The keys and the danger of the best Luka Doncic

• NBA Standings

The

coach calculates that by

we will know if

is human.

The team lost its second sword this summer, and instead of signing another player to relieve the Slovenian, he has made the universe revolve around his star even more.

If it's working, it's because Doncic is one of the best attackers of the modern era and his numbers at the start of the season refer to supernovae like the first

.

And if there is a danger of collapse, it is because rarely has a player supported so much weight.

Notice

It came last week, after the Mavs lost to the Wizards in a bad game by Doncic.

Last season, the Slovenian led his team to the conference final and then played in

.

That gray encounter, said the technician, was part of the bill.

The signal that the rest had to lend a hand if they did not want to burn their star in two months.

"When all the rivals go after you in defense, and they also ask you to do so much in attack, [all that fatigue]

. If it lasts like this beyond Christmas, it is that it is not human," Kidd warned.

The next game, as if to emphasize the problem, the Mavs beat Portland with

from Doncic.

And this Wednesday, in the first absence of the Slovenian this season, they lost to the Rockets, one of the worst teams in the NBA.

The center of the universe

Luka Doncic plays such a central role in the Dallas attack that already in its early days the prestigious analyst

used the term 'heliocentrism' to refer to that system where everything revolved around its star.

And that trend is even greater this season because, when they lost

, a point guard who could 'unload' him with the ball and take over scoring, they didn't look for a replacement for him.

On the contrary, they doubled the bet on the path that has worked best: load the weight on Doncic.

The decision is logical because the Slovenian is one of the best generators in the

.

Very few players have that level of passing, dribbling and shooting, a mixture of talent, physicality and creativity that subdues defenses.

Doncic is the top scorer in the NBA (

), but also one of those who generates the most with his assists (20.3).

In total, of the

that Dallas scores with him on the court, he is responsible for 54.6.

The result is very good, but the dependency is extreme.

Doncic is playing more than ever (over 37 minutes a night) because the Mavs still can't find a way to live without him.

And without Brunson, with Spencer Dinwiddie more comfortable as a secondary than in command, the responsibility falls on the Slovenian.

A look at the advanced statistics helps to deepen the diagnosis.

unstoppable in attack

The offensive use measures how many attacks from his team each player finishes when he is on the court (a shot, a few free throws, a turnover).

In short, how much weight does it take on?

Last year, Doncic already had one of the five highest records since the NBA has data (1996), but this year it is even higher.

Above the Slovenian (37.9%) are only

from the 2016-17 season, the first without

(40.2%), and

from 2018-19 (39.6%).

He says a lot about Doncic that despite shouldering so much load, he is one of the most efficient players in the NBA.

In other words, the safest option for Dallas is to give him the ball.

The problem is sustaining it for an entire match.

Even more so during an entire campaign.

Or even beyond Christmas, as Kidd said.

Luka Doncic finally took note of the criticism of the state in which he used to start the course ("I knew that the season was unacceptable") and has worked more with his personal trainer.

The improvement is evident, but not even that prevents his performance from going down at the end of the game.

One part is explained by the increased intensity of the defenses in the last quarter, but the other is pure wear and tear.

Since the NBA has records (2013), Doncic is the first player to knead the ball for more than 10 minutes per game.

And in that time he is the one who shoots the most to the basket (23.4 times per night), and the one who attacks the most in clears (8.9);

he is the second most fouled (8.6);

the third that penetrates the basket the most (22.2);

and among the five that play the most pick & roll actions and, new this season, that play the most (and best) post.

More and more often,

and takes him to the post to punish him for size.

That option, timid in the first seasons, has skyrocketed this year and, what is more important, with great effectiveness.

Among the players who average more than one post attack, the Slovenian is the most effective (1.32 points per possession).

no breather

More ball, more shots and more punishment in the paint.

More responsibility, more wear.

Hence, the performance drops in the second halves, and that Jason Kidd launched the notice of him.

The Mavericks coach knows that rival teams look to Doncic because he is one of the

(although he has also improved here) and because it is another way of not giving him a break.

This need to cover him in defense has led the Mavericks to double their commitment to forwards with a more defensive cut, although more limited in attack (shooters).

And that

, the center they signed to replace Jalen Brunson's points, does not enter the starting five so that the system does not collapse.

Although it's him and

, the only ones with the capacity to carry the weight in attack, who can unload Doncic the most, as has been seen in recent games.

So far the formula works.

Luka Doncic is one of the

and the Dallas Mavericks are among the 10 most efficient teams in both offense and defense, and are

with eight wins in 14 games.

The question, as his coach said, is whether he will endure or be human.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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