"Ever known a superstar who was as targeted and abused on defense as Luka?" - Skip Bayless goes off on Luka Doncic, cites his importance to Dallas yet calls him a "liability on defense" as they fall 0-2 to Golden State
Skip Bayless blasted Luka Doncic after the Dallas Mavericks lost 117-126 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors. Despite his 42-point night, Bayless claimed the Slovenian was a liability on defense and that is what cost the Mavericks a win.
Luka Doncic had a poor outing in Game 1, where he scored only 20 points on 33.3% shooting. However, he came back strong in Game 2, only for his team to stumble and give up a 19-point lead. Expressing his concerns about the Mavs superstar after the game, Skip Bayless sent out a tweet that read:
"Dallas lived and died by Luka tonight. Led by 19 because of Luka. Lost by 9 because Luka is such a liability on defense. Ever known a superstar who was as targeted and abused on defense as Luka?"
Dallas lived and died by Luka tonight. Led by 19 because of Luka. Lost by 9 because Luka is such a liability on defense. Ever known a superstar who was as targeted and abused on defense as Luka?
With this defeat, the Mavs are now 0-2 down in the series and will need to deliver something special if they are to make their way back. Luka Doncic will undoubtedly be key for them but a repeat of their Game 2 collapse could prove to be calamitous.
Luka Doncic is 1 of 29 players with at least 5 career 40-point games in the playoffs. He's 1 of just 2 to have a losing record in those games (2-5), joining Russell Westbrook (3-4) h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/DSRdNGcdt7
This is not the first time that the team from Dallas are 2-0 down. Last time around, they pulled things back against a Phoenix Suns team that had the likes of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. However, the Warriors have more experience playing on the biggest stage than any other team left in the playoffs.
The Dubs have the likes of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, who have won championships together.
Can Luka Doncic help the Mavericks pull off a comeback again?
Luka Doncic has been in the NBA for just four years now. However, in that short time, he has established himself as one of the brightest stars in the league. Having played in three playoffs so far, Doncic averages 32.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 8.1 APG in the postseason. He is just fractionally behind 'His Airness', Michael Jordan, which shows just how good the Slovenian has been so far.
Luka Doncic went off in game seven to eliminate the Suns! 😤 https://t.co/Q2rt5rSTMa
Despite consistently putting up terrific numbers, this is the first time in three seasons that Doncic has led the Mavs past the first round. On both previous occasions, the Mavs were knocked out by the LA Clippers. This time around, it looked like Dallas would be eliminated by the Phoenix Suns, but the Slovenian stepped up and led the franchise to a 4-3 series win.
Once again, the 2011 NBA champions are now down 0-2 and facing elimination. The city of Dallas will once again have its hopes pinned on Luka Doncic.
He really does it ALL 😎 https://t.co/cudOHexCC8
He has the ability to help the Mavs mount a comeback but will need some support from his teammates. The likes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson have stepped up but have also been rather inconsistent.
If the role players contribute, the job will certainly become easier for Doncic.