Gilbert Arenas labels Mavs as 'one superstar’ team, claims Luka Doncic’s ‘MJ’ potential overshadows ‘not so good’ bench
Led by one of the league's top young stars in Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks are looking to compete in the Western Conference. However, Gilbert Arenas cited major flaws of the roster while comparing the All-Star guard to an NBA legend.
During a recent episode of the "Nightcap" podcast, Arenas and Shannon Sharpe touched on the Mavericks' 113-110 nail-biting loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Luka Doncic put up 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but it was not enough to get his team a win.
Arenas pointed out how thin Dallas' depth is. He compared their roster makeup to when Michael Jordan first entered the NBA. While Doncic is good enough to make them a contender, they don't have enough talent around him to really contend.
"Dallas just has one superstar. This remind me of Michael Jordan when he came to the league," Arenas said. "Luka's so good when we think that doesn't matter cause they're a contender. Well, he's good. They're not good."
"Your third-best player, which is now your second-best player, comes off the bench. It lets you know where the team is. He was just unmatched. It was just him versuslCleveland's five."
Do the Dallas Mavericks have enough talent around Luka Doncic to compete in the Western Conference?
Through the first third of the season, the Dallas Mavericks sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings at 18-13. Looking at some of the teams ahead of them, Gilbert Arenas' assesment of their bench is accurate.
It is worth noting that the Mavericks are dealing with injuries to key players. Kyrie Irving has been out of action since Dwight Powell fell on him on December 8th, and Maxi Kleber has only played in five games. At full strength, the Mavericks will look deeper than they do at the moment.
Regardless of injuries, the Mavericks' depth behind Luka Doncic is thin compared to other top teams in the West. They're relying on young players like Josh Green and Dereck Lively to give solid minutes, or a guy like Dante Exum who has been out of the league for years.
Doncic is a special player who can cover up some weak points. Still, Dallas' depth could prove to be an issue when going up against top teams like the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and OKC Thunder. If the supporting cast can't step it up, it could result in another early postseason exit for the young superstar.