Luka Doncic, Mavericks Beat Kemba Walker, Hornets Despite Harrison Barnes Trade
Luka Doncic had a 19-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 99-93 on Wednesday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Kemba Walker had 30 points and 11 rebounds for the 26-28 Hornets. The Mavs improved to 25-28.
Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, who scored 10 points in 26 minutes, was traded midgame to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Luka Doncic Doesn't Need to Score to Dominate
Doncic was the most dominant player on the floor not named Kemba Walker on Wednesday evening, and yet he shot just 5-of-20 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range.
He also had to navigate the game's finish without Barnes, who was the team's second-leading scorer at 17.8 points per game.
The problem other teams have is the mere threat of him scoring is enough for Doncic to make plays for his teammates. Check out how three Hornets converged on the rookie before he dished to forward Dwight Powell for the easy two:
He's also deadly on the fast break, like when he threw this lob pass to Tim Hardaway Jr. for this slam:
Also, the Mavs don't have a traditional big right now with DeAndre Jordan sent to the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis deal. Therefore, Doncic has needed to step up on the boards of late, and he's delivered with 29 in his last three games. He was tied for second on the team with 10 on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old rookie also finished the night with a plus-nine while every other starter ended with plus-one or worse.
Thanks in part to Doncic's efforts, Dallas eclipsed last year's win total of 24 before the All-Star break, and it even has an outside chance at the playoffs with the Los Angeles Clippers four games ahead.
You can make a seemingly endless list with Doncic's accomplishments this season, with the latest being his third triple-double before the age of 20 (or two more than literally any other NBA teenager in league history combined, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN).
But the fact that Doncic can shoot 25 percent from the field, dominate and still lead the Mavs to a victory is one of his most notable feats. It should also be a frightening realization for the rest of the NBA that Doncic could be one of the league's best players very soon.
Hornets Must Trade for Marc Gasol to Have Any Chance for Playoff Success
There is a clear line between the top five and the bottom 10 teams in the Eastern Conference, with a six-game gap separating the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Hornets are just trying to stay alive in the playoff race, as they are just 2.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Detroit Pistons, who are the first team on the outside looking in.
As currently constructed, Charlotte would have a tough time pulling off an upset over the Eastern Conference's elite. The Hornets are a 7-19 road team that would not have home-court advantage in the first round, so unless they pull off a huge upset away from Charlotte, then a first-round exit seems likely.
The problem is the team is far too reliant on Walker, who scores nearly 10 more points per game than anyone else on the team. That's not a huge problem if the team is an offensive juggernaut, but the Hornets are not with an above-average 12th-place ranking in offensive efficiency, per ESPN.com.
Walker needs more help, and that can come in the form of Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who would be a perfect fit in Charlotte.
Per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, "A source close to Marc Gasol says he anticipates ending up with the Hornets." Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium also reported that Gasol did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City for their Thursday road game against the Thunder.
A trade at this point seems inevitable, and that's huge for the Hornets. Through 53 games, the big man is averaging 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He's also hit 34.4 percent of his threes.
Granted, Gasol's situation in Memphis is different than the one he would face in Charlotte, but if you plant those numbers on the Charlotte roster, the 34-year-old would be first in rebounds, second in points and second in assists.
Walker needs more scoring and distributing help, and the Hornets, who are bottom 10 in the league in rebounding differential, must do better on the glass. The top half of the Eastern Conference is filled with proficient big men as well, with the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid chief among them.
Simply put, Gasol is the player the Hornets need to make any sort of playoff push. They'd still be underdogs and must cure their road woes, but the Grizzlies veteran at least gives them a chance.
What's Next?
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Charlotte stays on the road for a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
