Column: Luka Doncic validates his greatness, again
In a week where the Dallas Mavericks are riding a three-game win-streak, and coronated its most outstanding player, Dirk Nowitzki, by way of a statue outside of American Airlines Center, Luka Doncic is making headlines again. This time, Doncic was named Western Conference Player of the Week. It's a small award, but it speaks to […]
In a week where the Dallas Mavericks are riding a three-game win-streak, and coronated its most outstanding player, Dirk Nowitzki, by way of a statue outside of American Airlines Center, Luka Doncic is making headlines again.
This time, Doncic was named Western Conference Player of the Week.
It's a small award, but it speaks to how Dallas — in the last four games — has found its stride.
On Christmas Day, Doncic validated his well-deserved Player of the Week award. He eased his way into a 32-point, nine-assist, nine-rebound performance. Dallas trailed for much of the first half. But behind a 51-point third quarter, where Doncic received help from the others — Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Wood to name a couple — Dallas pulled away from a flawed Los Angeles Lakers team that looked disinterested and disheveled.
What changed during Dallas' run wasn't much of anything, Doncic said.
Meanwhile, Jason Kidd affirmed that he told the team the ball needed to touch the paint before it founds its way out to the three-point line.
Christian Wood, who has come into his own in the last three contests and scored 30 points in the game, echoed Doncic in the belief that the shots Dallas took in the second half were the same as those in the first. The only difference between the two 24 minutes was the shots finally went in.
So goes the story of the Mavericks.
They go as the three-point shot goes.
"I think we just played with pace," Doncic said of the second half. "[We] played with smiles on our faces."
The smiles come easy when the shots are falling. And even easier when you're named Player of the Week after a 50-point performance against the Houston Rockets on Friday and beating LeBron James less than 72 hours later.
"To go against a guy like this – his 18th year, what is he, 38? – in a Christmas game, it’s amazing to see him play and to go against,” Doncic said.
Winning cures all ills. Less than 10 days ago many were writing the obituary on the Mavs. It was another wasted Doncic season, off the cusp of a conference finals appearance, and there were some stating the Mavericks should look to tank — silently.
But with a player as good as Doncic, Dallas is never really out of it. And more than anything else, Doncic's Player of the Week award should speak to how quickly things can turn around when a generational superstar really plays like one.
"I think we are doing a good job right now," Hardaway said. "We've got three in a row. And we got to be ready to fight on both ends of the floor."
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Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
