Luka Doncic presently stands as one of a few MVP frontrunners, but will his supporting cast be able to provide more help (@DallasMavs/Instagram)?


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On the heels of a 2022 Western Conference finals berth, the 9-10 Dallas Mavericks are mired in mediocrity despite receiving historically brilliant contributions from superstar point guard Luka Doncic. Emmy Award-winning director Jason Gallagher, now head of production at The Old Man and the Three, triumphantly returns to shed light on what exactly isn’t computing.

4:38-5:14: “I believe that the shooting will improve, but I believe that the Kemba [Walker] move is a result of not having a second playmaker. Spencer is just not that. He is about as good as an X-Factor could possibly be, and that’s what you want. That’s where he thrived last year. But as a reliable sort of playmaking second option, I think that we’re coming to find that he’s just not the decision-maker that Jalen Brunson was. He didn’t have the steadying sort of temperament that Jalen Brunson had.”

12:23-14:02: “You kind of come to this conclusion of ‘Why does this feel more frustrating than before? Why does this feel like a weird stretch?’ Tim Cato tweeted that this is as about as down as he’s seen Mavs twitter in a while, and I think the reason is obviously making the Western Conference finals increases your expectations, but I also think that there’s a level of, you have a generational superstar and, as importantly, you have a core that you’ve invested a lot of time and a lot of resources to developing that still feels like a work in progress. … And I think that that is why fans probably feel frustrated. … I do think that a move has to come. I think anyone but Dorian Finney-Smith, honestly, I’m willing to say goodbye.”

18:19-19:38: “I feel like [Doncic]’s getting to spots that he knows he can score efficiently more often. I used to watch him last season and there were times where I was like, ‘Oh, you’re shooting this shot because it feels like you’re bored.’ … He’s like, ‘I just posted up twice, I guess I could do it again, but where’s the fun in that?’ That’s what it feels like sometimes when you’re watching him. This year it feels like ‘I just posted up twice and it’s working. I’m gonna do it until they do something different.’ … He is just playing on an MVP level, mainly because of that decision-making. It’s just on another level right now.”

24:46-25:41: “The reason why you love this sport is that it’s a puzzle, and if the pieces don’t fit, they don’t fit. Right now, they don’t fit. … I know it’s a little bit of panic talk and I’m not saying blow anything up. I’m not saying do anything. I’m just saying that the answer, for sure, for a fact, is not putting more on Luka. … I mean you’re seeing him insisting on staying in all of fourth quarters and things like that. You have to keep him away, like he will want to be out there for as long as he possibly can. I just think that, you know, if the shots start falling from those role players, the load gets way lighter on him, and then he starts playing better. That is the puzzle that you want to solve.”

38:54-39:01: “Conventional wisdom just says there’s no way [Doncic] can continue this kind of workload and be effective in the playoffs.”

42:21-43:32: “I know that defensively it’s not the best, but I just feel like, you find a way to start [Christian Wood]. He is so clearly the Mavericks’ second-best player right now. … Maybe there’s some annoyance on the coaching staff’s part with the media constantly asking about it, but I don’t know why you even bring him in if it’s not to start.”

48:22-49:24: “What I find to be most fascinating, though, is building around a generational superstar in the modern era, and if the Mavericks have the wherewithal to really understand what that is. … How do you make Dallas an attractive destination? How do you build properly through the draft and then manage a team that wants to play with such a ball-dominant player? There’s so many moving parts there. I really think that you kind of go Lebron-Heat/Cavs, and you kind of give them the keys a little bit. I know that sounds crazy, but it is a generational superstar we’re talking about. You sell the farm and you get one to two big names and then the rest come dying to play.”

Our previous episode with Jason Gallagher:

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Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeod.