It's not the best Doncic, he's plagued by a knee injury and his offensive efficiency has declined, but he still averaged 29.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game in the first round of the playoffs, scoring 20+ points in every game, 25+ points in 5 games, 30+ points in 4 games, 20+10 assists in 3 games, and 1 triple-double.
Compared to George and Harden's ups and downs, Doncic has shown his consistency. He can still help the Mavericks win in games where he has a poor hand. Just like the sixth game against the Clippers, Doncic shot 9 of 26 and 1 of 10 three-pointers, and still got 28 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, with a plus/minus of +9.
In poor hand-to-hand situations, Doncic can help his team win by passing, grabbing rebounds, and defending. Of course, there are still some debatable points about Doncic's style of play, such as his penchant for shooting three-pointers, even if he doesn't shoot his three-point percentage well, and sometimes he shoots three-pointers a little haphazardly. If Doncic can cut back on those more casual three-point shots, he'll be a more dangerous player in the game.
Doncic and Irving have become more and more tacit this season, and Irving has positioned himself as Doncic's helper, just like he did when he played next to James.
Irving had success alongside James, becoming a championship guard and making spectacular three-pointers in the Finals. But at that time, Owen was still a little young and vigorous, hoping to go outside and lead the team to success. It's a pity that he went through a series of twists and turns after leaving the knights, and his reputation was greatly reduced.
After joining the Mavericks last season, the team's record slipped all the way and finally missed the play-offs, and Irving fell into a career low. Doncic has also been questioned. Will the two of them be able to get along?
This season, the Eastern European duo have completed their run-in, especially after the introduction of Washington and Gafford have steadily improved their results. Doncic and Irving admire each other.
'I always talk about his resilience and I talked about how important he is to our team during the regular season and how proud he is to protect himself. When he doesn't feel 100 per cent, he still plays, and even though he doesn't feel well, or he doesn't get back to 100 per cent, he's still able to lead our team in his own way. Irving praised Doncic's resilience. In the first round of the playoffs, Doncic has been playing with a knee injury.
Irving also admits to playing a second-in-command role, with Doncic being the team leader: "He's always been aggressive, he's leading this team, it's easy to work with players like that. When you play with such a special player, it's easy to feel like you're in the second place, but there's no big boss and no second boss, we're a team, we win and we fail together. We are one and everyone has their own role to play, which is to be the best version of themselves. ”
Doncic trusted Irving immensely, and after Game 6 with the Clippers, Doncic revealed that Irving told him at halftime that the second half would erupt. Doncic was very cooperative to concede more possession, which resulted in Irving scoring 28 points in the second half. "It's amazing. He's trying to get into shape. He said to me, 'I'm going to have a blast. I never doubted him. It's amazing to see him do that. Doncic said.
Doncic also mentioned that playing with Irving was a pleasure: "It's a pleasure to work with him and play with him. In any case, he always brings positive energy, without the slightest negative energy, which is very helpful to us. This energy helps everyone. We are very happy to have him. ”
The Eastern European combination has made a name for itself, and they are expected to become one of the legendary combinations in the league, just like the original Cavaliers Zhan Ou combination, just like the current Lakers Zhan Mei combination and Nuggets Yomu combination.
Of course, Doncic will also face a test next, and against the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, Doncic and Alexander are destined to be constantly compared. The Mavericks became the dark horses of the West, with the first round under the gram, and the second round against the Thunder, who were the first in the West, they were on the next gram again?