Mavs Star Doncic Praises Celtics ‘Best NBA Duo’ of Tatum, Brown
The Dallas Mavericks trailed by as many as 27 points in their 125-112 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
Doncic finished with 42 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists in under 40 minutes of action. Christian Wood chipped in 26 points and 12 rebounds, combining for 68 points with Doncic — the exact total the Celtics' stars, Jayson Tatum (37) and Jaylen Brown (31) scored.
The workload that Doncic carries continues to be significant and is reflected in his usage and playing time. Wednesday was his sixth game of the season with at least 38 minutes, and he's played 15 of 16 games receiving at least 34 minutes.
Doncic expressed that the Celtics probably have the NBA's best star duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, the gravity of the situation that comes with playing at TD Garden makes it even greater of a challenge to get a road win against Boston.
"They're probably the No. 1 team in the league, and they probably have the best duo in the league, too," Doncic said. "And we're in the Garden -- it's always a special game. You have to come 100 percent. If you're not, you're probably going to lose. It's a big game."
"Just watching their game," Doncic said. "I think a lot of people can see that. I think the way they play. I know people try to separate them, but they fit together, they went to the Finals last year, so I think those two are really great players."
The Celtics not only have a co-star for Tatum, they have a deep roster with role players that make a significant impact. Among their most important is Robert Williams III, who was highlighted by Doncic when discussing what makes the Celtics' success even more impressive.
"They have one of the best records and they're missing, I think, a key guy, Williams III," Doncic said. "I am impressed by his game, have always liked his game. So with him being out and them having this record, that's why I said that."
Among the many reasons the Celtics have an impressive team is the capability their role players have to get into the paint on drives in addition to their stars. The Mavs face a significant deficiency in their supporting cast in terms of lane penetration and shot creation.
With no shortage of role players relying on Doncic to create plays in the starting lineup, the workload he has to shoulder is among the greatest in the NBA. He acknowledged that "it's a lot" and some games, he's "really tired."
"It's a lot," Doncic said of the workload he has taken on this season. "You've got to be prepared physically. I think this summer helped me. Some games, I'm really tired, because it's a lot of basketball, for two years, I never stopped playing basketball, but I'm just happy to play basketball."
Christian Wood is the top talent on the Mavs that resembles both a co-star and a means to reduce the burden that Doncic carries. It's been a dramatic week of ups and downs regarding his situation.
Wood went from scoring a season-high 28 points on Friday against the Denver Nuggets to inexplicably playing a season-low 17 minutes against the same time just two days later. After that, he played a season-high 34 minutes and scored 26 against the Celtics.
Until the Mavs start Wood and allow the team to build chemistry around him, there isn't a clear path to reducing Doncic's workload to ideal levels. Spencer Dinwiddie and Wood would offer two threats that can attack mismatches, with Wood being an easy threat to maximize with Doncic in the two-man game.
Even from a pure play-finishing standpoint, Wood offers the Mavs by far their most impactful option next to Doncic. He has the talent and aggressiveness to catch the ball deep in the paint and actually score, unlike Maxi Kleber, while being a more dynamic perimeter shooter and off-the-catch attacker. Factor in the post-up and isolation scoring Wood brings, and starting him is a no-brainer.
With the Mavs' 2023 first-round pick being owed to the New York Knicks if they finish outside of the lottery, the short-term options are limited for making a big move. The best option is to maximize Wood's talent around Doncic, then figure the rest out from there.
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