Nikola Jokic-Luka Doncic comparison gets bold Mavericks take from Chandler Parsons
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The Dallas Mavericks have been feeling it ever since Luka Doncic went down with a calf injury. However, former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons isn’t a fan of what he is seeing. He explained on the Run It Back Show on FanDuel TV how much worse the team looks without Doncic than with him.
“It’s like taking Nikola Jokic off the Nuggets,” Parsons said. “The Mavericks are drastically worse; they are not that good of a team without Luka Doncic.”
Making a Jokic and Doncic comparison isn’t for the faint of heart. However, it comes off as a bit disrespectful to Dallas. They have Kyrie Irving, who’s been playing at an elite level, with or without Doncic. Still, losing a top scorer and playmaker isn’t easy for any team to do.
Following Monday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, many people have their alarms on for the Mavericks. They think it’s a cause for concern. Despite those claims, Dallas is sitting at a 23-20 record. They’re balanced across the board in terms of scoring, defense, offensive, and defensive ratings.
Chandler Parsons’s claim about the Mavericks, Luka Doncic isn’t justified
Although Doncic’s impact is felt across the board, it seems like a jab towards other players who aren’t Irving. However, they’ve stepped up in a big way. For example, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford set a new career-high in points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
He’s been their shot-blocking center, who has subsequently improved his offensive game. There’s more patience, control, and savviness around the basket. While it hasn’t been the perimeter game that’s stood out, head coach Jason Kidd is making the most of what he’s got.
Not to mention, defenses are loading up on Irving, because of Doncic’s absence. They’re double-teaming him when gets the ball, when he comes off of a screen, and in other ways as well. Teams want guys like Gafford to beat them. Still, those players have risen to the occasion.
It’s no secret that losing an All-NBA and MVP candidate will make a team look weaker. It’s made the Mavericks look weaker. But saying that they’re not that good of a team is disrespectful to the coaching staff, and the players. At the end of the day, former players are on the outside looking in. They don’t know all of what’s going on at practices, and film studies, among other things.
Dallas will hope to have Doncic back soon. In the meantime, they can still rely on players to step up in his absence.
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