Luka Doncic is a do-it-all machine for the Dallas Mavericks, but one thing he’s struggled with throughout his career in the NBA is achieving a battle-ready physique. While Doncic is capable of putting together mouthwatering stat lines on a nightly basis, people are still wondering just how much more damage the Slovenian superstar can do and how high the ceiling could it get for the Mavs if he actually shows up at the start of the season looking like a Michaelangelo sculpture.
We are probably about to find out the answers to those questions based on how Doncic is looking right now.
Well, he’s not exactly Nate Thurmond there, but that’s the best Doncic has looked so far.
Speaking of ceiling, the Mavs can still use an upgrade in the frontcourt. Dallas made some moves to address their need for muscle in the offseason, as the team traded for Grant Williams and Richaun Holmes, reunited with JaVale McGee, and acquired rookies Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, but it still feels that Dallas’ frontcourt is lacking a clear and reliable answer for their troubles in the middle. It’s also why Clint Capela keeps on hearing his name in rumors linking him to the Mavs, who were just 29th last season just 21st and 30th in defensive and offensive rebounding rate, respectively.
Lively is an intriguing asset for the Mavs, but there’s no telling until he plays a bunch of games in the NBA that he can turn into the long-time solution to Dallas’ center woes. The Mavs need an immediate impact player to play in that position, and none of Holmes, Lively, and McGee scream of Eureka.
At the end of the day, the Mavs will go as far as where Doncic takes them. Even with Kyrie Irving returning to Dallas, Doncic is the real barometer of the Mavs. And if Doncic’s effectiveness is the single most important key to Dallas’ success, then Mavs fans should feel ecstatic over the idea of what the weighing scale currently says about the superstar.
