Luka Doncic's Defense Praised by Dallas Mavericks After Playoff Win vs. Clippers

Teammates laud Luka Doncic's vital defensive role in the Dallas Mavericks' 96-93 Game 2 victory over the LA Clippers.

Apr 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks evened their playoff series with the Los Angeles Clippers at one game apiece, largely thanks to a renewed defensive focus led by superstar Luka Doncic. His teammates praised his significant but often underrated contributions on that end of the floor following their 96-93 victory in Game 2.

Despite his reputation as an offensive juggernaut, Doncic has been steadily improving his defensive game, a point of pride for the 6-foot-7 guard who often finds himself matched up against some of the league's best, including Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook.

“I accept it,” Doncic said regarding his defensive responsibilities. “It gets me going on the defensive end, too. If they want to attack me, that’s fine. I think I played good defense today. I just got to stay locked in.”

Apr 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Teammate Derrick Jones Jr. praised Doncic for facing the challenge head-on, especially given his offensive workload. However, Jones emphasized how Doncic has been a good defender throughout the season and it's something that has gone overlooked by observers.

“You can’t just say somebody isn’t a good defender because somebody’s gotten by them when they’re playing defense,” Jones said. “It’s happened to me plenty of times, and I know for sure that I’m a great defender. Luka has been doing great all year long, and I hope he keeps it going. People have always said that he’s not good defensively, but I haven’t seen that at all. Yeah, he has lapses. I’ve had lapses too, and players have gotten by me as well.”

Maxi Kleber also commented on Doncic's defensive acumen, emphasizing his basketball intelligence and instinctual play. While a few isolated plays from a game may get picked out to discuss Doncic's defensive contributions negatively, Kleber emphasized how exhausting his offensive workload can be, making it understandable for potential instances.

“He's a high IQ player who understands where to be, even on the weak side, positioning himself well," Kleber said. "Obviously, he handles the ball a lot on offense, which is exhausting, so he might not always be able to give 100% on defense. But if he's giving about 80%, that's a huge benefit and really helps everyone else."

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd emphasized the importance of Doncic's defense, noting that his effort sets a tone for the entire team.

“We all know when he’s playing at that level, his teammates have to step up, too," Kidd said. "They understand the responsibility of their leader. He’s going to play defense and participate — they have to be able to do the same thing.”

The Mavericks' defensive strategy, which effectively stifled a Clippers team that finished the regular season sixth in the NBA in field goal shooting, was instrumental in their Game 2 win. The Clippers were held to just 36.8% shooting from the field, their lowest of the season.

As the series shifts back to Dallas, the Mavericks' collective defensive effort, led by Doncic's willingness to take on defensive challenges, will continue to be critical. With the support of his team and the coaching staff's strategic adjustments, Doncic's defensive role remains a key storyline as the Mavericks aim to capitalize on their home-court advantage in the upcoming games.