Luka Doncic Shooting Slump Continues; Can Dallas Mavs Homestand Help?
When it comes to scoring points, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is going to find a way to fill it up in that department on a nightly basis. Through 16 games, he's averaging 30.5 points per game, which is third in the NBA behind only Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid and Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant.
During the Mavs' 8-2 start to the season, Doncic was shooting 52.6 percent overall and 41.7 percent on 3s. In the six games since, though, his efficiency has dropped to 42.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from deep. Subsequently, Dallas is 2-4 in that span and now have a 10-6 record.
This isn't to say that Doncic's recent shooting woes are the sole reason for the Mavs' struggles, because the team's overall lack of defense and rebounding have been the biggest issues. But when your four-time All-NBA First Teamer isn't firing on all cylinders, it makes winning that much harder.
Dallas Mavs star Luka Doncic puts up a floater against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic gets somewhat of a pass for Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers where he shot 12-27, though, due to the fact that he injured his thumb early in the game and will undergo further examination in Dallas. With Doncic not being himself and the Mavs missing Dereck Lively II for the second time this season, it was too much for Dallas to overcome.
"I think that's a great difference," Doncic said when talking about the Clippers' physicality compared to the Mavs. "They were very physical, and that gave them the push. That's it. I think they play really great defense, so that's what holds us back a little bit."
Despite the slippage in Doncic's efficiency recently, he's still shooting 48.7 percent overall and 39.4 percent from deep for the season while averaging 30.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists. The Mavs are also still clinging to third place in the West despite having lost four out of their last six games.
Long story short, the sky isn't falling for the Mavs, but if they aren't going to get more production from key role players like Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green on a more consistent basis, they'll need Doncic to play at a super-human level in order to keep from being a .500 basketball team. That might not be fair to put that much weight on Doncic's shoulders, but it's the reality of Dallas' current situation.
Perhaps the remedy for Doncic's shooting struggles will be the Mavs' upcoming three-game homestand, which will be the longest they've stayed home all season. Six of Dallas' last seven games have been on the road, so some extended home cooking is certainly overdue. We'll see if Doncic and the Mavs can get things back on track as they take on the surprising 8-6 Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
