The Dallas Mavericks have secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Dallas has had very little to no success since they won their first NBA championship back in 2011. Nine years later, all the waiting and wondering of when Dallas will become a true title contender remains intact.
The Mavericks haven’t played too well since the NBA has restarted. Losing to the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns shouldn’t have happened as the Mavericks were in control but they could not hold on. Their inability to finish out games where they had comfortable leads has been a major problem for them all season. Defensive struggles have been a problem, too.
On a positive note, Dallas managed to come from behind and take a win against the Sacramento Kings, allowing them to avoid suffering their third straight loss. So far, the Mavericks have managed to avoid a three-game losing streak for the entire season.
Officially playoff bound!#MFFL pic.twitter.com/IB09TTp1tG
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) August 2, 2020
Luka Doncic has been phenomenal ever since arriving in Dallas. He wasted no time becoming a strong fan favorite for the Mavericks’ fan base. He has built a reputation for breaking records and scoring points. Most notably, he’s become known for registering triple-doubles. Doncic currently holds the record for most triple-doubles (21) for any player younger than 21.
In Dallas’ victory against Sacramento, Doncic became the youngest player in NBA history to register a 30-point, 20-rebound (career-high), and 12-assist triple-double. He’s also the first and only player for the Mavericks to ever do so.
Last November, Doncic scored a career-high 42 points in a 117-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. That night, he would go on to become the second-youngest player in NBA history to register a 40-point triple-double.
At this point, it’s safe to say that triple-doubles are Doncic’s specialty. (He has 16 triple-doubles this season.)
What’s really interesting is that this will the Mavericks’ first playoff run without Dirk Nowitzki. In addition, it’ll be the first time since 1990 where the Mavericks are in the playoffs without Nowitzki. So, now that the Nowitzki era is in the books, it’s time for the Doncic era to take it up a notch.
Doncic won the 2017-2018 EuroLeague Championship with Real Madrid, being named the youngest EuroLeague MVP in league history. In addition, he also became the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, becoming the youngest to ever win the award. Furthermore, Doncic helped his home country of Slovenia win its first national title at the EuroBasket 2017. His list of accomplishments in Europe speaks for itself, but the NBA playoffs is something new for him.
Doncic’s first playoff experience won’t be easy. It’s never been easy for any big names in the history of the NBA. Doncic is perfectly capable of playing well and putting up great numbers. However, he can’t put the whole team on his back. He needs support from his teammates. He and his Latvian counterpart, Kristaps Porzingis, will need to work as a cohesive unit.
Overall, the Mavericks have to dominate and win as a team. The Mavericks will have the odds heavily stacked against them come playoff time. Regardless, the Mavericks need to be ready for anything.
In Doncic’s case, if the Mavericks play well as a team and show strong resiliency, his first playoff experience will be positive regardless of whether they’re eliminated in the first round or miraculously advance. Whether it’ll be a negative or positive experience remains to be seen; that depends on how Dallas does in the playoffs.
