The Dallas Mavericks might have been considered slight underdogs coming into their Western Conference Semi-FInal against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to how dominantly their opponents took care of the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, the Mavs would always have a fighting chance with Luka Doncic on their team. The Slovenian wonder has always been a reliable superstar that’s been helping the Mavericks win games with his sheer brilliance with the basketball.
That didn’t seem to be the case in the first round of their seven-game series with the Thunder as they dropped their first game. While Luka didn’t have a bad night, it was clear to long-time Mavericks fans that he wasn’t performing to his usual standards.
Fans who might be worried about the form of Luka Magic might have the right to be concerned as stats show a clear dip in form for the star guard.
Luka Doncic’s postseason numbers for the Dallas Mavericks took an alarming drop
StatMuse pointed out an interesting statistic that would make any Mavs fan concerned about the fate of the team in the coming series against a strong Thunder squad.
Luka Doncic:
This season — This playoffs —
33.9 PPG 28.3 PPG
9.2 RPG 8.4 RPG
9.8 APG 9.4 APG
49/38/79% 40/23/29% pic.twitter.com/LsgLXoVXpc— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 8, 2024
It’s important to note that Luka’s postseason numbers are still impressive for any NBA player. Any player putting up the kinds of numbers Doncic is producing on the regular would get a max contract with any team in the league.
However, it’s undeniable that the Mavericks need their star man to perform at his best. The Thunder were able to limit his shots during the Mavs’ 95-117 defeat. While he finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, and nine assists, he shot a terrible 6-for-19 on the field.
It’s true that playoff defenses are a different breed compared to the regular season. Since the Thunder know the consequences of leaving Luka alone, they will be throwing double-teams his way the moment he gets the ball.
His ability to impose his will will make Luka different from other high-volume scorers despite the defensive schemes Mark Daigneault throws at him. Doncic needs to be able to overpower whatever the defense gives to him if the Mavs would have any chance of winning this series.
If the Mavericks want to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, they need Doncic to rise above playoff-caliber defenses and show everyone why he’s one of the faces of today’s NBA.
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