The Dallas Mavericks are facing new questions about whether Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis can coexist after their playoff exit. General manager Donnie Nelson has an interesting theory on why he still thinks it can work.
Nelson said Monday that part of the issue is Doncic’s maturation process into a superstar, and figuring out how and when to use his teammates around him. Nelson essentially believes that Porzingis and other Mavericks players will adapt to Doncic, and Doncic will learn when to get them more involved.
Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson was asked about the Luka Doncic/Kristaps Porzingis dynamic. His answer: pic.twitter.com/kMXdX4SXfK
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 7, 2021
It’s an interesting bet, but the pieces didn’t look close to working against the Clippers. Porzingis averaged only 13.1 points per game in the series, and his perimeter game was nonexistent.
Doncic can certainly work with complementary players. Tim Hardaway Jr. had some excellent moments against the Clippers, for instance. Porzingis just doesn’t seem to fit, and it doesn’t sound like he’s happy, either. It may be best for the Mavericks to end that experiment and rework the roster to suit Doncic better.
