Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic Ripping Apart All Defenses in MVP-Caliber Season
PORTLAND — As the Dallas Mavericks continue to play out the 2023-24 season, teams have become more aggressive with double teams to contain the dynamic impact Luka Doncic continues to provide. With Kyrie Irving presently sidelined due to a right heel contusion, teams are more emboldened to get aggressive with full-court pressure, face-guarding, blitzes, or hard hedges.
"I always accept what defense gives me," Doncic said. "I will look at what they're doing, so I just try to read the defense."
The Portland Trail Blazers put out a different look in the Mavs' 131-120 victory on Saturday, often trying to stay in drop coverage or handle mismatches after switches with single coverage against Doncic. He scored 30 of his 40 points in the first half, totaling 12 rebounds and 10 assists on the night. It was a continuation of heightened recent play, recording his 10th straight game scoring 30 or more points, setting a new career-high for such a streak — averaging 35.6 points and 10.6 assists during this span.
"It's everybody, man, not just me," Doncic said. "All of my team is helping me get to that. In the first half, they just told me, 'Go for it,' because they weren't doubling me. And In the second half, they were doubling me, so we just played out of that."
Teams tend to be afraid to stay in a drop coverage when trying to contain Doncic in pick-and-roll due to how easily he gets to his spots by playing with pace and getting the on-ball defender sealed with hostage dribbles. Between finishing at the rim, throwing a late lob, and getting into a floater or short-range jumper, Doncic has a lot of tools that force the big defender into tough spots.
"When you look at the drop coverage, if you set a screen and hold the screen, [his] ability to shoot the three, the ability to get to the basket, and then being able to be a threat to pass," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic. "I think that's probably one of his favorite defenses."
Again, in the Blazers' case, their defensive approach went from coming out of the gate with blitzes and full-court pressure in their prior matchup eight days earlier with a shorthanded, athletic roster to starting in drop coverage with Deandre Ayton returned from injury. In their recent meeting earlier this month, Portland deployed a much different look than the athletic, small personnel the team deployed.
In a rare opportunity to repeatedly see drop coverage and not have the ball forced out of his hands against mismatches, Doncic lit the Blazers up for 30 points before halftime. As the NBA's most blitzed player this season, the Slovenian superstar has felt more of this coverage applied to him in the past two seasons.
"Not always because before, they didn't double me as much as they do now," Doncic said. "I think in my first season, I barely got doubled, but now I think I've been doubled a lot in the last two years. As much as I'm learning, my teammates are also learning how to play out of that. I think we'll get better and better — we had many open shots today, and it was nice to watch."
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
The Blazers immediately called a timeout after Doncic scored against Ayton in drop coverage on the first possession of the second half. Portland's coach, Chauncey Billups, made his disapproval of Ayton's execution well known, stepping on the court to voice it and having a sideline talk devoid of eye contact. The Blazers adjusted by blitzing often and at least having Ayton play at the level, enabling the Mavs to play out of a 4-on-3 by Doncic hitting the short roller with the pass.
"It's amazing," Doncic said. "I can take some rest, too. So, it's amazing. Like I said, it's 4-on-3 basketball. The court is wide open, so we score a lot of points, and I think we could score more. We have many open shots, and when they double me, I like it."
There were stretches when the Blazers tried to mix up their defensive approach, such as using more switching in the fourth quarter at times, but in the final few minutes, their primary approach reverted to blitzing. A combination of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Markieff Morris were often the screeners throughout the final period, with Morris being the frequent option in the last few games. There was a lob
"We're seeing it every game," Morris said of seeing 4-on-3s. "It's giving us a chance. It's like repeatedly happening over. But, for me, I try to teach, like [Dereck Lively II] and the younger guys, it's like taking a picture before you get in that spot."
Morris connected with Derrick Jones Jr. on a few 4-on-3s in clutch time to ensure the victory. The first play featured working the ball around, resulting in an attack off the catch from the wing for Jones to get to the rim for a finish with 1:58 left to play, with Morris making the final pass from the corner to set it up. The final sequence occurred with Morris positioned near the nail, waiting for Doncic to be blitzed instead of coming up to set a screen, connecting with Jones on a lob on a backdoor cut with 58.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
"On the lob to [Derrick Jones Jr], when I came up, I already knew it was two defenders on the left side," Morris said. "So it's one on one on both sides. So I'm just trying to get a picture and then just having guys be more aggressive in the middle."
Last season, the Mavs relied heavily on the short roller, passing it out to a shooter on the perimeter instead of being aggressive to make a play. Between Derreck Lively II putting the ball on the floor to get to the rim more in these situations, along with him and the other short rollers finding the open man, the team is more capable, including having wings like Derrick Jones Jr. that can cut or put the ball on the floor to score.
"We tend to look for Luka a lot, even when we catch him and we open. So we're trying to preach this," Morris said. "Luka is going to have the ball fifty times a game, if not more, so when you get the opportunity in the middle, go make a play or go score the basketball."
Among the factors Doncic has benefitted from this season has been his improved physical conditioning from the start of the season that he's sustained to this point of the Mavs' campaign. He admitted it's helped him to play heavier minutes without being overburdened despite often seeing aggressive coverages, helping him to step up in clutch time to make plays.
"It is easier," Doncic said. "Lately, I've been playing a lot of minutes, but I'm feeling good. Just out there playing basketball, so I'm feeling great."
As the Mavs continue to build momentum throughout the season, they are gaining even greater opportunities to work on countering Doncic, seeing double teams. The team will have all the more firepower to pick the defense apart when seeing those looks and keep them honest from deploying it as much altogether.
