What is the quintessential Luka Doncic game?
Is it the 30-point triple-double? Is it the clutch decision-making down the stretch? Is it the dagger stepback triple? Is it all these things and possibly more?
In just his third year in the NBA, we know what a staple Luka Doncic game looks like. We’ve seen enough stepbacks and 3-pointers. We’ve seen basketball wizardry manifested in his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame and poster boy looks. We know that he’s a franchise player and a generational talent whose true potential has yet to be fully realized.
On Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers, he razzled and dazzled his way to 38 points on 15-for-27 shots, hauled down nine rebounds, and dished out nine assists. In true Luka fashion, some of his highlights included no-look dimes; passes so good that they seemed to appear out of nowhere.
And yet there’s a caveat, right? There always is if you’re that good (and that young). As the legend of Luka grows, so does the mounting pressure to succeed. In the NBA, there’s nothing quite like championships as the barometer of greatness. For now, this is the honeymoon stage of Doncic’s young career. At 22 and fresh off his first playoff appearance last season, there’s the hope that the rings and the MVPs will eventually come. Then again, the pitchforks and torches will be calling for him soon if he doesn’t consistently bring in the victories.
Despite the gaudy stat line of Doncic, the Trail Blazers still prevailed, 125-119. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 63 points and made all the right plays down the stretch. After battling a fourth quarter deficit and retaking the lead, McCollum essentially put the game away with a nasty stepback 3, pushing his team ahead by six with roughly a minute left.
With the loss, the Mavericks slid to 21-19 for the season, walking on thin ice as currently the eighth seed in the West. A significant reason why Luka hasn’t been in this season’s MVP conversation at all is because of his team’s performance. He’s averaging 28.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists. Those are pretty solid numbers. Pundits are saying that this season could be one of the tightest MVP races and yet Luka is nowhere to be found. You have Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Giannis Antentokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and James Harden. Even former MVP Steph Curry’s name has been floated around despite the Golden State Warriors’ struggles.
Imagine if Doncic had those averages and the Mavericks are at least fourth in the West. That would become a totally different conversation. He still probably wouldn’t win the award but at least he would be in the discussion. For all his personal greatness, he will always be tied to the success of his team.
Credit to the Mavericks, however, as they have been improving since their slow start. After going through the gauntlet with COVD-19 related issues and injury woes, the Mavericks are looking like a playoff team. They are 3-3 since the All-Star break and 10-5 in their last 15 games. They’ve been relatively okay but it remains to be seen if they’re going to have another first round exit.
Going back to the game versus the Trail Blazers, Tim Hardaway had the hot hand with 25 points, alongside five boards and five dimes to help out Doncic. Big man Maxi Kleber chipped in with 16. The missing piece? Kristaps Porzingis struggled, scoring 11 points on 11 shots. He had eight rebounds and two blocks but was virtually a non-factor on the offensive end.
Let’s take it back further against the LA Clippers on Tuesday. In that 109-99 loss, Doncic listed a 25-point triple-double (though he did commit seven turnovers). Porzingis and Hardaway had at least 20 points, but the rest had quiet outputs. In a rematch on Thursday, Doncic dropped 42 as four other Mavs reached double-figures in a dominant win.
The main issue for Dallas is the usual dilemma for a team with a superstar. How good is the supporting cast? How consistent can they be? Doncic has been superb this season that even in losses he still produces impressive numbers. Should the Mavericks reach the playoffs, however, expecting Luka Magic to save them every single game is asking a lot.
If this was a video game and Doncic has a 97 player rating, it would appear that no one else is hitting a 90 or maybe even an 85. Porzingis needs to be at least an 89 while everyone else has to have a rating of nothing lower than 75.
So what is the quintessential Luka Doncic game? Is it having the impeccable stat line but suffering through a late-game collapse? Is it just having the highlights and not the W? Or maybe, we haven’t seen Luka Magic in all its glory yet.
A magician never reveals his secrets. But maybe Doncic can sprinkle his magic dust on his teammates. Maybe they're still working on a trick that will leave us all breathless and in awe.
