WATCH: A 2nd Mavs Bubble Practice, a 2nd Luka Trick Shot
The Dallas Mavericks are in the NBA bubble in Orlando and shooting for some sort of normalcy.
Or, in the case of trick-shot artist Luka Doncic, shooting for some sort of "abnormalcy.''
The Mavs are in many ways ready to pick up where they left off back on March 11 when COVID-19 forced a hiatus right when they'd forged a 40-27 record. The strengths of this No. 7 in the West team are many, but Doncic is of course central to it all, one of the reasons that when coach Rick Carlisle says, “It’s great to be back in the gym,'' it's clearly great to be back in the gym with a player as gifted and magnetizing as Doncic.
What did Doncic do to keep things loose in the Friday workout in the hotel ballroom at the Grand Floridian? A trick shot, caroming the ball off the ceiling of the ballroom and into the bucket.
A "Ballroom Bubble Bank Shot,'' if you will. (Click in to the above link for a good look.)
And in Saturday's practice session No. 7? Heck, let's do it again ... with a swish ... off the instep, soccer-style.
"The level of enthusiasm is really terrific with our guys,'' said Carlisle, and again, there are a lot of reasons for that enthusiasm. They are healthy, they are bonded, they are led by a coach who has been there, done that, won that. ...
But the effervescent presence of Luka Doncic is at the top of that list.
