NBA Coach Shades Luka Dončić: 'Sigh of Relief' for Mavs Players When Star Is on Bench

While he was a finalist for Most Valuable Player, there apparently isn't a consensus on the extent to which Luka Dončić's presence on the court is a net-benefit for the Dallas Mavericks.

The Ringer's Howard Beck dug into the fact Dončić's on/off splits haven't been what you'd typically expect for a star of his caliber. In that pursuit, Beck interviewed an NBA assistant coach who posited the other Mavs players' breathe a "sigh of relief" to a degree when the five-time All-Star goes to the bench.

"It's a sense of, 'Hey, now we get to play,'" the assistant said. "It's difficult to have any rhythm if you're not touching the ball."

Beck also cited an NBA executive who "observed that Dončić loves to put on a show, and that on some nights it seems like he performs more than he competes."

The 25-year-old is on pace to be one of the most ball-dominant players in NBA history. According to Basketball Reference, his 35.7 percent career usage rate would rank first all time and well ahead of current leader Michael Jordan (33.26 percent).

Some have wondered whether Dallas is too reliant on Dončić, which creates problems in the most important moments of games.

Beck argued the 6'7" playmaker is adapting his game to better involve his teammates and cede some on-court leadership to Kyrie Irving, an assessment to which a different NBA assistant agreed.

"I think he's gotten smarter," they said. "I think his dependency level on his teammates has risen. … Luka can go six straight possessions and then let Kyrie go two. Or he'll go four and then Kyrie goes four. And he's fresh on all the possessions he's going."

That might not be enough to significantly improve Dallas' odds of a winning a title, however. The Mavs beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the first round but suffered a heavy 117-95 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

As much as the team has improved from last year, pointing to Dončić's perceived ball-hogging obscures how the supporting cast probably isn't good enough.