The Dallas Mavericks are one win away from a trip to the Western Conference Finals. The Utah Jazz have been an underdog all series, but their fighting spirit has given them hope in Game 6 of the first-round matchup. With less than two minutes left and down six, Luka Doncic was thrust into action with his team trailing by three points due to injury concerns. He led his squad back with 16 fourth quarter points as they managed a come-from-behind victory that sends this series back to Salt Lake City for Game 7 on Sunday night
The “where is luka doncic from” is a question that has been asked many times. The answer to the question, is that Luka Doncic was born in Slovenia and he currently plays for Dallas Mavericks.
Many Dallas Mavericks supporters were concerned when Luka Doncic suffered an injury in the last game of the regular season. To say the least, losing their star just before the playoffs isn’t ideal. The team’s dependence on Doncic added to the severity of the injury in the eyes of supporters.
The Mavs, however, did not falter, much to the astonishment of many. Instead, the squad flourished amid the turmoil, with Jalen Brunson taking the lead. With a 2-1 series lead over the Jazz, the issue of Luka Doncic’s comeback looms large: should they hold their star out for the remainder of the series?
In the series against the Jazz, the Mavericks must examine the aggressive Luka Doncic strategy.
Luka Doncic is expected to return from his hamstring injury in Game 4 if you haven’t heard. Initially, the Mavs ruled him out of Game 3 as a precaution, but sources indicated that he was OK to play. As a result, he decided to sit out Game 3 in order to prepare for a Game 4 clash.
However… At least against the Jazz, Game 2 and 3 demonstrated that the Mavs are just fine without Doncic. Jason Kidd seems to have solved the Rudy Gobert code and absolutely destroyed the Utah defense. Dallas has scored a total of 236 points in their previous two games despite being without its star forward.
The performance of their other guards in the rotation is a big part of their success. For the Mavs, Jalen Brunson reverted to his Villanova form, anchoring the attack in Doncic’s absence. Meanwhile, Spencer Dinwiddie has recovered his strength and is once again tormenting weaker guards.
The question is clear, since Brunson and Dinwiddie show no signs of slowing down. Should the Mavs wait for Doncic to return to the court?
To be clear, arguing that the Mavs are better off without Doncic is not a criticism on him. The logic for this is simple: expediting his return to the court will prevent any more harm to the Slovenian star.
It’s general knowledge that if you don’t fully recover from an injury, you’re more likely to worsen it. It’s why, unless absolutely essential, athletes avoid playing through an injury. The Mavericks don’t need Doncic’s return just yet, since the Jazz have yet to come up with a viable lineup. If he sustains another injury, their postseason hopes will be over.
If the Mavericks think benching Doncic against the Jazz is too risky, they may steal a leaf from their conference rival’s playbook. Stephen Curry is now coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors as he heals from an injury he received during the regular season. The Mavericks would be prudent to do the same with Doncic, since bringing him off the bench enables you to limit his minutes while still having him available in case the game becomes close.
Of course, the Mavs could just clear Doncic to play in Game 4 in his customary role. That way, he’ll be able to get back into game form before the next series begins. Brunson and Dinwiddie’s outstanding performance, on the other hand, has cleared the way for this club to obtain a completely healthy Doncic AND win a first-round series without taking too many chances.
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