Getty Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks have gotten a ton of offensive production out of Luka Doncic during his tenure with the team. Whether it’s been clutch shots or monster triple-doubles, Doncic has done it all. That is, except play defense.
During a recent appearance on The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon shared a harsh take he’d heard from an anonymous NBA scout on Doncic’s defense.
“I had a scout the other day tell me Luka Doncic is the worst transition defender in the history of basketball,” MacMahon said. “I want to say that’s hyperbole, but man, when he gets in all of his feelings and he’s yelling and screaming at refs and he’s not crossing – forget half court – he’s not crossing the free throw line on some of these possessions. He’s playing as poorly defensively as we have seen him play.”
Again, while the 24-year-old is a wizard with the basketball, his effort levels on the defensive end are often questioned. With the Mavericks currently letting a chance at a postseason run slip away, everything is going to be magnified.
Kendrick Perkins Rips Mavs’ Defense
Poor defense has been a theme for the “mid” Mavs all year. They rank 23rd in the league with a 115.7 defensive rating.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins placed the blame for the team’s shortcomings on their lack of ability and willingness to defend.
“It’s not fair to blame Kyrie [Irving] or Luka [Doncic], to be honest with you,” Perkins said on the March 27 edition of First Take. “This is on the [Mavs’] front office. I mean no disrespect to the others, but they just don’t have it. When they traded for Kyrie Irving, it was something that they needed to do, something to make Luka happy, to bring another option offensively. But let’s keep it real, the Mavs aren’t going a damn place, and it’s because they don’t play defense. You can have nights where Luka scores 40 and Kyrie scores 30 and they’re going to lose the game. Because both of those guys don’t want to buckle down and slide those puppies, especially Luka Doncic. But when you look at the Mavs’ roster, are they really that good? Are they really a team that can go out there and compete for a title? Are they a team that can go out there and really make noise in the Western Conference? No… I would give about 25% to [Kyrie], 25% to Luka, and the 50% is on the organization and the front office.”
“It’s not fair to blame Kyrie [Irving] or Luka [Doncic], to be honest with you. This is on the [Mavs’] front office… I would give about 25% to [Kyrie], 25% to Luka, and the 50% is on the organization and the front office.”
— Kendrick Perkins
Luka Doncic Isn’t Having Fun Playing for Mavericks
They always say “don’t kick a man when he’s already down.” Well, Doncic is most certainly down. He said so after Dallas’ March 24 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
“It’s really frustrating,” Doncic said Friday via the Fanatics YouTube channel. “I think you can see it with me on the court. Sometimes, I don’t feel it’s me. Just being out there. I used to have [a lot of] fun. Smiling on the court. But it’s just been so frustrating. For a lot of reasons, not just basketball.”