DALLAS — Perhaps no one has more closely followed Luka Doncic’s NBA trajectory than Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley, who as a Mavericks assistant was Doncic’s primary developmental coach during his first three seasons.
“That’s my guy,” Doncic said after bantering with Mosley through much of Dallas’ Sunday night win over the Magic.
Mosley said he’s noticed two subtle differences in Doncic this season: He’s throwing more behind-the-back passes and “you can see him using his voice a ton more with these guys.”
The biggest Doncic transformation is glaring to all: He is pouring in points at an historic rate.
Doncic is averaging an NBA-best 36.7 points and has scored 30 or more points in each of Dallas’ first six games, a feat last accomplished by Chicago’s Michael Jordan in the 1986-87 season.
Jordan was 23 then, as is Doncic now. Jordan that season averaged what would remain a career-high 37.1 points.
Any comparison to Jordan is flattering, but as the Mavericks (3-3) prepare to host surprising Utah (6-2) Wednesday night, fans should hope that Doncic’s season won’t be like that of Mike in 1986-87.
That’s because this Dallas team, coming off a Western Conference finals run, doesn’t want to emulate the too-Jordan-dependent Bulls of ‘86-’87. That team went 40-42 and was bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Look, it’s far too soon to draw conclusions of a season that has seen startling starts not only by Utah, but Portland (5-1) and San Antonio (5-2).
It also seems hypocritical to quibble about Doncic’s scorching start. Isn’t this what fans have longed to see for five years? A well-conditioned, fully-engaged Doncic to start the season? Showing every sign that he’s taking another step forward in superstardom?
In that sense, this is an enviable “problem” for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd: How to guide, not harness, full-gallop-Luka and create better offensive balance, for the good of the team. And for Doncic’s well-being.
While struggling for consistency, blowing leads of 22 and 16 points in losses to Phoenix and Oklahoma City and falling to severely short-handed New Orleans, the Mavericks have needed every bit of Doncic’s symmetric output: 220 points in 220 minutes.
Averaging 36.67 points is doing wonders for Doncic’s MVP candidacy, but averaging 36.67 minutes is a concerning load for a player whose career average entering this season was 33.8 minutes.
“I don’t feel like I need to score 30 every night,” Doncic said. “We have capable players of scoring that too, so I think it’s not going to be every night because some teams are going to double and some teams don’t.”
Against Orlando, Dallas fell into a 10-point hole four minutes into the game. Mosley’s first-half strategy was clear: Single-cover Doncic and test the rest of the primarily spot-shooting Mavericks lineup to shake free for open looks.
“Stay home, stay, home, stay home!” Magic coaches yelled during Doncic’s frequent one-on-one maneuvers.
By halftime Dallas had tied the game at 60, but Doncic had scored half of Dallas’ points. As Kidd pointed out, Doncic’s unstoppable individual runs can create challenges for teammates.
“When he goes like that, you’ve got to figure out how to find your rhythm,” Kidd said.
Kidd said that during the second half Spencer Dinwiddie did a commendable job of penetrating the lane “and not waiting for Luka.”
Dallas’ shot distribution was markedly different in the second half, with Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. attempting eight field goals, Dinwiddie 7 and Dorian Finney-Smith 6.
The Mavericks’ efficiency improved, too. The above four players shot a combined 16 of 29. That’s winning basketball, even with Dallas struggling to match last season’s defensive standard.
Kidd said the Mavericks had to make similar adjustments last season when Doncic’s improved conditioning kicked in a couple of weeks after his December bout with COVID-19.
“I’ve been playing with the guy for the last three-and-a-half to four years now,” Hardaway said. “We all know he has these runs where he’ll run off 20 straight [points].
“We’ve got to be ready when the ball is coming to us. Be ready to attack and be ready to deliver. Not saying it’s going to be easy, but we know what to expect.”
It was noted to Doncic after the game that he shot 15 of 17 on 2-point attempts and 2 of 9 on 3-pointers.
“Sometimes,” he admitted, “I get really tired going into the paint area every time and I [just] shoot the 3.”
The Mavericks don’t lack for scoring options outside of Doncic, but when Doncic speaks of wearing from repeated drives, it’s easy to see that Dallas misses Jalen Brunson’s penetration.
Dinwiddie is averaging 16.2 points starting alongside Doncic, and Christian Wood and Hardaway are averaging 16.7 and 14.4 points off the bench. Better scoring balance is possible.
The Mavericks are not ‘86-’87 Chicago, which was not yet the ‘90s powerhouse Bulls. Jordan’s fellow starters that season were Gene Banks, Dave Corzine, Charles Oakley and John Paxson.
Oakley (14.5) and Paxson (11.3) were the only Bulls besides Jordan to average in double-figures, albeit when the NBA was lower-scoring and less 3-pointer-dependent.
One similarity in those Bulls and these Mavericks is that like Doncic, Jordan in his third season, was beginning to find his leadership voice, as we saw in The Last Dance.
“It’s just being the leader of the team,” Doncic said of being more vocal this season. “I think everybody in the team believes in me and I believe in them. They treat me as a leader, so I’ve got to be one.
“We talk about accountability. I’ll just be more vocal than I used to be.”
Doncic’s scoring and minutes loads probably aren’t sustainable, nor should they need to be for his sake and that of the Mavericks.
As the great Jordan ultimately learned, it was better not being the ‘86-’87 Mike.
