Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison offers a blunt take on Luka Doncic’s excessive workload - “There’s games he should be on the bench”
Luka Doncic
© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Mavericks 2022-23 season hasn't gotten off to a great start. After suffering an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons in overtime on Thursday night, the Mavs' record on the season currently sits below .500 at 10-11. After making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, Dallas has some serious issues to fix if they want to make a similar playoff run this time around.
Mavs GM Nico Harrison has an interesting take on Doncic's workload
While the Mavericks aren't winning, it certainly is not star point guard Luka Doncic's fault. Doncic has been on an absolute tear early this season, as he leads the league in points per game with 33.6 while also picking up 8.7 rebounds and assists per game. Despite Dallas' struggles, Doncic has emerged as the frontrunner for the league's MVP award.
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Doncic is also leading the league in minutes per game at 37.6 minutes right now, which is just another example of how reliant Dallas is on their star guard. Doncic's workload is an issue that has popped up as a concern for the Mavericks, considering the season is still young, and Mavs GM Nico Harrison offered an interesting take on the topic that could raise some eyebrows across the league.
"Really, it just comes back to us doing what we're supposed to do in terms of making shots. Honestly, it's really simple. If we make shots, there's games he should be on the bench and not having to play. When he's in the game, he's going to have a high usage rate. That's just the nature. But we could make it easier on him by finishing and making shots for the team. I think if you look at last year, we probably were doing the same thing, so in that regard, it's not surprising, but it all turns around. Law of averages, they all equal out." - Nico Harrison, The Dallas Morning News
Is Doncic's workload an issue that could come back to bite the Mavericks?
It's certainly noteworthy to hear these comments from Harrison, as Doncic's fitness has been a bit of a concern throughout his career. There have been times when he's appeared winded by the amount of time he's forced to play, and he plays a rather slow style of basketball, to begin with. Doncic is already playing a ton of minutes, and those minutes may catch up to him as the season progresses.
For that reason, it's fair to be a bit concerned with the amount of basketball Doncic is playing in the early going. Yes, he's the only thing keeping the Mavericks relevant right now, but it feels like head coach Jason Kidd may want to change up his rotation a bit to scale back Doncic's minutes, considering it's only December, and this is already becoming an issue.
The easier move would be for Dallas to get Doncic some help on offense so they could give him more rest without hurting their team. After losing Jalen Brunson in free agency, nobody on the Mavericks has fully stepped up to help Doncic handle the offensive burden. And until someone does, whether it be someone on the team or someone from outside the organization, it wouldn't be surprising to see Dallas continue to struggle.
