Mavs' Luka Doncic Details Improved Shooting Results: 'Trust in Yourself'
Luka Doncic has provided the Dallas Mavericks with a significant impact this season, averaging 34.2 points, 9.5 assists and 8.8 rebounds. While many areas stand out, one that can undoubtedly be highlighted is the improvement in his shooting efficiency, shooting 49.2 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep.
Doncic still doesn't view himself as being a "great" shooter, but he acknowledges improvement has been achieved this season. He credits the improvement to getting more repetitions and trusting his shot.
"I'm definitely not a great shooter," Doncic said. "I just improved a little bit from last year and from the other seasons. But just repetitions. Get shots up and trust in yourself."
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One element for Doncic has been his diligence to achieve improvement on catch-and-shoot attempts paying off during the season. He declared this as one of his offseason priorities when speaking to reporters in training camp, and it has translated to improved results.
"I think spacing is important, just to move," Doncic said in training camp. "I know the defender is probably not going to help off me a lot of times, so that opens more space for Kai, for other teammates. ... I've been working on my catch-and-shoot, so I'm ready."
A common point Doncic makes about his game is the importance of keeping his legs fresh, which is made more possible when spending more off-ball by playing next to ball-handling options like Kyrie Irving or Dante Exum. Whether it's a step-back 3-pointer, a short-range turnaround, or a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, Doncic often emphasizes the importance of keeping his legs fresh to maximize efficiency.
“I just got to keep my legs fresh,” Doncic said earlier this season. “That’s what’s most important for me right now. I got to make some of those shots. Too many misses for me."
The results have been highly impressive for Doncic as a shot creator. He's generating 1.086 points per possession on off-the-dribble jump shots within the half-court, leading all 34 players with 250 or more attempts. With the defender having to account for the step-back, it opens up opportunities for him to attack downhill and create advantages using size-up dribbles.
"Yeah, I think with Luka being able to shoot the three the way that he has, not just off the dribble, but the catch-and-shoot, too, has only made it a little bit easier for him to get to the rim," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said earlier this season.
Doncic has taken 15.5 percent of his shot attempts as catch-and-shoot, scoring 122 points on 1.16 points per shot (66th percentile). His production has been up across the board from last season. These shots accounted for 12.5 percent of his attempts in 2022-23, resulting in 87 total points on 0.94 points per shot (24th percentile). He's already exceeded strongly in volume and producing much more efficient results.
"Yeah, I think with Luka being able to shoot the three the way that he has, not just off the dribble, but the catch-and-shoot, too, has only made it a little bit easier for him to get to the rim," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said.
Earlier this season, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who coached against Doncic in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, highlighted the team's increased difficulty in game planning against him due to his improved shooting consistency.
"We tried to mix it up on him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We single-covered him, we switched, we hit him. We tried a lot of different things, but he is a brilliant player and had a phenomenal game. ... We weren't communicating. We had some good stretches when we were getting stops ... and then our communication broke down."
Doncic will look to sustain his strong shooting results after the All-Star break after having an opportunity to rest. He returns to action on Thursday when the Mavs take on the Phoenix Suns at American Airlines Center.
