Luka Doncic is breaking the LA Clippers as he establishes his own playoff legacy
Luka Doncic is breaking the LA Clippers as he begins to establish his own playoff legacy.
Ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft, Luke Doncic was one of the biggest unknowns. Doncic was coming from overseas and there was no guarantee that he was going to live up to the expectations that were following him to the NBA.
In part, that’s the biggest reason why he was the No. 3 overall pick after Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagely. Still, the Dallas Mavericks moved up to take him at 3 and believed he was going to be every bit as great as advertised.
Three years later, Doncic has the Mavs on the verge of ending the LA Clippers‘ current build (or at least throw a wrench in it) as he establishes his own playoff legacy.
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Luka Doncic could be a generational player
The 3rd-seeded Clippers are down 2-0 to Doncic and the 6th-seeded Mavs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Even though, after their Game 2 loss, many are taking this opportunity to pile on the Clippers and call out the team’s leadership (in addition to their two star players), I’m not sure we’re being fair with that assessment.
Have the Clippers fallen short of expectations (short of them turning this series around) over the past two seasons, absolutely? Although, focusing on the Clippers’ failures ignores the greatness that is taking place with Doncic.
We did it last year with the Denver Nuggets’ run, when they beat the Clippers, and are already beginning to do it again this season. If the Mavs are able to knock off the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, the story shouldn’t be the Clippers’ misfortunes. It should be the rise of Doncic.
During these first two games in the playoffs against the Clippers, Doncic is averaging 35 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists on 51 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He has the Mavs playing as close to perfect basketball as they need to, especially against a team as talented as the Clippers are. Here’s what’s most impressive to what Doncic and the Mavs are doing against the Clippers – it’s not like Kawhi Leonard or Paul George are playing particularly bad.
In fact, in Game 2, George and Kawhi combined for 69 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists on 60 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from 3-point range. Still, it wasn’t enough as the Luka show went on.
If that wasn’t the sign you needed, I’m not sure what is. This series should not be about what Kawhi and George aren’t doing; they’re playing at a high level. The story so far in this series should more be about what Doncic and the Mavs are doing.
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Luka Doncic is beginning to create his own playoff legacy. It’s just a shame that it looks like it’s going to come at the expense of the Clippers.