Getty Luka Doncic of Dallas Mavericks.
Basketball has become all about building around a superstar talent. The Dallas Mavericks know this as well as maybe any team, spending the last four seasons building around star guard Luka Doncic.
“[N]ow more than ever you need to have a deep bench, 10 to 12 players in the rotation to be able to think about a good result,” former NBA champ Boris Diaw told Serbian publication Mozzart Sport on September 17. “[Nikola] Jokic, Luka and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] are great players — incredible — but they all have to be involved in the action and play well. That goes for every team, every contender for gold, every team on the planet that wants something more. It’s great when you have an extra class, but you also need a support system that will always be involved in both phases.”
Diaw, who won an NBA title with the 2014 San Antonio Spurs, watched Doncic lead Slovenia this summer in EuroBasket, the European competition featuring some of the NBA’s top foreign talents. Diaw managed the French team, led by Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert, to second place behind tournament winner Spain.
His discussion about the right supporting cast comes amid speculation regarding Dallas’ ability to surround Doncic with enough support.
In an August 4 story grading the offseasons of the 15 Western Conference teams, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave the Mavericks a “D,” the lowest grade in the conference.
“Watching free agent guard Jalen Brunson sign with the New York Knicks was a tough blow to the Mavericks in the wake of their run to the West finals,” Pelton wrote. “Already deep in the luxury tax, the Mavericks had limited options to replace Brunson and instead chose to invest their taxpayer midlevel exception in center JaVale McGee.”
The Dallas Mavericks Could Surprise Teams Next Season
The Mavs’ lackluster offseason after a surprising Western Conference finals run is one of the reasons Dallas is considered only a “sleeper” team next season and not a bona fide contender, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report.
“The simple truth behind the Mavericks’ standing as sleepers is this: They could be scary good, and they simply aren’t regarded that way,” Buckley wrote on September 20.
Buckley insisted it isn’t a knock against the Mavericks, but rather an acknowledgment of Dallas’ place in the eyes of analysts, who note that the Mavericks did not address the departure of Brunson, Doncic’s backcourt sidekick, even though they added size to the Mavs rotation by trading for Christian Wood and signing McGee.
Could Dallas go on a run right out of the gate and silence all of the doubters? Unquestionably. But could Dallas struggle integrating Wood, McGee, a healthy Tim Hardaway, and fresh draft picks into the mix? Also very possible.
Doncic ‘Key’ to Mavericks’ Postseason Hopes
If Dallas wants to get back to the Western Conference finals, then the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of one player: Luka Doncic.
“Dončić is the real key here, though,” Buckley wrote. “He’s a basketball magician — fourth player ever to tally 6,000 points, 2,000 assists and 2,000 rebounds in his first four seasons — who might have new tricks up his sleeve.”
At EuroBasket, Doncic’s individual heroics alone — averaging 26.6 points and 6.8 assists in five games — weren’t enough to see Slovenia advance.
It’s part of a trend in Doncic’s career: Despite his basketball brilliance, he too needs to be supported in order to find ultimate success. It’s a fact that’s followed many of the NBA’s greats, including LeBron James in his early Cleveland days.