Luka Doncic was sensational on Friday night against the Pelicans. It’s become the norm for the Mavericks rookie, whose play has vaulted him into the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year early into this season.
The Mavericks tried using Luka Doncic as a decoy on a last-second play. Bad idea
Give Luka the ball.
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
This time, Doncic went off for a new career-high. After going for 21 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in a Wednesday win over the Pelicans, he lit New Orleans up again Friday for 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He surpassed D’Angelo Russell as the youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 303 days old) to ever make seven threes in a game. Just look at his highlight reel. The kid is out of this world.
And then Rick Carlisle tried to use him as a decoy when it mattered most
Somehow, someway, Doncic didn’t touch the ball on the final play of the game. After battling Jrue Holiday and going tit-for-tat with Anthony Davis all night, Doncic spent the final Mavericks possession in the backcourt while the Mavericks ran a play for Dennis Smith Jr.
The play appeared to have Doncic serve as a decoy to remove Holiday — New Orleans’ best perimeter defender — from the picture. This has worked many times for other teams in the past.
But Smith never got a shot off before time expired. Instead of giving the ball to their hot hand, the Mavericks went away from it. Dallas lost to New Orleans, 114-112, with Doncic cursing at the sidelines after the buzzer sounded.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle addressed the play call before any media members asked him any questions after the game.
“I take responsibility for the last play,” he told reporters. “That’s on me, the fact that it was unsuccessful.”
Why that last Dallas play wasn’t a good idea
Dallas’ final, unsuccessful play indeed falls squarely on Carlisle’s shoulders. Doncic was shooting 70 percent from three on Friday night. Seven out of 10 from the perimeter. He had already found a way to score on Holiday earlier in the game. Look at it. You go back to this guy.
Instead, Doncic is looking at his coach and coaching staff wondering exactly what the rest of the world is wondering: Why wouldn’t you give your Rookie of the Year and presumptive face of the franchise the ball?
That’s not a mistake you make more than once. When a player as talented as Doncic is as hot as Doncic was on Friday night, you get him the ball.
End of discussion.
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