The Dallas Mavericks are 7-7 ahead of their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, and this slower-than-expected start can be attributed to slow starts to games, struggles to rebound, and clutch-time woes, but arguably the biggest problem for Dallas this season has been injuries.
P.J. Washington missed time with a knee sprain, Dereck Lively II missed some games with a sprained shoulder, and Maxi Kleber missed seven games with a hamstring injury. Dallas has had to battle plenty of adversity already this season when it comes to the availability of their core guys, and this includes the availability of Luka Doncic.
Doncic missed all of the preseason with a calf contusion, and he missed his first game of the season with a right knee contusion against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Doncic being out for this game made Mavs fans wonder if he should rest to try to fully heal his knee, or play through it.
Doncic's knee contusion doesn't seem to be too serious, as he is available to play against New Orleans tonight, and even though he is averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game this season, he is someone who has gotten his fair share of criticism from the NBA world as well as some Mavs fans.
Kidd silences the critics targeting Doncic's early struggles
Mavs fans are used to seeing him dominate every single game, and his start hasn't been as great as some fans expected. His 3-point shooting is down and he has struggled some on defense, but he is still playing well enough to put the Mavs in a good spot to win games. Doncic should never be the main concern when discussing why Dallas is dropping games, and Jason Kidd silenced the doubters on Tuesday night when discussing Doncic's performance this season and whether he thinks his injuries have played a factor in Doncic's start to the season.
"He has shown that he’s human, I think some of us have forgot that he’s human," Kidd said. "So the way that he’s playing, he’s 28, 8, and 8, we sign up for that all day long."
Kidd hit the nail on the head here.
Fans have been extremely critical of Doncic over the last few days, specifically after Dallas defeated the Thunder without him, and Kidd reminded everyone that Doncic won't be perfect every single night. Even though he isn't averaging the same 34 points per game while shooting 38 percent from downtown as he did last year, Kidd seems pleased about what he has seen from Doncic so far.
"He’s missed some shots, it happens," Kidd said. "There’s going to be bumps and bruises, there’s going to be misses, there’s going to be makes, but he’s one of the best players in the world and we’re lucky to have him.”
Every player goes through rough patches and struggles shooting the ball at times, but just as Kidd said, Doncic is one of the greatest players on the planet. Regardless of what injuries he may be going through right now, he is still playing at a high level and doing whatever he can to help his team win every single night even when he is battling injuries.
Doncic is a warrior, and he is always going to do anything he can to play even when he is in some pain.
After Dallas' win over the San Antonio Spurs last week, Doncic admitted that he isn't at 100 percent right now and promised that he would get better soon. The time to rest right now is extremely limited due to the fast-paced nature of the season, but he ended up sitting against the Thunder with this right knee contusion.
Dallas was able to pull off the win without him, and in a game like tonight when it would have been easy for him to sit, he decided to play. He'll have the chance to silence the critics against the Pelicans, and Kidd standing up for Doncic in this moment shows why he is one of the best player-coaches in the NBA.
Managing superstar players on and off the floor at an elite level is not easy, but Kidd has helped make Doncic and Kyrie Irving's partnership in Dallas seamless. He is now working on helping get Klay Thompson fully acclimated to Dallas, and he deserves his flowers when it comes to how he has handled the Mavs' star-studded core.
