crown.
As such, team leaders will need to step up to take on the challenge. The likes of Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are expected to bring their fiercest talent to the table. It will be up to the younger leaders such as Luka Doncic if they can keep up.
Luka Doncic as a young leader
As soon as Dirk Nowitzki retired from Dallas, Mark Cuban didn’t waste time replacing the leadership position. It will already be a full decade since the Mavs won the championship. Unfortunately, disbanding the 2010-2011 championship team didn’t give the Mavs enough punch to defend their crown in the following season.
Nonetheless, their future looks bright with Luka Doncic moving forward. The Slovenian youngster was given a big burden to carry. However, it will not be a new task for him. At a very young age, he was able to bring a championship to Real Madrid and was even crowned the Euroleague MVP.
Despite just being 21 years old, Doncic has been in the talks for the MVP contention. He is currently averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. Even with these stats, his game is still not yet polished, considering that the Mavs rank 22nd in clutch time. Their record is 14-21 for games decided with five points difference with five minutes left in the game.
Luka will need to work on his clutch play as most Playoffs games go down to the wire. Each win in every series is earned and never just handed.
Los Angeles Clippers matchup
Doncic may face the Clippers in the first round of the Playoffs if the standings remain the same. The odds are stacked against the Mavs, but they still have a fighting chance if the entire band of the Mavericks comes out to play.
The bench of the Mavericks is deep, and they will have to rely on each other to carry the team when either Luka or Porzingis rest. Fortunately, they have JJ Barea that can provide instant offense off the bench.
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