The Dallas Mavericks are on a four-game winless run after losing to the Utah Jazz on Thursday because of a costly defensive mistake. Former NBA center Brendan Haywood believes they can turn things around, but it starts with their franchise star Luka Doncic . According to the one-time NBA champion, Luka Doncic ’s conditioning is holding him back to become the best player he can be.
“The biggest problem is that Luka has been playing his way into shape. Luka’s scoring average is down, but more importantly, it’s the percentages,” Haywood explained on NBA TV. “When you watch the games, you can see that he’s not there yet conditioning-wise.
” “When Luka’s playing better, this team is going to take off. And we know he’s going to play better because that’s who he is. He’s one of the best players we have in this league.
I think Dallas can definitely turn it around because they’re very talented,” he added. Luka Doncic has yet to miss a game for the Dallas Mavericks To be fair to Luka Doncic, he hasn’t sat out a game for the Dallas Mavericks this season, despite being banged up early. The five-time NBA All-Star continues to lead the team in scoring at 29.
3 points per game , but he’s only shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from three-point land.
Dallas may have to consider giving Doncic the night off here and there because his nagging injuries can add up over time. Last season, he made 70 regular season appearances and competed in 22 playoff games, leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals run since 2011 . This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.
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'He’s Not There Yet' – Former Dallas Mavericks Center Cites 1 Huge Luka Doncic Problem as the Reason Behind the Team’s Lackluster Start
The Dallas Mavericks are on a four-game winless run after losing to the Utah Jazz on Thursday because of a costly defensive mistake. Former NBA center Brendan Haywood believes they can turn things around, but it starts with their franchise star Luka Doncic.