Luka Doncic and Reggie Bullock are comfortable and playing confident
Luka Doncic and Reggie Bullock understand that someone needs to score in the Dallas Mavericks' fairly average half-court offense. For Doncic, high-end offensive production is the expectation that comes with being a 22-year-old All-NBA level player. However, Bullock, who struggled for long stretches this season, has been a pleasant surprise and needed contributor amidst the […]
Luka Doncic and Reggie Bullock understand that someone needs to score in the Dallas Mavericks' fairly average half-court offense.
For Doncic, high-end offensive production is the expectation that comes with being a 22-year-old All-NBA level player. However, Bullock, who struggled for long stretches this season, has been a pleasant surprise and needed contributor amidst the flurry of injuries Dallas has faced of late.
"The dude is elite," Bullock said of Doncic. "He’s an elite player, he passes and scores and gets everyone else the ball."
In regards to his own game, Bullock noted his mentality, stating that he just has "that mindset of being able to catch and shoot when I'm open and believe that I am a great shooter."
The recent offensive flurry
Doncic, in the last four games, is averaging 34.3 points, 9 rebounds and 12.3 assists per game. He's shooting an impressive 51 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three. And against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night, he put together arguably his most complete performance of the season.
By scoring 33 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and handing out 15 helpers, Doncic put Dallas' offense on his back. And in the process, he added two more dunks to his total tally, which now sits at three.
"We sometimes measure by wins and losses, but the bigger picture is he’s been under control here of late with making the right plays for his teammates," Jason Kidd said of Doncic's surging play.
"You can see that he trusts his teammates and knows when to go score, and he was great."
Part of the reasoning for Doncic's offensive explosion against the 76ers was because of how he detested his play against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After playing the Thunder, he felt as though he made a litany of poor decisions; he doesn't plan to do that again.
"I feel more explosive," Doncic said.
Bullock's shooting return
What might be more impressive than Doncic's return to what everyone is accustomed to seeing from him is Bullock's resurgence in extended minutes with Tim Hardaway Jr. out.
In the previous four games, Bullock is playing an average of 32 minutes per game and averaging 19 points on 45 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Within that same stretch, Bullock has managed to not only hit open shots but big shots as well.
He's comfortable shooting the ball — something that couldn't be said early in the season. He claims he isn't doing anything different, but the types of shots he's getting suggest otherwise.
In the last four games, 80 percent of Bullock's shots are coming when he doesn't take a single dribble, according to NBA.com tracking data. Of that total percentage, 70 percent of his no-dribble jump shots are 3-point attempts. As a result, he's shot 47 percent from three in his no-dribble attempts. Meanwhile, when he does dribble, his 3-point percentage drops to 25 percent.
For context, on the season, 68 percent of Bullock's 3-point jump shots came without taking a dribble; however, only 48 percent of those shots were considered open. Providing understanding to his disappointing shooting numbers for the entire season (34 percent).
In the last four games, 58 percent of Bullock's 3-point attempts are considered open; indicating the offensive is finding him in situations where he can do what he does best — catch and shoot. The product of more catch-and-shoot looks for Bullock is the 45 percent clip he shot from three during the last four games.
Bullock may believe he isn't be doing anything different on offense, but he is taking different shots within Kidd's system.
"it's got a lot to do with me," Bullock said. "I am just trying to find out where I find my shots at; believing that I have the confidence to continue shooting the ball — and shooting it with consistently."
What the offense explosion means for Dallas
When Dallas lost Hardaway to foot surgery, the question became who steps up. Kidd believed it would be a committee. Bullock has proven that it may be a committee of one — himself.
As for Doncic, greatness is expected, and he is starting to live up to everything people thought he would be at the start of the season.
Injuries or no injuries, Doncic and Bullock are doing their part. It comes down to if everyone else will follow suit.
"The game is about makes and misses – we’ve had great looks," Kidd said of the way his team is playing on offense. "We will take those looks the next game and, even in the playoffs those are the looks you want."
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Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.
