The stunning decision of the Dallas Mavericks for Exchange Luka Doncic To the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis has shock waves around the NBA. In the time since the news broke out, everyone asks the same question: “Why?”
Why should the Mavericks, less than a year away from a trip to the final, exchange their 25-year-old face of the franchise, which has earned all-nba-honor in each of the last five seasons and on course is a great all time are? This is what Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison had to say in the immediate aftermath:
“I believe that the Ministry of Defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN. “I believe that getting an all-defensive center and an all-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We are built to win now and in the future.”
Exciting Doncic for Davis will certainly improve the defense of the Mavericks. Davis is a five-fold all-defensive Honoree, Elite Rim Protector Currently fourth in the competition with 2.1 blocks per competition and versatile athlete that can extend to the perimeter if necessary. Doncic is now generally considered a liability on that side of the ball.
The most important question is of course whether or not improving the defense is worth losing one of the most talented players in the competition. For all Doncic mistakes, he led the team to the final last season and is an attack for himself. Now he is gone, and the two best players of the Mavericks are both in the thirty. How talented Davis and Kyrie Irving are, neither is able to put the burden that Doncic has throughout his career.
Although Harrison focused on defense in his first statement to the press, there are reports that suggest that the team had other problems with Doncic – namely his poor health and conditioning. Via Dave McMenamin:
The Mavericks were motivated to move Doncic because of his constant conditioning problems, sources told ESPN. There had been considerable frustration within the organization about Doncic’s lack of discipline with regard to his diet and conditioning, which considered team sources as an important factor in its injury problems.
Doncic, who has been sidelined with a calf injury since Christmas Day, has appeared routinely out of shape and has never played more than 72 games in a season. Doncic has weighed no less than 260 pounds per McMenamin this season.
The deal is all the more surprising considering that Doncic had not asked for a trade, According to Marc Stein. In fact, the Mavericks were planning to give Doncic a five -year contract extension of $ 345 million this summer until Harrison reportedly changed course.
Has Harrison made the right decision? The first consensus is no, but only time will learn.