Doncic’s Good and Bad Habits on Full Display in Game Three Loss
Game 3 should have been the stage for Luka Doncic to dominate. And he kind of did. But his bad habits also showcased how much he has to learn
Game three of the NBA Finals was an opportunity for Luka Doncic to have his moment. The 25-year-old has already built a reputation as one of the league’s premier playoff performers. His resume is on pace to be one of the best the league has ever seen. And with his Mavericks desperately needing a win to stay alive in the Finals, you figured Doncic would turn up the gas and deliver. Instead, down the stretch, Luka’s poor habits and limited maturity forced him to watch his team’s last breaths from the sidelines. It was indicative of Doncic’s importance, but also how much the young phenom has to learn.
Doncic Continues to Do His Best
Despite sub-par help from his supporting cast, Luka Doncic has been brilliant in this series. Against a collection of the best individual defenders in the league, Doncic hasn’t been limited. Aside from a few ill-advised shots and passes, Doncic has fared as good as anybody could have expected against this vaunted Celtics defense.
The only other Maverick to step up offensively in this series is Kyrie Irving — who waited until game three to drop 35 points (on 28 shots). Outside of their All-NBA backcourt, Dallas’ supporting cast has been pitiful. Mavericks not named Luka and Kyrie are shooting just 25% from beyond the arc. Boston has stayed home on Dallas’ outside threats, taking away the corner threes that Dallas loves. The result has been a stagnant offense totally reliant on individual brilliance from Irving and Doncic.
Boston has been comfortable switching smaller defenders onto Doncic throughout this series. That’s the trade-off they’ve been willing to concede to ensure that Dallas can’t match their 3-PT volume. Doncic has bullied everybody the Celtics have thrown at him. In this series, Doncic is shooting 57% on 2-PT field goals. Boston hasn’t been able to stop him from getting into the lane and picking them apart with a series of floaters and fadeaways.
Of course, threes are worth more than twos, and Boston’s greater 3-PT volume and efficiency have been their recipe for success all year. Still, even against this Celtics team that is so much more talented and deep, Doncic has made things as competitive as possible.
In the 118 minutes that Doncic has been on the floor, the Mavs have a net rating of -2.2. But in the 26 minutes he’s been off the court? Dallas’ net rating in those minutes is an astounding -47.0. Trying to win a series with that much of a disparity is impossible.
Dallas’ options when Luka aren’t on the floor have been stomach-curling. Even Kyrie Irving can’t cover the ineptitude that the likes of Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. offer offensively. Hardaway, Dallas’ third leading scorer during the regular season, was a minus-16 in his 19 minutes of action in game three.
Jason Kidd played 11 players in the first half of game three, trying to find anything that worked. But, nothing did, as the Celtics slammed the door on Dallas’ chances in this series. Despite Doncic’s best efforts, it’s hard to win a series when you’re playing 2 v 5.
The Celtics Know Who to Attack on Offense
Luka Doncic has never been much of a defender. Anyone with that little athleticism or lateral quickness will struggle in a league with athletes at every position. But in this series, Doncic’s defensive effort has been laughable. At times, Doncic seems content with getting scored on just so he can get the ball back.
And look, I get it. The Celtics have ball-handlers everywhere. They can attack closeouts and play the drive-and-kick game for an enternity before settling on a good look. There is nowhere to hide, which is why Doncic has been getting relentlessly attacked. Boston has involved Doncic in post-ups, screening actions, and everything in between. There were entire Twitter compliations of Doncic’s bad defensive effort after game two;
Most of Doncic’s shortcomings are due to his lethargic nature on defense. On numerous possessions, you’ll see him leisurely jog back and allow the Celtics to play five on four. Defense clearly isn’t his thing, but this level of effort is embarrasing, quite frankly. Nobody is asking Doncic to turn into an All-NBA defender, but they are asking him to show a little bit more effort.
In theory, you would hope that Doncic would recongize that his team can’t hide him and up his intensity a little bit. Instead, he seems resigned to gambling for steals and pointing at his teammates whenever possessions break down. As the old cliche goes, defense wins championships. Dallas has the foundations of a strong defensive team, but they’ll need Luka to hold up his end of the bargain if they ever want to win in the Doncic era.
Can We Stop With the Whining Please?
Doncic’s maturity and attitude have often stirred up controversy. He’s always amongst the league leaders in technical fouls. After every drive, with even the slightest bit of contract, Luka is verbally abusing officials. This, to me, is Doncic’s most fatal character flaw. All that whining not only makes Doncic appear to be a petulant child; but it distracts him.
Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Every superstar player in the NBA acts like Doncic to some degree. Everybody in the league thinks that the referees are conspiring against them. Such is the arrogance and ego required to be amongst the best in the world. Throughout NBA history, guys have always wanted more whistles to go their way. It’s only natural for competitors to think the referees are getting in their way.
Singling out Doncic for whining would be unfair. But, in game three, Doncic’s poor decision-making led to him fouling out. Fouls are bound to happen, especially with Boston targeting Doncic like they are. It would be one thing if Doncic’s fouls came when he was trying to play defense. It’s another thing, however, when one of Doncic’s fouls was a frustration foul 94 feet from the basket. After Doncic picked up his would-be sixth foul, he screamed expletives at his bench to challenge the call. It was all very dramatic and childish.
Doncic’s actions lack control or poise. He seems flustered when he constantly whines about the contact that (surprise!) occurs during the playoffs. So far in his career, Doncic has yet to fully control his emotions like he needs to. Despite his gaudy numbers and numerous virtuoso performances, there’s a lot of immaturity. Of course, I would also be a little bitchy if I was 25 years old and one of the five best basketball players in the world.
Teams always emulate their star players. Duncan’s Spurs were cohesive, together, and always calm. Jordan’s Bulls always won the big game. What will we say about Doncic’s teams when we look back on his sure-to-be illustrious career? Was it that they were easily rattled? I would certainly hope not.
Generally, superstars in the NBA don’t win a title until their age-27 season. Doncic is ahead of schedule, as he’s already made two conference finals and a finals appearance in just six seasons. We’re witnessing one of the best players of a generation carve out a legacy. This series against the Celtics will hopefully serve as a teaching moment for Doncic in the long run.
Every star player needs to take their beatings before finally breaking through. Hell, ask the Celtics what that’s like. Doncic will be back in the Finals in due time. And when he does, maybe he’ll have learned to control his emotions. In doing so, we can focus less on his antics and more on the artistry he displays with the ball in his hands.
Follow the Instagram & Facebook: @hoopnotions
