The escalating in-game complaints of Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic have grown so distracting that even he has acknowledged he needs to get them under control, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Townsend wonders if Doncic will actually adjust his whining to referees at some point, a potentially essential tweak to a game that otherwise is one of the most exciting in the NBA.
Doncic was recently assessed what would have been his 16th technical foul this season in a Sunday defeat against the Hornets. A 16th tech would have warranted an automatic suspension, but the NBA intervened and rescinded the call.
Doncic’s complaints certainly have not helped his team win many games of late. Dallas has struggled since offloading two starters, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, for one injury-prone All-Star in Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks own a 9-13 record with Irving on the team, though injuries to both of the team’s All-Star guards have limited their availability during that stretch.
There’s more out of Dallas:
- The 37-39 Mavericks have fallen from being a top-four seed in the West to the conference’s current No. 11 seed. Dallas owes a top-10-protected 2023 lottery pick to the Knicks. Tanking to preserve the selection might be the savviest move at this juncture, contends Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
- The Mavs’ miserable second half is shedding light on major underlying issues in Dallas, posits Tim Cato of The Athletic. Beyond the personal problems Doncic recently alluded to, the team is sorely missing the three-guard attack and consistent defensive buy-in that helped it reach the Western Conference Finals last season.
- Two blowout losses to an injury-depleted, rebuilding Hornets club have officially made the Mavericks the NBA’s biggest disappointment this year, writes Marc Stein in a new Substack piece.
Kyrie me a river!!
Wow good one man
Gotta resend that T. Can’t have a league STAR out.
I wonder if that was a gift to Cuban to shut him up. Now if any other player get close to suspension they can point to Luka and say why him?
Doncic for every player on portand except lillard and grant. Plus however many Draft picks makes sense. Can’t wait for the trade demand! ;p
Hilarious. The trade demand is likely coming soon.
The Raptors would be all over this if the Mavs were actually going to move him.
Oh it’s coming. I’d be surprised if he sees out another full year. But I gotta point out he’s as bad a Brooks, Dray and Smart for heckling refs and complaining. Gotta find a way to shut that down.
Be very interesting who gets him though. Likely take at least a prime AllNBA player as a centrepiece to get Luka. There aren’t many who can/willing to offer that.
The only trade demand Luka is making is sub onion rings for French fries. The man loves junk food, cigarettes, and beer. He is a true American.
A true Texan I’d say…… Maybe Pop trades the Wemby pick for him. As we know Spurs will luck out in the lotto.
Anyone who is surprised that the Mavs went from fringe contender to tanking with Kyrie only watches one side of the ball…
Mark from Cuba is one of the NBAs worst owners…
#FreeLuka
After the deadline trade this shouldn’t come as a surprise to any NBA GM, or anyone who follows roster construction. This article nailed it saying 2 starters for 1.
Dinwiddie was playing at a high level, and Irving doesn’t make up for that, and DFS. In the expensive, but under talented Dallas rotation.
Dallas is planning on major off season moves judging by their deadline trade.
If they can clear Hardaway/Bertans/Bullock they can put something competitive together.
The-Tank should not be a surprise. Or losing the play-in.
A- Whoes going to take that trifecta of dung
B-Who is going to turn them around in this lite free agency w the cap space if so ?
This is 2k dreaming at its finest
A- whatever…
B-Not sure about Mavs, and creating cap space? That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard. You answered your own question by listing every way to upgrade a roster, but you left out trades, and trading. Was that a clue, or are you really that trigger happy, and shortsighted? What else do you do in a year with few teams with cap space, and few FA’s?
It’s a fairly known concept that most teams get better through the draft, and trades. Not Free Agency, most of the time.
When Christian Wood is the most mature person on your team, that is a problem. Luka is a whiner to a level the league has never seen before, Irving is Irving, Jason Kidd is only a good coach in his first year in charge of something, Mark Cuban is a distraction at best. Not a whole lot of bright spots outside of the development of Josh Green this season, and given everything else that has happened, it’s almost a non-factor.