"He’s ready to go … But this is a marathon" - Jason Kidd emphasizes managing Dallas Mavericks' 3x All-Star's load after a hectic EuroBasket
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic's heavy workload representing Slovenia this summer will factor into how much work he'll get to start the season. Accordingly, Dallas coach Jason Kidd has scheduled some well-deserved rest
Nonetheless, Doncic is still exhausted from his busy schedule. According to Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, Doncic will get some well-deserved rest to start the season.
"We’re going to start a little light," Kidd said. "But as we all know in this room, Luka loves to play basketball. So he’s ready to go, and he’ll probably tell you that today. But we want just to start slow. This is a marathon. He just got done playing (for Slovenia). But anytime he sees the game plan for practice and he sees scrimmage, he’s ready to play."
Luka Doncic, fresh off a hectic EuroBasket schedule, will have a light workload in training camp. Jason Kidd: “We’re going to start a little light, but as we all know in this room, Luka loves to play basketball. He’s ready to go … but this is a marathon.”
At media day, Doncic shared his thoughts on representing his home country in international competitions.
"I mean, there's a lot of feelings," Doncic said. "You represent your country, you basically give up your summer to play for your country. I respect everybody that does that. It's really hard. At some point, you have to go to practice, but you want to be on a beach somewhere, but I always enjoy every moment playing for my national team."
Luka on representing Slovenia this summer. 🇸🇮
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Doncic averaged 35.4 minutes per game last season, which was the ninth-most in the league. Considering the Mavericks' offense relies so heavily on Doncic, it will be interesting to see how Kidd manages his workload.
Do the Dallas Mavericks have the pieces required to win an NBA title?
The Dallas Mavericks had a productive offseason following their loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. They improved their frontcourt with the additions of big men Christian Wood and JaVale McGee. Both players should be great fits playing alongside Doncic in the pick-and-roll. McGee will also be able to provide some much-needed rim protection.
However, the Mavericks took a big hit to their backcourt, losing their secondary scorer Jalen Brunson in free agency. Brunson broke out in the playoffs, averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 46.6% shooting.
Other players will have to replace his production. The most likely candidates to do so are guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr.
During a recent interview with Malika Andrews on “NBA Today,” Doncic gave his opinion on the Dallas Mavericks’ new-look roster.
"I think we have great players on our team," Doncic said. "There's plenty very underrated guys that I think should be talked about more. ... I think we have a great team."
Luka Doncic on whether the Mavericks needs another superstar to compete for an NBA title:
"No. I think we have great players on our team. There's plenty very underrated guys that I think should be talked about more."
h/t @malika_andrews
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The Mavericks have some underrated role players. Their players also fit well around Doncic. However, it takes multiple stars to win championships. Doncic will again have to put the Dallas Mavericks on his back if the team hopes to contend in 2022-23.