Howard Beck is a longtime NBA writer and currently ringerpublished an article titled “The Intermittent Debate About Luka Doncic” after Tuesday's Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the article, Beck and his associates criticized Doncic's heliocentric playing style and claimed that other players did not enjoy playing with the Slovenian superstar.
“One veteran assistant coach,” Beck writes, “highlighted possession issues and said there was a “sigh of relief'' among his teammates when Doncic was ejected from the game. “It's because it gives me a little bit more freedom.'' When other players play, it's like, “Okay, let's play.'' It's hard to maintain rhythm if you're not touching the ball,” the coach said. And when Doncic is off the court, it's a chance for his teammates to show they don't have to rely on him. ”
Read more: Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks make many adjustments for Game 2 against OKC Thunder
Doncic's style of play has been a hot topic in recent seasons, with many believing that having one ball-dominant guard doesn't lead to long-term success. His usage rate has led the NBA in the past four seasons, leading him to three playoff berths and two 50-win seasons.
But Mavericks veteran forward Markieff Morris is here to set the record straight.
cap! We're trying to win chip-go heads with this stupidity! #PRAVIMVP https://t.co/LP1gjGOd1H
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) May 9, 2024
“Cap! We're trying to get chips with this stupid thing! #PRAVIMVP,” Morris said on Twitter ('cap' means 'not true', but #PRAVIMVP is the Slovenian word for I'm not familiar with the terminology (meaning “real MVP”). “Pravi MVP” warm-up shirts are on the rise in Dallas towards the end of the season, and it's great to see it stick around even after Nikola Jokic was announced as this season's MVP.
Morris is the perfect veteran addition to this team. He was initially seen as a throw-in for Kyrie Irving, who was traded to Dallas last season, but he fits in well with younger players and has favored the superstars.
The timing of the article is certainly interesting. Even if Doncic wasn't playing close to 100% healthy, the last thing you want to do is give him any extra motivation and wait for Beck to sit there and drop the article. It makes me wonder if he was there at all.
It is natural to question the validity of that quote. Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the only players who can claim that playing with Doncic reduced their usage, but Irving loved his time in Dallas and gets along very well with Doncic. Hardaway Jr. has been subject to trade rumors for the past few seasons, and while he may be controversial, even he will be in the spotlight due to Doncic's gravity. Players like Josh Green, Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Maxi Kleber, and Derek Lively II all make it much easier on offense as Doncic can feed them the ball with pinpoint accuracy. It has become. As we saw with Dorian Finney-Smith, who was traded to Brooklyn for Irving last year, it's not always easy to generate offense without a megastar like Doncic set up.
The entire Mavericks team will have a chance to set new records tonight in Game 2 at 8:30 PM CST at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Read more: The Dallas Mavericks have yet to win a Game 1 under Jason Kidd, but is that a concern?
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