Luka Doncic has been struggling for the past few weeks, shooting poorly from three and from the free throw line. However, just as a small amount of heretical doubt was creeping into my mind, he comes back at me with this big-time triple-double that erases any fears about him slowing down as the season comes to its close.
However, the triple-double was not perfect. If you’re a hardcore Doncic nuthugger, I advise you to skip the following paragraph for your own safety:
Doncic needed 26 shots to score 29 points. He was 1-of-7 from three. He missed a potential game-tying free throw which would have allowed his second free throw to be potentially game-winning (the Mavs and Pelicans instead went to overtime, where the Pelicans won). The triple-double was only achieved because of two free assists at the end when the game was basically over. That’s a long list of negatives, and while it was, in the end, outweighed by the positives of his game, it still shows us that he is struggling with the grind of a long NBA season.
Okay, Doncic nuthuggers can come back now. I will presently resume my fawning adoration of our favorite Taco-Bell-addicted Slovenian.
There’s no taking the ROTY of the year award away from him at this point. He could lose every game remaining this season while shooting 30% from the field, heck, he could not play in any more games while Trae Young averages 25/10 and Doncic would still be ROTY of the year. It’s a testament to how good he is that he was able to run away with the rookie hardware so early and so convincingly. Next year: finals MVP? Probably not, but he can definitely be “10th seed in the West MVP”. That’s prestigious too.