Former NBA champion warns Mavericks of overutilizing Luka Doncic in regular season: “The Dallas Mavericks are leaning too much on Luka”
Luka Doncic is extremely talented, which is why the Dallas Mavericks are counting on his leadership this season. However, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins thinks the Mavs are relying too heavily on Doncic this season.
With the help of Doncic's heroics, the Mavs are 6-5, which isn't entirely impressive. The Slovenian star is leading the entire league in scoring with 33.6 points per game. He's also doing more than scoring, averaging 8.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists. Despite this, Dallas is stuck in a two-game losing skid (on the road) after winning four straight games, all at home.
On ESPN's "NBA Today" Perkins said that the Mavs are relying too much on Doncic. Aside from Christian Wood, who's playing as their sixth man (but was out for the two losses), no one has stepped up to help the three-time All-Star.
"All of a sudden, the Dallas Mavericks, they're leaning too much on Luka to pull out regular season wins," Perkins said. "He's having to drop 35, 14 and 11 for them to come out of a regular season win, because he doesn't have that other star on the side of him. And they're a first-round exit unless they switch things up."
"The Dallas Mavericks are leaning too much on Luka just to pull out regular season wins... They're a first round exit, unless they switch things up."
@KendrickPerkins on the Mavs' ceiling this season
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Aside from leading the league in scoring, he's also No. 1 in usage with 37.9%. Doncic has been doing a lot for the squad, and it hasn't resulted in a good number of wins. That's probably why he has been shooting badly from downtown.
So far, Doncic, a career 33.5% 3-point shooter, is only knocking down 29.0% of his shots from deep. He's the only offensive weapon Dallas has, and it could tire him out by the time the All-Star break comes in February. Until then, coach Jason Kidd will have to come up with a new plan for the entire Mavs team to help Doncic win games.
Also read: Luka Doncic emerges as prime candidate to win the MVP award after record-setting start with the Dallas Mavericks
This could be the year Luka Doncic wins the MVP
In the early editions of the MVP race, Luka Doncic is consistent at being in second place. So far, he's been performing at a high level that could help him win the award. If the Mavs continue to allow Doncic to carry them in every game, his case could skyrocket.
His competition isn't easy, though. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks has led his team to the best record in the East (10-1). That alone could make the Greek Freak the clear MVP winner.
The door for the three-time All-NBA selection to win MVP is open now. His team should be able to help him win it if they don't overwork Doncic. His stats are a clear argument of why he should win the award, but his team's record isn't helping his case. For Dallas, someone has to step up to allow Luka Doncic to get back to playing more efficiently.
Also read: Former NBA player interprets Luka Doncic’s ability to carry his team like Steph Curry & Giannis Antetokounmpo did: “The Mavs won why, because they had him“