Luka Doncic

After a couple of years of taking criticism for his seemingly inconsistent commitment to staying in peak shape during the offseason, Luka Doncic is apparently motivated to prove his doubters wrong.

Doncic's svelte frame is already making waves across social media, and his personal kinesiologist, Anze Macek, said the slights have been a factor in keeping the Dallas Mavericks star working this offseason.

"Luka is a global star. In plain sight. People follow him every step of the way, as far as possible. Therefore, evil tongues also appear very quickly. Maybe they are trying to get to him by commenting on each photo. But that's really not a good way," Macek told SportKlub Slovenija. "He always has an answer. This only further motivates him and drives him forward."

Doncic has been working with fellow Slovenian and Chicago Bulls guard Goran Dragic throughout the offseason as they prepare to represent their country in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament.

"He remains active," Macek said. "I am in contact with him almost on a daily basis. He keeps his shape. He will improve everything during the national team practices where he will prepare with maximum effort."

Doncic admitted to taking too much time off last offseason, which led to him arriving at Mavericks camp out of shape and playing his way into form as the season went along. He reached the apex of his form in the postseason, spearheading the Mavs' surprising run to the Western Conference Finals while averaging 31.7 points per game.

If Doncic can be in playoff-caliber shape at the beginning of the regular season, we could be looking at the 2022-23 NBA MVP.

This just in: Mark Cuban thinks Luka Doncic is very good at basketball.

The Dallas Mavericks governor appeared on the Full Send podcast recently and called Doncic one of the two best players in the NBA.

"Top one or two. He's a beast. He's so good and he's adding stuff to his game this summer. I mean he's gonna come back even better," Cuban said (via Basket News).

Cuban did not say which player he'd put in the conversation with Doncic, likely wanting to avoid a fine from the league office for tampering.

Doncic has been an All-Star and first-team All-NBA selection each of the last three years, putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber resume at the age of 23. He's finished no worse than sixth in MVP voting each of the last three seasons.

The 6'7" guard is coming off the apex of his NBA career, leading a less-than-stellar Mavericks team to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors.

There's little question Doncic is one of the building blocks to the NBA's next generation. Once Cuban gets a more championship-caliber team around Doncic, it's likely the Mavs governor's star player will get recognized in the way he wants.

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was selected as the MVP of the Western Conference Finals in a vote of over 16,000 fans in the Bleacher Report app.

Curry, who was also honored with the first annual Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP Award, averaged 23.8 points, 7.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 threes as the Warriors eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in five games. He shot 43.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Here's a look at the complete voting results from the B/R app:

• Stephen Curry: 67.3 percent
• Klay Thompson: 21.7 percent
• Jordan Poole: 7.2 percent
• Draymond Green: 3.8 percent

Curry was the Dubs' leading scorer in each of the second-round series' first four games, and he dished out nine assists in Thursday night's clincher as Thompson knocked down eight threes en route to 32 points in a 120-110 win.

Luka Doncic led the Mavs by averaging 32 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.6 threes and 1.6 steals in the series, but he didn't have enough support to keep pace with the star-studded Warriors.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr described Curry as "our engine offensively," and the eight-time All-Star said the team's latest trip to the NBA Finals carries a "different vibe" because of his family life compared to the early years of the team's dynastic run.

"It puts it all into perspective, the fact of where we are in our career, we're still playing at this high of a level," Curry told reporters. "Not thinking too far ahead, we want to get the job done in the Finals, but we still have a lot more in the tank."

The Warriors reached five consecutive Finals starting in 2015 and captured three championships over that span (2015, 2017 and 2018).

Golden State's last two seasons were derailed by injuries—Curry was limited to five games in 2019-20 and Thompson missed both campaigns—which brought a brief halt to the dynasty as the team fell short of the playoffs each year.

Fueled by better health, the Warriors returned with a vengeance this season, posting a 53-29 record during the regular season and compiling a 12-4 mark so far in the playoffs.

Now Curry and Co. are four wins away from returning to the top of the basketball word.

With Dallas falling to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday, do the Mavericks need to find another star to pair with franchise player Luka Doncic? Or can the team legitimately contend with a single All-Star after a final-four showing this season?

The danger in seeking another superstar is souring the existing depth and chemistry—similar to the difficult years the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets struggled through this past season. 

The Mavericks are already looking at a big jump in payroll, with Doncic's extension kicking in at roughly $36.6 million next season. Flexibility going forward will decrease, especially with the Jalen Brunson question.

The Atlanta Hawks, who will always be tied to the Mavericks by the 2018 draft-day swap of Doncic for Trae Young, faced a similar situation last year after an impressive conference finals run. The team chose to pay big money to John Collins and kept the heart of its roster together but fell off considerably this past season.

If the Mavericks feel too self-satisfied by their recent success, they might backslide like the Hawks.

That's not to say the Mavericks shouldn't pay Brunson. But pruning their depth for a single star may be a disaster, especially with a ball-dominant guy such as Doncic. Chasing a name such as Bradley Beal could be counterproductive if it pares away Dallas' depth.

The Mavericks should learn from their recent attempt at the two-star model. Dumping Kristaps Porzingis in trade to the Washington Wizards for role players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans made Dallas a better team. That should be the goal instead of straight-up star-chasing.

The Mavericks took a big step forward this season. What they do next is extremely delicate.

       

Paying Jalen Brunson

In July, Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent after averaging over 22 points per game for the Mavericks in the playoffs. What more would a second star bring in terms of scoring? How would Dallas replace him if he left?

Brunson isn't the problem and should be a part of the solution. The tricky part is getting him re-signed when he could be looking for Fred VanVleet money ($85 million over four years, signed ahead of the 2020-21 season). The good news for the Mavs is that very few teams will have the cap space to pay out a salary starting in the $20 million range this offseason. 

Those that could (the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs) are relatively well-stocked at point guard. The Indiana Pacers are too but could pursue Brunson if they're willing to thin out their backcourt via trade (notably Malcolm Brogdon and TJ McConnell).

The Detroit Pistons may be the biggest threat to Dallas for Brunson, with the means and the need. The rest of the league won't have more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception that projects to start at $10.3 million.

The Hawks paid Collins $125 million over five years last summer. If he was "a mistake," he's still an asset Atlanta can look to trade in retooling its roster this offseason. Similarly, an investment in Brunson will keep Doncic's most reliable offensive teammate in Dallas and give the franchise a trade chip down the road if needed.

The Mavericks struggled to score without Doncic and Brunson on the floor together in key playoff stretches. Both are targets for opposing offenses. Finding a way to plug that defensive deficiency may be difficult, but it's one worth attacking. The Mavericks should re-sign Brunson and find the right combination of shooters and defenders to round the tandem.

That's easier to say than do, especially with the Mavericks' books with Brunson back at a big salary.

       

Full Roster, Deep in the Tax

After penciling in Brunson, the Mavericks may already have a full roster of 15 for 2022-23. That's assuming rarely used guard Trey Burke opts into his final year at $3.3 million. The team should also keep its two non-guaranteed players in Maxi Kleber (a key rotation big) and Frank Ntilikina (an inexpensive, young defender).

Internal improvement will come with a healthy Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed the playoffs with a foot injury. Hardaway is a capable scorer, shooter and defender, although his production dipped through 42 games this season.

In June's draft, the Mavericks also have the No. 26 pick, but a late first-round rookie may be unlikely to crack a playoff rotation. Dallas can agree to trade the selection before the draft but cannot execute it until after the pick is made (because of the Stepien Rule).

With the projected roster of 15, Dallas' payroll should balloon to $175 million with a $68 million luxury-tax bill. That's a huge jump from the current non-taxed playoff squad at around $123 million.

The budget should not lead to Brunson's exit, but Dallas will not have a ton of flexibility with a payroll that high. Its lone spending tool of note will be the taxpayer mid-level exception at roughly $6.3 million.

The team also has a $10.9 million trade exception (TPE) for Josh Richardson that expires on June 27, ahead of July free agency. Dallas can't use the TPE to sign a player but can absorb one earning up to $10,965,962 via trade. That additional salary could mean a staggering $51 million increase in luxury tax—it's not a given the franchise will be willing to use the TPE without finding ways to cut significant salary.

      

Trade Market

The Mavericks could try to sign and trade Brunson, but that won't be easy because of the complicated collective bargaining agreement.

Assuming Brunson's next contract starts at $20 million, a massive raise from his current $1.8 million salary, his outgoing value in trade for Dallas would be $10 million. The incoming team would need to have the means to take on Brunson at $20 million. Unbalanced trades can work but aren't easy.

Jerami Grant is believed by many around the league to be available. With Detroit's cap room, the Mavericks might be able to construct a deal with Brunson at $20 million. Dallas would then need to send out at least another $7 million in salary to take in Grant's $21 million.

But if the Pistons can sign Brunson outright, why would they give away Grant? Draft compensation could make a difference. Dallas owes a protected first-round pick in 2023 to the New York Knicks for Porzingis but could reasonably offer two distant firsts (perhaps 2027 and 2029).

While Dallas can offer the No. 26 pick via trade, pre-negotiating a deal with Brunson with a sign-and-trade in June is illegal. Last summer, the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were penalized for arranging sign-and-trades before the July moratorium.

If Dallas keeps Brunson, it could also try to pry Rudy Gobert away from the Utah Jazz, bringing in a defensive anchor. Gobert doesn't space the floor offensively, but he's one of the most generous screen-setters in the league. He's also an expensive choice, due almost $170 million over the next four seasons.

Others to consider might include Collins (Atlanta), Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers), Christian Wood (Houston), Duncan Robinson (Miami) or Richaun Holmes (Sacramento).

The Mavericks have several players on short or reasonable contracts such as Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell, Boban Marjanovic, Josh Green, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss, Burke and Ntilikina. Dinwiddie has a team-friendly deal that pays him $20.2 million next season with a partially guaranteed $21 million in 2023-24. Bertans' contract may be harder to move. 

Hardaway, coming off an injury, may have diminished trade value. Dorian Finney-Smith should be a keeper for the Mavericks (and can't be traded until Aug. 12 after a recent extension).

Dallas' flexibility will be limited moving forward with a sizable payroll. The team has undoubtedly moved into "win-now" territory. That may mean sacrificing draft picks (No. 26, future selections) and paying the luxury tax, but the more important question is how the Mavericks look to use their resources.

If next year's roster has a core seven of Doncic, Brunson, Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, Hardaway, Bullock and Kleber, the team may only need a starting center to replace Powell—preferably one who can protect the rim and space the floor. On paper, that sounds like Turner from the Pacers.

If the Mavericks can't fill those needs in one, then the answer is quality depth with the understanding that any subtractions need to be replaced by equal or better fits.

Finding a generational talent like Doncic is the hardest step in the NBA. Building from here may take significant restraint. Instead of chasing names, the Mavericks need to do the work and find the right pieces next to their young superstar.

      

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic accepted responsibility for the team's Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, which marked the end of the Mavs' playoff run.

Doncic tallied 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists, but he made just 10 of his 28 shots from the field, posted a game-high four turnovers and struggled defensively.

"I don't like losing, especially like this," the three-time All-Star told reporters. "I played terrible."

It was a successful year for the Mavericks, who reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011. They made the postseason six times over the past 10 years but were eliminated in the opening round each time.

That said, there's always frustration when a team gets that close to playing for a championship only to fall short. For Doncic, his offseason focus will be the defensive end.

"I think defense has got to be way better for me," he said. "Honestly, I think I made a huge step this year defensively, but there's so much room for improvement. I've got to be way better there. I think that's one spot that can take us to the next level."

It's fair self-criticism. Doncic graded out positively in FiveThirtyEight's defensive Raptor for the first time in his four-year career (+0.6), but that still ranked a modest 92nd among qualified NBA players.

There's room for improvement, especially after he often became the main target when opponents attacked the Dallas defense in the playoffs.

Doncic still put together a terrific campaign that saw him finish fifth in NBA MVP voting while leading the Mavericks to a 52-30 record.

"If we talk about our season, I'm really proud of this team—everybody, every player, every staff member," he said. "Nobody had us here. But I promise we fought until the end. Congratulations to Warriors. They were obviously the better team. But I'm really proud of this team."

Dallas is set to return most of the key contributors from this season. Trying to re-sign Jalen Brunson, who averaged 21.6 points in the playoffs, will be the top internal task on the to-do list. Getting Tim Hardaway Jr. back from injury will also help.

Beyond that, the Mavs front office will likely spend most of the summer trying to land another star, either via free agency or a blockbuster trade, to help take some pressure off Doncic at both ends of the floor during next season's championship pursuit.

Luka Doncic still believes history is on the table for the Dallas Mavericks.

"I mean, I still believe we can win, you know," Doncic said following Tuesday's 119-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "Swept or not swept, in the end, if you lose, you lose. Don't matter how many we win. We have to go game by game. We're going to believe until the end."

No team in NBA history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, but Dallas took the first step on its home floor.

As he has throughout the postseason, Doncic led the way in the latest victory with 30 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks. Yet it was far from a one-man show, as six Mavericks finished in double figures, including Dorian Finney-Smith (23 points and six rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (15 points, five assists and five rebounds).

Dallas was largely in control during the game, although Golden State made one final run to cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter.

Yet even a return to the game for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins wasn't enough for the visitors to complete the comeback, and Doncic's dunk with just more than three minutes remaining pushed the advantage to double digits for good.

Even with the win, overcoming what is now a 3-1 deficit against a championship-tested Warriors core with two of the next three games scheduled to take place in San Francisco is quite the daunting task.

However, the Mavericks already accomplished one daunting task of overcoming a 2-0 deficit and 3-2 deficit against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns. They won the final contest of that series by 33 points, which MacMahon noted was the biggest margin of victory for a road team in a Game 7 since 1948.

"I just want to win the game and that's it," Doncic said. "We got more to do, you know. This is nothing. We got three more."

The first of those three is Thursday at the Chase Center.            

The Kia All-NBA Teams have been announced, and a pair of two-time NBA MVPs lead the way once again.

Denver Nuggets center and reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic finds himself on the First Team alongside Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP award in 2019 and 2020.

They are joined by newcomer and Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, who averaged a career-high 26.8 points while leading his team to an NBA-best 64-18 record.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic joins Booker in the backcourt for his third straight First Team appearance as well. 

Finally, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum rounds out the First Team this year after guiding the C's to second in the Eastern Conference. He was the catalyst for the team's 26-6 finish down the stretch and averaged a career-high 26.9 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Here's a look at all three All-NBA teams and a spotlight on some of the First Team standouts. 

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All-NBA First Team

Dallas Mavericks G Luka Doncic

Phoenix Suns G Devin Booker

Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

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All-NBA Second Team

Memphis Grizzlies G Ja Morant

Golden State Warriors G Stephen Curry

Chicago Bulls F DeMar DeRozan

Brooklyn Nets F Kevin Durant

Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid

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All-NBA Third Team

Atlanta Hawks G Trae Young

Phoenix Suns G Chris Paul

Toronto Raptors F Pascal Siakam

Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James

Minnesota Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns

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Nuggets C Nikola Jokic

The reigning back-to-back NBA MVP posted 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.

Per Basketball-Reference, he paced the league with 15.2 win shares and a 9.8 VORP (value over replacement player). His 32.8 player efficiency rating also led the NBA.

Jokic did all that despite Denver missing point guard Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season and forward Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar spine surgery) for all but nine games.

Thanks largely to his efforts, Denver finished 48-34 and reached the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.

The four-time All-Star has now made three All-NBA First Teams and one All-NBA Second Team.

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Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo, a nine-year veteran and six-time All-Star, averaged a career-high 29.9 points, as well as 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game this year. The two-time NBA MVP finished third in the MVP voting this season behind Jokic and runner-up Joel Embiid and led the Bucks to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The 27-year-old also won the 2021 NBA Finals MVP and the 2020-21 NBA championship. He has made the All-NBA First Team for four straight years.

No other NBA player has a current First Team streak as long as Antetokounmpo, who had 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the playoffs.

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Suns G Devin Booker

Booker and the Suns finished with the best record in the league at 64-18. The season didn't end on a high note with a tough seven-game loss to Doncic and the Mavs in Round 2, but the three-time All-Star certainly deserves honors for a tremendous year that saw him average a career-best 26.8 points per game.

He and Chris Paul arguably formed the NBA's best backcourt, and the two also guided Phoenix to top four offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, per Basketball-Reference. Overall, it was a great season for Booker, who now enjoys his well-deserved All-NBA team nod.

            

Mavericks G Luka Doncic

The 23-year-old continued to be a force to be reckoned with in his four-year NBA career as he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game for the fifth-seeded Mavs.

He did all that despite the Mavs making a seismic change to their roster and trading big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards midseason.

Undeterred, Doncic easily led the Mavs to the playoffs, where they advanced to the Western Conference Finals after upsetting the top-seeded Suns in Round 2. Luka Magic appeared once again as he averaged 32.6 points in the Suns series.

Doncic is now a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team member who won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award as well.

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Celtics F Jayson Tatum

Tatum has now made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams in his five-year career. Things looked bleak this season after the C's got off to a moribund 25-25 start, but Tatum catapulted the squad to a tremendous finish and the No. 2 seed in the East.

A potentially dangerous matchup with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets loomed in Round 1, but Tatum and the C's dispatched them in a four-game sweep. They then took down Giannis and the Bucks in seven second-round games and currently sit tied at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat.

Tatum's officially broken out into one of the game's elite stars this year, and he could very well be on his way toward leading Boston to its first title since 2008.