Luka Doncic has become an All-NBA player so early in his career that it’s easy to forget that his star Dallas Mavericks It will only be 24 next month. It’s very rare to see a young player enter the MVP conversation and face the expectations of becoming a champion so quickly.
There is at least one guy who can relate to Doncic’s experience: Lebron James, of course. He entered the league right after school, and from the fourth year of his career he was already a leader Cleveland Cavaliers to 50 regular season wins and earning multiple MVP votes.
And then came the “Decision”.
James ended his early tenure in Cleveland with a disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2010 playoffs. He said the infamous line “I’ll take my talent to South Beach”won his first two rings as a member of the Miami Heat and left the Cavs in the basement of the Eastern Conference before returning to the team in 2014.
Doncic has a bright future ahead of him, as do the Mavs as long as he wears his jersey. However, if Doncic and Dallas consistently fall short like James and Cleveland did in the mid-to-late 2000s, they could be headed down an equally dark path.
How can they avoid this fate? I see three lessons to learn from LeBron James’ early years in the NBA.
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Lesson one: Don’t assume a guarantee of success
The Mavericks took a big step forward last season, breaking the 50-win barrier and punching a ticket to the Western Conference Finals. Doncic was spectacular in 15 playoff games, averaging 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists.
In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the Cavaliers went 50-32, finishing in the top three of the East each season. James led Cleveland to the Finals in 2007, but the Cavs didn’t have enough pieces to take on the mighty San Antonio Spurs.
This seemed to be just the beginning of James’ unstoppable dominance. And while Cleveland topped 60 wins in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, it never reached the NBA Finals again. As James and the Cavaliers learned, there are always other contenders down the road.
Doncic and the Mavericks met the Los Angeles Clippers in back-to-back seasons before being eliminated by the champions in 2022. Once again, going through the entire Western Conference will be a tall order.
Beyond 2022-2023, teams like the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Pelicans and Warriors should be in good position to compete. That means the Mavericks can’t afford to remain dormant (more on that later).
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Second lesson: no one can do it alone
Doncic can control the offensive tempo of a game like the conductor of an orchestra. Point to the defender you want, get to your preferred spot on the pitch and score, or launch a perfectly timed pass to an open teammate.
As Michael Pina of The Ringer recently pointed out, Doncic is “building from pick-and-rolls, one-on-one plays and handoffs more efficiently and at a higher intensity than ever before”. It seems almost silly for Doncic to give the ball to someone else when the numbers tell him to do it all himself.
But a person can only take one team so far. Just two of the 20 highest scoring seasons in NBA history ended with trips to the Conference Finals (James Harden in 2017-2018 and Doncic in 2021-2022). None of the players listed below reached the NBA Finals in those seasons.
| pos. | Player | % usage | Time | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. | Russell Westbrook | 41.65 | 2016-2017 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| 2. | James Harden | 40,47 | 2018-2019 | He was eliminated in the second round |
| 3. | Kobe Bryant | 38.74 | 2005-2006 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| Four. | Luka Doncic | 38.63 | 2022-2023 | ? |
| 5. | John Antetokounmpo | 38.60 | 2022-2023 | ? |
| 6. | Russell Westbrook | 38,37 | 2014-2015 | Did not qualify for the playoffs |
| 7. | Michael Jordan | 38,29 | 1986-1987 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| 8. | Joel Embiid | 38.08 | 2022-2023 | ? |
| 9. | Allen Iverson | 37.78 | 2001-2002 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| 10. | John Antetokounmpo | 37.54 | 2019-2020 | He was eliminated in the second round |
| eleven. | Luka Doncic | 37,39 | 2021-2022 | Eliminated in the Conference Finals |
| 12. | Joel Embiid | 37.18 | 2021-2022 | He was eliminated in the second round |
| 13. | Luka Doncic | 36.77 | 2019-2020 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| 14. | DeMarcus Cousins | 36.50 | 2016-2017 | Did not qualify for the playoffs |
| fifteen. | James Harden | 36,26 | 2019-2020 | He was eliminated in the second round |
| 16. | Dwyane Wade | 36.22 | 2008-2009 | He was eliminated in the first round |
| 17. | Jermaine O’Neill | 36.22 | 2004-2005 | He was eliminated in the second round |
| 18. | James Harden | 36.07 | 2017-2018 | Eliminated in the Conference Finals |
| 19. | Michael Jordan | 35.99 | 2001-2002 | Did not qualify for the playoffs |
| twenty. | Luka Doncic | 35.96 | 2020-2021 | He was eliminated in the first round |
Dallas will play through Doncic and post incredible numbers. Cleveland did the same with James.
However, Doncic and coach Jason Kidd must find a way to take some of the weight off his shoulders. There comes a time when the load is too heavy, even for the greatest players of all time. James needed Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis and other guys to accomplish his goals.
And that brings us to…
Lesson three: make real improvements to the team
During his first stint in Cleveland, James never had a teammate average 20 or more points per game. He relied on Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mo Williams to provide support.
After losing to the Orlando Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers acquired Shaquille O’Neal and Adown Jamison. They hoped O’Neal and Jamison could help James capture that elusive ring.
The experiment didn’t work. O’Neal averaged 12 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game, struggling to stay on the floor due to health and fitness issues. Jamieson was a decent role player, but he was past his prime.
Doncic had Kristaps Porzingis before he was traded last year, but he wasn’t a reliable secondary option due to his inconsistent play and health issues. The Mavericks then watched Jalen Brunson leave in free agency.
Simply put, Dallas’ front office needs to do a better job of building around Doncic. The Mavs can’t go after trades or signings like Shaq’s that get attention but ultimately don’t make a difference.
Not only will the major moves propel the Mavericks to more wins, but they will also show Doncic that the organization is serious about the title chase. If Dallas leaves Doncic alone, ask Cleveland what’s going on.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
