Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were trendy picks for just about everything this season.
Doncic was considered an MVP candidate. The Mavericks were considered a threat to potentially come out of the West and contend for a title. They’re facing the highest expectations they’ve seen in years.
They’ve failed to meet them so far this season for the most part. The Mavericks are 8-11 and have lost four straight games after getting blown out by the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
The only one who has lived up to the hype so far is Doncic himself. And he had a lot to say about his team’s performance — not just on Friday, but through this entire season.
Long story short, he’s fed up.
"Terrible. There's really not much to say… Right now it's looking like we don't care, honestly, if we win games or not."
Luka Doncic discusses the Mavericks' struggles after four consecutive losses. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/Q0GviygQAu
— FOX Sports Southwest (@FOXSportsSW) January 30, 2021
“Terrible. There’s really not much to say right now. I never felt like this. And we’ve got to do something, because this is not looking good. We’ve got to step up and talk to each other and play way better than this. It’s mostly effort…Right now it’s looking like we don’t care, honestly, if we win games or not.”
Ouch. That’s a harsh assessment. So far this season, though? It’s a pretty accurate one. The Mavericks have just not been good enough — particularly on the defensive end, where their 110.9 defensive rating is good for 19th.
They were never the strongest defensive team, but they’ve taken steps back on offense, too, after a historically good season last year. They just haven’t been able to make that up.
Doncic is doing his part. He’s averaging a near triple-double this season with 27.8 points per game to go along with 9.6 assists and 9.2 rebounds. So it’s not on him. There’s not much more he can do.
Clearly, though, the Mavericks need more help on the margins.