Tim Hardaway smokes Luka Doncic, calls him ‘crybaby’: “Luka is not a leader, Kyrie’s not a leader”
As the regular season comes to a close, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks find themselves trending in the wrong direction. They are 3-7 over their last ten games and are currently out of the playoffs.
When the Mavericks made a big splash and added Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline, they expected to get closer to contention. However, that has not been the case. The pair of All-Star guards have performed well, but the team has struggled to stay in the win column.
As the Mavericks continue to spiral, one NBA Hall of Famer called out the team's top players. During a recent rant, Tim Hardaway called out both Luka Doncic and Kyrie for their ability to lead a team.
"It's our fault as a league that he is a crybaby. It's our fault as a league that we don't correct it."
"That trade wasn't for them, what isn't broken doesn't need to be fixed. They're missing a leader out there. Luka is not a leader, Kyrie is not a leader."
"That trade wasn't for them, what isn't broken doesn't need to be fixed. They're missing a leader out there. Luka is not a leader, Kyrie is not a leader."
— @HardawaySr on the Mavs: https://t.co/5IfbQHmHYg
Is Luka Doncic to blame for the Dallas Mavericks' spiral?
It might be easy to pin it all on Luka Doncic for the Dallas Mavericks dropping in the standings, but he isn't the root of the problem. When discussing why the team looks the way it does, you need to look at the bigger picture.
Last postseason, Luka Doncic single-handedly carried the Mavs to the conference finals. On that fact alone, his ability to lead should not be questioned. Instead, the critics should put their focus on the front office.
Part of why the team has struggled is because they had to part ways with multiple key players and assets to bring in Kyrie Irving. The reason why they had to make the move for Kyrie is because they let Jalen Brunson go to the New York Knicks in free agency for nothing.
If the Mavericks had just paid Brunson, they'd have their same core and more assets at their disposal. Instead, they let him walk and had to overpay to rectify another mistake.
Unfortunately for Luka, the brunt of the blame will always fall to him. He is the best player on his team and an emerging superstar in the league. That being said, he is merely a victim of the front office's decisions regarding the roster makeup around him.
At the end of the day, the only way Luka and Kyrie can silence the noise is by coming together in these final games and willing the Mavericks into the postseason.