And if the Mavericks were the surprise team of the second half of the season, in the West?
In very good shape since the beginning of January (24 wins and 6 losses), thanks to an impermeable defense (the 5th best in the league, with 107.2 points against 100 possessions, in 2022), the Texas franchise can now count on a huge Luka Doncicwho clearly stepped on the accelerator.
With no less than 35.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists on average for ten games, all at 49% on shots and 43% from 3-pts, the Slovenian has indeed been unstoppable lately. Witness, in particular, his outings at 51 points, 45 points or even 49 points!
” Luka [Doncic] is the kind of player who can carry [une équipe] for most of a season, not just four games“, delivered Jason Kidd, when training resumes. ” We could see it before the All-Star Break. He is currently playing at a very high level. In terms of scoring, of course, but also in creation, because it puts everyone in a superb position. He’s not just playing at an All-Star level, he’s also playing at an MVP level, and that’s all we need for this second half of the season.“
There is no point running…
Author of a half-hearted start, Luka Doncic has not yet found his teammates, because he has benefited from an additional day of rest, given his presence in Cleveland, for the All-Star Game. His return to Dallas will therefore take place this Thursday, just before the Texans travel to Utah on Friday night.
” He knows it’s a marathon “, added Jason Kidd, concerning the state of form of his Super star. ” He feels good physically and mentally, he takes pleasure. We would obviously like our best players to play like this every night and be ready by October. But 82 regular season games and the playoffs is a lot. Especially since he played with his country last summer, on the front of the stage. But I like to see where he is today, as we approach the second half of the season and the playoffs.“
In Salt Lake City, then in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Luka Doncic will thus try to continue on his crazy momentum, he who has been running at… 41.5 points on average (!) for four games, which moreover coincide with the departure for Washington of his ex-accomplice, Kristaps Porzingis.
” It’s obvious that his stats were huge confided Dwight Powell, his privileged partner on pick-and-roll. ” But he’s shown he can replicate that sort of thing in any game. He’s amazing right now and I’m sure he’ll continue in that direction.“
Coming hard for the playoffs
In the shadow of Luka Doncic, who would have been stung raw by criticism of his physique, it is ultimately all of the Mavericks players who will make sure not to give up. While their coach, Jason Kidd, said he was satisfied with the way his men finished the first half of the season.
” The first game after the All-Star Break is still ultra-important “recalled Dwight Powell. ” We must continue to do what we know how to do, correctly. We have to keep improving. The clash against [Utah] will therefore be a good way to get back in the bath and test ourselves.“
Eliminated twice by the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, in 2020 and 2021, the Mavs finally hope to take a step forward this year, in a conference that may be less closed than before.
Thanks to Luka Doncic of course, but also thanks to their new “coaching staff”, Dallas can have a real card to play in the West. It remains to be seen whether the lieutenants of the triple All-Star will be sufficiently reliable and consistent in hot moments, to support their franchise playertoday in search of collective success.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Luka Doncic | 36 | 35.0 | 44.4 | 30.9 | 73.7 | 0.8 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 25.6 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 34 | 29.5 | 45.1 | 28.3 | 86.5 | 1.9 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 19.2 |
| Jalen Brunson | 50 | 31.4 | 50.2 | 34.7 | 80.3 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 15.7 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 42 | 29.6 | 39.4 | 33.6 | 75.7 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 14.2 |
| Dorian Finney Smith | 50 | 32.0 | 44.2 | 36.5 | 67.2 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 10.1 |
| Brandon Knight | 3 | 18.2 | 45.0 | 30.8 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 10.0 |
| Maxi Kléber | 36 | 24.8 | 41.8 | 37.2 | 77.1 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 7.6 |
| Dwight Powell | 51 | 19.9 | 63.6 | 40.0 | 74.3 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 7.2 |
| Reggie Bullock | 43 | 23.8 | 39.9 | 33.8 | 79.2 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 6.9 |
| isaiah thomas | 1 | 13.3 | 37.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 |
| Marquese Chriss | 18 | 11.1 | 53.7 | 38.9 | 63.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 5.9 |
| Trey Burke | 27 | 10.7 | 41.0 | 30.5 | 94.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 5.6 |
| Boban Marjanovic | 16 | 6.0 | 62.5 | 33.3 | 50.0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 4.9 |
| Josh Green | 36 | 13.1 | 55.0 | 33.3 | 71.0 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 4.5 |
| Frank Ntilikina | 40 | 12.8 | 38.6 | 35.3 | 95.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4.5 |
| Sterling Brown | 36 | 14.2 | 39.8 | 34.2 | 90.9 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.9 |
| Moses Brown | 25 | 6.6 | 54.0 | 0.0 | 62.8 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| Willie Cauley-stein | 18 | 9.8 | 45.7 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.9 |
| Theo Pinson | 15 | 7.4 | 30.0 | 26.1 | 100.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.9 |
| Eugene Omoruyi | 4 | 4.5 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| Charlie Brown | 3 | 5.1 | 20.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| carlik jones | 3 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| george king | 4 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Jaquori McLaughlin | 4 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
