NBA: Doncic at the Mavs: A new hope

With Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks have got their dream player in draft. How does the prodigy help the Mavs and what else could Dallas do in the Free Agency?

Dirk Nowitzki made his NBA debut on February 5, 1999. 23 days later, Luka Doncic was born in Ljubljana. Less than 20 years later they stand together in a team and represent the past and the future in Dallas. The mood in Big D is back – Doncic is the player of choice in the draft.

The fact that Dallas had to make a future first-round pick for Atlanta was only a marginal aspect. The Slovenian is said to be the third cornerstone of the new Mavs after Harrison Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr. Next year’s Pick will be top 5 protected, in Dallas it is hoped that this right of selection will move to Atlanta in the south as early as 2019.

This would mean that Dallas would have fared much better than last season, which was mostly cloudy. And there is optimism around the American Airlines Center, which has to do above all with the arrival of the Slovenian child prodigy.

Coach Rick Carlisle described it as a “drastic event” in the rebuild.

General Manager Donnie Nelson, who spoke of the foundation being laid for the future and now needs patience before everything can grow together, did not want to disagree. “It’s a little like our situation in 2000,” Nelson said.

A bold thesis, because Steve Nash and Nowitzki were two future Hall of Famer in the squad and Michael Finley was an all-star. The trio Barnes, Smith and Doncic are still a long way from that, but there is still reason for confidence.

“We must now begin to win games,” Carlisle demanded at the press conference, but at the same time warned Doncic for patience. “He’s 19, you don’t become a star overnight in this league. It’s a process.”

The tools to be successful in the NBA are all there for the Slovenian and, unlike his rookie colleagues, he proved himself for years in Spain in the second-best league in the world. You don’t really need to list his successes any more, he has simply won just about everything you can win in Europe at just 19 years of age. Dallas does not get a classic rookie, but a hardened player who can influence the game immediately.

Doncic is not an outstanding athlete, which is probably the reason why the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings did without him. But his outstanding ball handling, his overview and the ability to create a finish from all positions make him a valuable player for the future. If Doncic is not seriously injured, it seems almost impossible not to succeed with such a full toolbox.

It will be interesting to see how Carlisle will use Doncic. Despite his height of 2.03 metres, the Slovenian sees himself as an A ball. “I prefer to play as a point guard, so I have the ball in my hands and can use my teammates,” explained Doncic Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports before the draft. But this spot at Dallas is reserved for Smith, who is expected to make a jump after an eventful rookie season.

Which position Doncic will play now, however, is rather secondary in modern basketball, where the boundaries are a little blurry, as Carlisle also confirmed. “I don’t know what his position is. His place is on the field where he’s supposed to make plays and his teammates better.”

From the one to the small ball four, Doncic can be used anywhere. It would seem that Stand Pre-Free Agency, Smith, Wesley Matthes, Doncic and Barnes could start. This would give Dallas two real ball handlers on the field at the same time, which would also mean less responsibility for Matthews. Dallas has been known in the past for playing multiple point guards that can create. With the Slovenian this quality has been increased once again.

Especially in Pick’n’Roll Doncic will help the Mavs immediately. The Slovenian created 1.12 points per possession at Real Madrid last year – an outstanding figure when you consider that European defences are not just warning triangles. Just imagine Doncic as 20 centimetres taller J.J. Barea, who can simply overpower smaller opponents on the drive.

It will also be interesting to see how Doncic can complement Smith in the field. Both only hit around 30 percent from a distance, which could cause spacing problems. Smith’s work on off-ball was also inadequate, as last year’s No.9 pick often does not yet know how to move.

Carlisle could easily solve this problem, however, by staggering the minutes similar to Houston did with Chris Paul and James Harden. Doncic can also cause danger off the ball, running blocks, running the second wave or acting from the catch-and-shoot.

All this suggests that the Mavs’ offense is likely to be much more fluid than last season. Dallas will have to beat teams with offensive, because there could be some difficulties at the back. Doncic and Smith are still well below the league average in defensive terms, and the 40-year-old Nowitzki, who will be just as unsuitable for an all-defense team, could also come into question.

The center position will thus be the most interesting agenda of the Mavs in the Free Agency. The project Nerlens Noel should be finally history on July 1st, Dwight Powell is a good Rim Runner, but will never be a ring protector in his career. Dallas will be looking for a defensive five-man and there are actually some candidates on the market.

The biggest name would of course be DeMarcus Cousins, who would probably not be the best fit due to his injury history and his regular downtime in defence. It would be different with Clint Capela, who is however Restricted Free Agent. It would probably take a Max offer from the Mavs that Houston would let go their defensive anchor due to financial constraints.

Unrestricted would be Derrick Favors, who in the Utah Jazz on the four next to Rudy Gobert is not in his optimal position, also the traded Julius Randle (RFA) from the Lakers may be in the draw. And then there are two more candidates (attention, Mavs fans, be strong now): DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard.

There are indeed rumors that the Mavs wouldn’t be unwilling to make Jordan another offer, even though it’s more likely that DJ will take his option and stay in Los Angeles. Howard is paid out by the Nets and would be available for a reasonably narrow thaler. Whether you want to challenge your team chemistry in this way, however, is another question.

But all these rumours also show that Dallas is convinced that they have finished the rebuild with Doncic’s draft. The three cornerstones are in Smith, Barnes and the Slovenian prodigy, now it’s time to find the matching complementary parts.

Nowitzki is no longer such a puzzle piece, the German could come from the bank more often in the coming season and above all act as Doncic’s mentor. The Dirkster will have no problem with that and has been hinting for years that he would like to appear as a banker. More importantly, however, the Dallas legend will share her experience with the young jumpers. Nowitzki was there when Dallas turned a franchise that had been smiled at for years into a real powerhouse in the West.

Of course, the 2018 version of the Mavs is still far from that, but Dallas will win more games next season and at least approach the playoffs – even if the West will come much closer next year. Lottery teams like Phoenix, Memphis or the Lakers are also striving for higher things. Nevertheless, the Mavs were not so bad last season due to many close defeats, as the balance said.

The optimism in Texas is justified and also necessary for a franchise that has produced few positive headlines for seven years. Now it is important to act wisely in the Free Agency and give the young players the time they need. There is hope again and almost everything is connected with the name of Luka Doncic.