The Mavericks have only been middle-of-the-pack in offensive efficiency the past few years. However, Luka Doncic‘s ability to carry an offense allows them to play more defensive-minded, offense-limited players. It also puts a lot of miles on the 23-year-old star in the regular season for a team that hopes to play deep into May and June. The coach Jason Kidd is also concerned about how much Luka crashes to the ground.
Kidd is also worried about Dončić constantly getting knocked to the floor early in the season. He says those falls may not show up now, or even this season, but they take a toll over a career. "The wood always wins," Kidd said.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 10, 2022
After consecutive losses to the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards, in which Doncic shot a combined 17 of 50 from the field, Kidd voiced concern that the Mavs were placing too much pressure on their best player. For the third season in a row, Doncic has the highest usage rate in the league. “He had 42, triple-double, just a little walk in the park,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
“He’s human,” Kidd said. “But I think losing two in a row and not playing well, the guys who have seen him the most, he’s always bounced back. That’s what he did tonight. He could have easily taken the game off to get some rest, but he fought and put us in a position to win.”
Kidd’s concerns are legitimate, as Doncic draws 8.1 fouls a game compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 9.2 in the NBA. Still, Giannis is much bigger than Doncic, so a more significant percentage of his fouls result from opponents grabbing him or fouling on rebounds. Doncic more frequently falls to the ground as a result of being fouled during drives.
Doncic has been fantastic this season, but the Mavs need to protect him, or he’ll be too banged up to be outstanding in April.
