Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is a special type of basketball player.
The guy was creating some of the best work of his career before the playoffs, averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.
But now that he’s entered the postseason, he’s further cemented himself as a phenom with an average of 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Unsurprisingly, that makes him the most important part of the Mavericks.
Also unsurprising is the fact that the Phoenix Suns are trying their hardest to shut him down.
Jason Kidd on the Suns’ hunting Luka Doncic: “It’s no secret, they’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll. [Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 6, 2022
Head coach Jason Kidd saw this move coming.
“It’s no secret,” Kidd said.
He added: “They’re going to put him in every pick-and-roll. [Opponents] did the same thing with Dirk [Nowitzki] until he participated and stuck up for himself.”
Will Doncic and his Mavericks be able to work through this huge target on his back?
Limiting Luka
Kidd is right: the Suns will continue to target Doncic and attempt to take him down every chance they can get.
Despite that, he is still creating some impressive plays and points in the Suns series.
The best course of action moving forward is to rely more on other players on the team.
Right now, Doncic isn’t getting a lot of help from his peers.
On Wednesday night, Doncic put up 25 points, and behind him was Reggie Bullock with 16.
Following Bullock, the only other player in double-digits was Spencer Dinwiddie with 11.
The Suns will constantly be focused on Doncic so the Mavericks need to outplay them by forcing other players to work even harder.
That is easier said than done, of course, especially because the Suns’ defense has been so strong lately.
NEXT: 3 Stars The Mavericks Should Target To Help Luka Doncic