Luka Doncic is inevitable
The young star is completely unstoppable on offense, even by a top-tier defender.
Good morning. Let’s basketball.
Boy Carrying a Sword, Edouard Manet
Kawhi Leonard had a spectacular Game 2 in the Mavericks-Clippers series … on offense. 41 points on 14/21 shooting, getting to the line and hitting threes all the same. This was really a masterpiece effort on that end.
On the other, Luka Doncic cooked him. Though in fairness Luka, who finished with 39-7-7, cooked everyone the Clippers threw at him. Per NBA.com tracking data, Luka was guarded by Kawhi and Paul George most frequently. In those 21 possessions, he scored 17 points on 7/13 shooting. The numbers look better for Patrick Beverley; the reality does not. By the end of the game, it looked like Luka wanted to find PatBev and put him into the stanchion.
So long as Luka can do this and the rest of the Mavericks shoot well (non-Luka Mavs were 13/21 from three in Game 2), the Clippers defense simply doesn’t have an answer. If you throw an extra body at Luka, he’ll find the open Maverick. If you let Luka stay one-on-one against any of the Clippers’ defenders — even the generational stopper, Kawhi — stuff like this happens.
On paper, that outcome is preferable to most for the Clippers. In reality, it’s even more demoralizing.
What can the Clippers do here? Hell, I don’t know. The Clippers employ several top basketball minds and they can’t seem to figure it out; I’m not sure how myself or NBA Twitter is supposed to have an answer. But I think it’s a choice the Clippers need to make. On one hand, relying on your superstars (Kawhi and PG) to do the job defensively and challenging them to step up and save the season seems like the straightforward solution.
But given that’s not working, I think you have an obligation to them to just get the ball out of Luka’s hands. Make Maxi Kleber, Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis continue to beat you. Luka had 32 shooting possessions in 38 minutes. Force him to get less, even if that undercuts what should be the Clippers’ strength (having two star shutdown wings). Play Luka like teams play Stephen Curry, even though Luka doesn’t shoot quite like Curry and even though his teammates are more capable of punishing the defense. Letting Luka cook sure doesn’t seem like a path to victory with the series heading back to Dallas.
Of course, he might just pull off stuff like this.
Like I said, there are no good options here.
The next question, of course, is what the Clippers do if they lose this series. I don’t think Kawhi will opt out and sign with another team. But major changes will be required if L.A. intends to chase a championship with this core. Doc Rivers isn’t there to blame anymore. Lou Williams isn’t there to blame anymore. The bubble isn’t there to blame anymore. We’re seeing evidence that against the best players in the NBA — Nikola Jokic last year, Luka this season — this version of the Clippers just isn’t good enough.
Scores
NBA
Celtics 108, Nets 130 (BKN leads 2-0) — Kevin Durant had 26-8-5 with four blocks and played excellent defense on Jayson Tatum (9 points, 3/12 shooting), who only played 21 minutes after getting poked in the eye. By Durant. With no foul called. The Nets offense, meanwhile, is just scintillating.
Lakers 109, Suns 102 (Series tied 1-1) — Chris Paul’s shoulder has left him completely ineffective: he’s clearly uncomfortable attacking off the dribble using his dominant right hand, he’s barely shooting and L.A.’s defense is too good to play 4-on-5. It’s so sad! CP3 was a picture of health this season, then he gets injured in the second quarter of Game 1 of the playoffs? It’s brutal out here.
Incredible defensive work from the Lakers to throw arms and bodies at Devin Booker, forcing him to give up the ball when Phoenix needed to score. Cam Payne and Deandre Ayton did their best and Phoenix should be proud of how they stuck in the game. Anthony Davis and LeBron James both had better games, and that’s a heckuva pair of cards to pull in a tight series.
Mavericks 127, Clippers 121 (DAL leads 2-0)
WNBA
Mystics 85, Fever 69 — Good use of post-game interviews for Ariel Atkins and Natasha Cloud to bring the focus to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Sun 87, Storm 90 — Dominant performance from Jonquel Jones, but Seattle is just crazy deep, even after losing Alysha Clark, Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb.
Schedule
All times Eastern.
Wizards at Sixers Game 2, 7, NBA TV (PHI leads 1-0)
Hawks at Knicks Game 2, 7:30, TNT (ATL leads 1-0)
Grizzlies at Jazz Game 2, 10, TNT (MEM leads 1-0)
Aces at Mercury, 10, CBS Sports Network
Links
Awful! Diana Taurasi has a fractured sternum and will miss four weeks and possibly the Olympics.
Visualizing where stars like most to shoot from relative to other players.
Michael Pina on the Timberwolves organization’s efforts to push forward on racial justice.
More details on the Donovan Mitchell drama from Tony Jones and Sam Amick at The Athletic. ($) It sounds Mitchell’s trainers said he was good to go for Game 1 and the Jazz staff disagreed.
I love so much how the NBA and Turner are rolling out the awards this season. Here’s Julius Randle getting the Most Improved trophy from his 4-year-old son in front of his teammates.
By the way, Randle received 98 first-place votes, 1 second-place vote and … one voter left him off their ballot completely. Jerami Grant just edged Michael Porter Jr. for second place.
Ray Ratto argues that the solution for bad officiating is to stop yelling about bad officiating.
Howard Megdal at 538 on the Liberty’s early shooting triumphs.
Lottery tiebreakers have been broken. The biggest one involves the Thunder winning a tiebreak against the Cavaliers.
In case you’re curious, teams that swept the first two games of a best-of-7 NBA series on the road are 27-4 in those series all-time. Relevant for the Mavericks and potentially the Grizzlies and Hawks.
Ramona Shelburne on the dwindling hopes of a Battle of L.A. happening.
Kristaps Porzingis hit the strip club and got hit with a $50,000 fine.
Interesting piece on the special agony of the All-NBA votes’ impact on player salaries.
And finally: William Rhoden on whether the sports world has forgotten about last June.
Be excellent to each other.