The Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers share something in common.
All three are out of the playoffs, as the Lakers and Doncic were eliminated on Wednesday. Los Angeles fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 130-96. Last season, Doncic was in the NBA Finals, and now, he is done in five games.
So, what was the problem? For starters, the Lakers weren’t the Mavericks. Dallas has a two-headed center rotation with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Both players excelled when Doncic ran the point. The Lakers lacked a dominant big man, as they struggled against Minnesota. Los Angeles was outrebounded in Game 5 by 17 boards and allowed 56 points inside the paint. They were missing the Mavs’ secret recipe, which helped make Doncic successful as the offensive hub.
Another Lakers issue was trust and minutes per game. Coach JJ Redick played a part in the issue; he forced his starters to play all 24 minutes in the second half of Sunday’s game. Basically, Redick did not have much faith in his second unit to help lead the way. It’s possible this could have taken a toll on Doncic. He played 46 minutes in Game 4, and he clearly wasn’t himself toward the end of the series.
Last postseason, Doncic averaged 40.2 minutes per game against Minnesota. Coach Jason Kidd even had Doncic play 37 minutes in the team’s Game 5 blowout win. His minutes per game were a bit lower in Dallas because Kidd trusted the team’s bench. The Mavs had valuable role players like Lively II, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum who could come in and make an immediate impact.
This is the difference between Doncic’s current and former teams. Last season, Dallas dominated Minnesota in the playoffs. They defeated the Timberwolves in five games, as the first two games were decided by three points or less.
Dallas’s bench and defense were the difference makers. For example, Lively II had a dominant Minnesota series coming off the bench. He averaged 9.5 points per game and 7.8 rebounds against the Timberwolves. Hardy, too, had an impact in the series. He averaged 7.4 points per game and shot 60 percent from the 3-point line. Simply, the Mavs’ bench did its part in helping Dallas make the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
The Mavs’ defense also did its part. Against Minnesota last postseason, Dallas did an excellent job using their double team to force the Timberwolves into difficult shots. It was evident the Mavs came to play, as Minnesota shot 31 percent from deep in the series. They also cut off the T-Wolves’ passing lanes and limited Rudy Gobert’s production. Gafford and Lively II excelled inside, as they made things difficult for Gobert. They played a key role in limiting Gobert’s rebounds per game and getting Dallas second-chance points.
The Lakers, on the other hand, struggled to contain Minnesota inside. The Timberwolves recorded 54 rebounds, 56 points in the paint, and five blocks in Game 5’s series-clinching win. Gobert was the team’s enforcer, as he recorded a double-double with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Los Angeles’ constructed roster was no match for Minnesota. They lacked depth and size, as they got bullied down low.
The duo of Doncic and Lebron James couldn’t do it alone, as their bench play was non-existent. It was obvious they needed all the help they could get and the two of them wouldn’t cut it. They were poorly outmatched compared to the 2024 Dallas Mavericks’ squad.
Last year’s Mavs would likely dominate the Timberwolves. The team powered through last season, as Minnesota had Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. However, without Towns this season, Dallas could easily dominate the series, assuming Doncic is still with the Mavs.
So, in simple terms, Doncic was better off with his former team. The Mavericks had the perfect team to take down Minnesota once again. They had the size and defense to take down the Timberwolves in five games or fewer again. All that stood in the way was Nico Harrison’s ego. If Doncic were still with the Mavs, no telling how far the team might have gone.
