Dallas Mavericks Need Superstar Impact from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Against OKC Thunder

The Dallas Mavericks' superstar duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving has been limited to underwhelming results in the Western Conference Semifinals. Will that change?

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with Dallas / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY — Entering Game 5 of the Dallas Mavericks' series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they have leaned on a tough defense executing at a high level but have yet to receive up-to-par impact offensively from superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 points in Game 4 personally outscored Doncic and Irving, who combined for only 27 points. Both superstars for Dallas combined to shoot just 10-31 (32.3%) from the floor and 2-11 from beyond the arc, while Gilgeous-Alexander was comfortably getting to short-range spots for pull-up jumpers repeatedly down the stretch. The Mavericks went from leading by 14 points at one point to allowing a 100-96 meltdown loss.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with Dallas / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

While Game 4 was the most extreme of the outcomes, the Mavericks' offensive woes have been an issue throughout the series. Doncic has averaged 22.0 points and 7.8 assists while turning it over 4.3 times per game, shooting 39.0% from the floor and 31.0% from the perimeter. Meanwhile, Irving's been more efficient, but his scoring average has been reduced to 15.0 points per game, shooting 46.0% overall and 35.7% from deep.

Doncic and Irving have competed hard defensively, with Irving's ball pressure against top options even proving to be a difference-maker in crucial moments this postseason. Not to diminish the role of playing hard and impacting the game beyond scoring, but sometimes the game is simple: the best players have to put the ball in the hoop at a high rate.

The goal of building a team that sacrifices shooting in favor of defensive impact was made with the trust in receiving superstar offensive impact from two of the most talented offensive players in the NBA. That must come to fruition, one way or another.

P.J. Washington has led Dallas in scoring for three consecutive games by scoring 25.7 points per game while shooting a blistering hot 50.0% from deep on an average of 11.3 attempts. He's stepped up and answered the call beyond reasonable expectations. It remains to be seen how sustainable that impact can be, especially entering his fourth consecutive robust outing.

Doncic and Irving's theme has been to make the proper basketball play instead of forcing the issue against multiple defenders and living with the results. The Thunder prioritizes loading the paint on them, neutralizing rim rolls, and daring weak shooters to let it fly. Again, this approach hasn't been enough, even for a team that has received uncharacteristically hot shooting from Washington.

“When we both drive it, they collapse the paint, almost five guys, and that’s been difficult for us.,” Doncic said. “We’ve just got to find open teammates.”

In Doncic's case, his step-back 3-point shot hasn't fallen consistently throughout the postseason as he battles through a right knee sprain and recently, also left ankle soreness. He's been highly efficient when finishing at the rim, but the volume of attempts isn't there given the defensive strategy of the opposition. Usually, he can turn to his short-range shot creation—whether a turnaround or one-legged jumper—but the results have been a mixed bag. Making matters worse, his floater touch has been very off compared to his regular form.

The simple high pick-and-roll and isolation approach where Doncic has to attack a loaded paint has translated to great success when the step-back 3-point looks are falling. Unless that comes to fruition, more creativity will be required. If it takes the Mavericks returning to the drawing board and getting creative by design, the time to deploy additional sets or actions in Game 5.

“They’re superstars,” Washington said of Doncic and Irving. “They’re going to figure it out. I’m not worried about them at all. OKC’s done a great job just throwing different things at them: doubles, forcing them to take contested shots, trying to make everything tough for them.”

Irving typically picks his spots and moves the ball when he draws two defenders. The Thunder have dialed up these coverages effectively, knowing he will be patient when sharing the floor with Doncic. They're aggressive in signaling Irving to get off the ball when he's running the bench group, making it challenging to take over the game. Regardless, allowing one of the NBA's most talented offensive players to be neutralized this comfortably in a series is unacceptable. He's scored single figures in two of four games, averaging only 15.0 points entering Wednesday's game.

"We're making the right basketball plays right now. I'm seeing three in front of the ball every time I come off the screen, pretty much blitzing me, pretty much telling me to get off the ball with Luka," Irving said. "They're telling Luka [the same], staying attached to his body, stay aggressive, stay physical. So, when you're in the height of a semifinals playoff series, it's going to be a little bit different than the regular season."

“For us, it's just about picking the right spots and continuing to stay aggressive, making sure we play off each other very well, too," Irving said. "I think sometimes I can help Luka, he can help me and we create easy opportunities for ourselves, and the team pretty much comes along with us."

While Irving's assessment is accurate, there's no doubt about that. However, the issue has become that the Mavericks' offense has largely continued to use a regular-season approach in the postseason while needing superstars to transcend the circumstances. Dallas cannot afford to view superstars doing the "little things" as moral victories, whether after a win or loss. At some point, the best players in the game not playing up to that standard catch up to a team. The Mavericks face that risk if they do not rise to the occasion in Game 5 on the road, facing an energized Thunder team and a home crowd that feels they are on the cusp of a Western Conference Finals appearance.

The Mavericks did have Irving play out of ball screens earlier in Game 4, which resulted in many favorable finishing attempts for play finishers, but that only goes so far. The opposition can naturally adapt throughout a seven-game series where the Mavericks have mostly turned to do standard deviations, like deploying Horns sets, using double drag screens, turning to more Zoom actions, deploying the superstar two-man game at times, or posting up Doncic. Those are already highly scouted solutions that limit the solution to often being simply making shots.

Despite all the circumstances in which the Mavericks faced the increased challenges of combating a Thunder team motivated to avoid facing a commanding 3-1 series deficit, they had a chance to win. They squandered a double-figure lead by scoring only 15 points in the fourth quarter, having no answer for Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch, giving up timely 3-pointers by role players, and consistently poor free-throw shooting serving as painful final blows. Not limiting turnovers was certainly an issue after giving up 19 points due to 14 turnovers, but Dallas shot an "unacceptable" rate of 52.2% with 11 missed free throws in a four-point loss.

"We just got to work on our free throws. We shot 52 percent," Doncic said. "That's unacceptable."

The Mavericks are not panicking, with Irving's message after Game 4 continuing to be even-keeled, with the theme of "just staying poised." His leadership has proven to be impactful throughout the highs and lows that Dallas has experienced throughout his time with the organization.

“I got to give credit to my teammates, they've been carrying not only me but Luka in this series so far," Irving said. "So we're looking forward to games five and six, where this is a telltale sign of whether or not we're going to be that group that gets over the hump or we're going to be one of those groups that look back and sees OKC and kind of living with some of the woulda, coulda, shoulda. 

“We know the position that we're in, we're real about it, I'm real about it. And just got to stay poised and stay peaceful throughout this."

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