Even though they almost made the NBA Finals last year, the Dallas Mavericks are now on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
There are few words strong enough to describe how poorly the Mavs have been playing lately but one thing is clear: the team is headed in the wrong direction.
This means that everyone is trying to figure out what’s bringing them down.
Former player and NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins isn’t too happy with the recent output from star player Luka Doncic.
Citing his body language, arguments with the refs, and the act of “hanging his team out to dry”, Perkins said that Doncic hasn’t been the leader Dallas needs.
“When are you gonna be accountable?” Perkins asked Doncic.
"When I watch Luka [Doncic], I get so disturbed by his body language not only towards the officiating but towards his [Mavs] teammates. The pouting, the hanging of the head, going to the media… when are you gonna be accountable?"
🗣️ Kendrick Perkinspic.twitter.com/391T2WmtZ3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 3, 2023
Perkins noted that Doncic will put up strong numbers during every game but when you really break down his performance, you’ll see that he isn’t playing well with others and doesn’t look happy on the court or even very close to his teammates.
Doncic has always been known for his intense emotions and his insistence on handling the ball and running the show.
He has received backlash for those things before.
But now that the Mavericks have collapsed in such a big way, there is going to be a lot more attention paid to those aspects of his game.
As great as he is, Doncic has ways to improve.
It’s not all about lighting up the scoreboard night after night, according to Perkins.
Will someone sit Doncic down and lay out these complaints against him?
Will we see a new and improved Doncic next season as a way to improve his team’s chances?
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