Mavs' Jason Kidd Expresses Concern with Luka Dončić's League-High Usage Rate

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić is undoubtedly the engine that drives the team offensively, but head coach Jason Kidd is worried about the change he'll run out of gas.

Per The Athletic's David Aldridge, Kidd said Dončić's usage rate through the early part of the season is a concern despite his youth.

"People will say he's 23," Kidd said. "But, he's human."

Kidd added that he fears Dončić would hit a physical and mental wall by Christmas if he continues at this rate. He also expressed worry about how much Dončić has been hitting the floor this early in the season, noting that those falls will affect him later in his career because "the wood always wins."

According to Basketball Reference, Dončić leads the NBA in usage rate for the third consecutive year at 39.7 percent, which is up from last season's rate of 37.4 percent. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo ranks second at 38.1 percent, but no other player in the league has a usage rate above 36 percent.

Dončić leads the league with 34.8 points per game while also averaging 8.2 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 2.0 steals, all of which lead Dallas. No other player on the team averages 20 points or more. The Slovenian averages 23.9 field-goal attempts per game, 10 more than the second-ranked player on the team.

A major reason for Dallas' heavy reliance on Dončić is the team's lack of a dependable secondary scorer. Jalen Brunson filled that role last season, but he departed the team as a free agent to sign with the New York Knicks. Veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and offseason acquisition Christian Wood are the Mavs' top offensive options behind Dončić, but neither of them has proven to be a difference-maker.

While Dončić has been dominating so far this season, the cracks are already beginning to show. He was held under 30 points for the first time on Wednesday night in a surprising loss to the Orlando Magic, which dropped the Mavs to 6-4.

Dallas will have to figure out a more efficient offensive game plan if it doesn't want Kidd's fears to come to fruition. The Mavs can get a start on figuring things out when they return to action on Thursday against the Washington Wizards.