Being one of the greatest players in the NBA isn't easy.
You're relied upon to lead your team, you're criticized if you don't play perfectly, and you're expected to put on a show every single night. That is the exact situation that Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is in right now, and he has been a major target of criticism ever since last year's NBA Finals run.
Doncic was flamed for his constant complaining to officials and defensive struggles throughout the playoffs, and these criticisms have increased even more this season.
Doncic is off to a slow start to the season as his numbers are way down from last season, and the criticism has been coming from every which way when it comes to his defense. This mostly started after Doncic's defensive lapse that led to Dallas losing a nail-biter to the Utah Jazz earlier this season, and every little thing that he does on that end is under a microscope.
Marshall and Kidd rally to defend Doncic from defensive critiques
Although Doncic ended up spraining his wrist against the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this week, he ended up having a great defensive performance in that game as he finished with three steals and one block. Two of Doncic's three steals were early in the game and helped get Dallas off to a strong start for once, and Jason Kidd and Naji Marshall both raved about his performance on that end after the game.
"All-defensive team," Kidd said when asked about Doncic's defense. "I thought he was active defensively and his hands, came up with two steals that led to two layups for us to get us off to a good start."
Kidd is one to always stand up for his superstar, and although there may have been some sarcasm in this statement, Doncic was truly solid defensively against New Orleans. He moved his feet well considering that he missed the previous game with a knee contusion, and he was dialed in on both ends from the start.
Marshall was also a big advocate for Doncic's defense after the game, and these two seemed to have built a bond over the first few months of being teammates. Doncic always speaks highly of Marshall when asked about him, and Marshall has done a great job at taking pressure off Doncic's shoulders as a secondary ball handler and making the game easier for him.
"First Team All-Defense, that’s it," Marshall said when asked about Doncic's defensive performance against the Pelicans. "He loves the game, he knows the game, he’s a master of it. He knows what he’s doing out there. He definitely can defend, but you know how people are."
Marshall also said that Doncic is "definitely a good defender," and he expressed strong advocacy for his new teammate at this moment.
Doncic clearly isn't going to be the guy who can stay with shifty point guards and be a team's lockdown defensive stopper, but we've seen time and time again that he can defend in isolation in big moments and defend in space against certain players when fully engaged. Half of the battle on defense is effort, and when he puts in effort, on that end, good performances typically follow.
He also does a good job at anticipating passes and he is a smart player, but his overall off-ball defense does need to improve. Doncic sometimes gets caught ball-watching, and staying fully engaged on that end will help him improve in that area.
While some of the criticism that gets thrown in Doncic's direction when it comes to his defense is deserved, it's clear that he doesn't deserve all of it. He has been battling injuries all season long, and this one-week (minimum) of rest should help him fully rehab his knee and help him get back to playing at the level that everyone is used to seeing out of him.
