It's been a month since the Luka Doncic trade, and the Dallas Mavericks are still recovering from the madness. Mavs fans are not over the trade, as numerous "Fire Nico" chants could be heard everywhere. For example, guests at Medieval Times called for Nico Harrison's job recently as they expressed their disappointment in the Mavs' general manager. These chants have also happened at other various sporting events in DFW since the trade went down, and the anger may not be going away anytime soon.
It's clear fans are disappointed in Harrison, and they have every right to be. Since the trade, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone 12-4. Doncic has been a big part of their success, helping the Lakers win eight of their 12 games. He is the main reason Los Angeles remains highly competitive in the Western Conference standings.
Doncic has the Lakers a half-game back from second place in the West. He is averaging 29.4 points per game this month and a new era has begun in Los Angeles. On the other hand, Dallas is in 10th place in the standings and has a two-and-a-half game lead over the Phoenix Suns for the final play-in spot. The Mavs' success hinges on the return of players like Anthony Davis and Derrick Lively II, as Kyrie Irving is out for the season with a torn ACL. Harrison's extravagant plan is headed in the wrong direction.
Max Christie's growing pains test Mavericks fans' patience
One way the team could turn things around, is if Davis and Max Christie do what Doncic couldn't. This means winning a championship for Dallas. They would also need to win fans over and bless them with the grace Doncic brought.
Currently, both players have yet to win over the fan base. Davis excited Mavs fans in his first game. He dropped in a double-double with 26 points and 16 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. His time was cut short, though, as he left the game after he suffered an adductor strain. Since then, he has yet to grace the team with his presence. There is still time for Davis to win over Dallas, assuming he makes his return, but that may wait until next season.
As for Christie, he, too, made a splash in his first game. He had a near double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Christie also shot 100 percent from the 3-point line. He grabbed a crucial rebound with five seconds left to give the Mavs a fighting chance. The team would come up just short, though, as Dallas lost by two points to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Christie continued to play at a high level in the games to follow. He scored 15 points on 46.2 percent shooting in a blowout win against the Boston Celtics. Christie then had his best game against the Houston Rockets. He scored 23 points and shot 80 percent from the 3-point line.
His terrific offensive play extended into the next couple of games following that game against Houston. He scored 15 points in an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, 17 points against the Golden State Warriors and 19 points against the Miami Heat. Christie was exceeding expectations and Dallas fans had every right to be excited, as they initially thought he was going to turn into a star one day.
While he still could become a star one day, this season's hype didn't last long. His ability to score 15 or more points in his first seven games with Dallas came to an end. On February 23, Christie had one of his worst performances against the Warriors. He scored a mere two points and converted one of his five shot attempts. He finished the game with four personal fouls and two turnovers.
His shooting woes extended into March. He is currently shooting 34.3 percent overall and 31.1 percent from the 3-point line. This has affected his scoring, as he has yet to score above 15 points. In his most recent game, he scored six points and shot 33 percent from the field against the San Antonio Spurs. He struggled to find his rhythm, finishing the game with three turnovers and zero free throw attempts.
Christie's recent struggles now have fans questioning his ability. They viewed him as a future all-star who might have found a perfect role in Dallas. Now, it's possible he might be nothing more than a high-level role player. His struggles now turn the tables on the Doncic trade, as his hot start had fans thinking he could develop into a star in this league.
With 15 games left in the season, Christie can still win fans over. He will need to get off to a hot start during the latter half of March. Christie will need to replicate his shooting success from early on if Dallas hopes to make a playoff run. Assuming he and Davis turn the Mavs into real contenders, the trade could have fans reevaluating the trade.
He continues to get great looks from downtown, regardless of if they're going down, and he has tons of time to develop as he is only 22 years old. Christie could still become a star one day, but his struggles recently have definitely brought Mavs fans back to earth.
