To contend that Luka Doncic was extremely frustrated in the aftermath of the Mavericks’ loss to the Pacers would be to understate the obvious. Even as he had just put up another masterclass in offense (a fourth straight triple-double that gave him 39, 10, and 11 through 43 minutes of exposure), he came nowhere close to lifting the hosts out of the doldrums. And as he looked back at the whopping 17-point setback, he could not help but highlight their deficiencies. “We have to play better defense” was his response, in various versions, to one query after another on the state of their game.
The irony, of course, is that the Mavericks seemed to have gotten their groove heading into, and shortly after, the All-Star break. Proud owners of a seven-match winning streak, they saw themselves as bona fide contenders in the mega-competitive West. They were provisionally in line to claim homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and their status conjured images of a repeat of their sterling run to the Conference Finals in 2022. The pairing of foundational piece Doncic with fellow marquee name Kyrie Irving appeared to be finally hitting its stride, to the relief of fans who did not want to see a second consecutive wasted season.
And then came the swoon — suddenly, unexpectedly, shockingly. Their deflated effort against the Pacers led to their fifth setback in six outings. And the fact that Doncic was all but invincible with the ball in his hands throughout served only to exacerbate the frustration. What the heck else can they do if they’re already playing to their strengths? Under the circumstances, he’s right, to be sure. If they are to live up to expectations, they would have to work on their weaknesses, starting with, as he pointed out, their defense.
Make no mistake. Doncic is not without blame. All too often, he lingers or complains to the referees after a failed possession instead of running back to fulfill his designated role in collective coverages. All too often, he gives teammates deathly stares if he thinks they made a mistake or did something not to his liking. And, if nothing else, the dichotomy can be grating. Everybody wants to win and everybody contributes, and there can be no discounting the value of leading by example. He’s clearly not doing so when he keeps on singling out the specks in others’ eyes and not seeing those in his.
Doncic is signed on until 2027, albeit with a player option in the last year. If the Mavericks continue their brushes with mediocrity, there is nothing to prevent him from bolting for new, more desirable digs. Which is why they would do well to right the ship, and sooner rather than later. There’s a lot more at stake than just the present. And in the era of player empowerment, there’s no question that he will explore all his options — and decides on a future that suits him best.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.