Over the last week or so, Luka Doncic has wrongfully become the punching bag for many Dallas Mavericks fans.
Doncic's defensive breakdown against the Utah Jazz at the end of the game combined with his shooting struggles led to frustration from fans, and there was even more frustration from fans when Dallas found a way to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder without him as he suffered a knee contusion.
Some fans questioned if Doncic's playstyle has held the Mavs back this season, and it has been clear that he hasn't been himself due to his knee. His lateral quickness was down, and he hasn't been able to get the same lift on his shots. Still, he entered Tuesday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. He hasn't been the same Luka that everyone is used to seeing, but he is still playing at a high level despite having to fight through a couple of injuries.
Doncic's promise of getting healthier exemplified in win over Pelicans
Doncic promised after Dallas' win against the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday that he would get better physically, and that's exactly what he showed in the win over the Pelicans. He said after the game he felt better physically, and it ultimately helped lead to a productive game.
Doncic finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists while shooting 10-16 from the field and 3-8 from downtown, and although these stats don't necessarily pop off the page, the stat sheet doesn't tell the entire story.
He was moving much better laterally and in the open floor, playing solid defense, and not forcing shots. Doncic was deferring to his teammates when needed, and one play in particular illustrated that better than the rest.
In the second quarter, Doncic passed Jaden Hardy the ball on the wing, Hardy swung it back to him, and then Doncic gave Hardy the ball back along with a look for Hardy to attack his man. This play ended with a Hardy slam, and Doncic's trust in Hardy at this moment was apparent.
His assertiveness early on while not overdoing it was clear, as he collected two steals in the first quarter which to two straight buckets for him on the other end. This was arguably Doncic's best defensive game of the season, and he was active with his hands all night and helped force more turnovers than he was given credit for. It was clear that he was putting an emphasis on his defense, as he collected three steals and blocked one shot. He was focused on doing his absolute best to stay in front of his man and bring intensity on that end, and it helped the Mavs get out to an early lead.
Doncic's somewhat quiet, but efficient, game helped lead the Mavs to a 132-91 win over New Orleans, and they climbed back above .500 as they are now 8-7. The Mavs needed to take care of business against the Pelicans considering they were 4-10 entering the matchup and without several key players including Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Herbert Jones.
Doncic silenced all of the outside noise about his performance as of late in the win, and his intentionality on both ends helped lead to a smooth and simple game. His back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter were huge for him, and his jumper should slowly return to the mean as time goes on.
No one just magically falls off as hard as Doncic has from downtown considering that he shot 38.2 percent from three last season and was exceptional off the catch, and his 3-point numbers should rise as he gets healthier and gets a better feel for his new teammates and more into the flow of the season.
