Yahoo Finance Dallas' Luka Doncic struggling early amid shooting slump: 'Luka doesn’t have his rhythm yet’
It’s been a tough start to the season for Luka Doncic — especially from behind the arc.
Doncic, who has led the Dallas Mavericks to just a 1-3 start to far this year, has gone a horrendous 2-of-21 from the 3-point line through four games. That’s less than 10%. Even Cleveland Cavaliers big man JaVale McGee has made more than him.
“I don’t know [what the issue is],” Doncic said Thursday, via The Dallas Morning News. “I just think my legs [are] really tired. But it’s not an excuse.”
‘Luka doesn’t have his rhythm yet’
Though he’s still averaging nearly 24 points a game and dropped 32 in their season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns, Doncic knows he has a lot of work to do.
Many considered him to be the favorite to win the league MVP award coming into the year, too — which makes sense considering he put up 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists last season, just his second in the league.
“Obviously I’ve got to do way better,” Doncic said, via The Dallas Morning News. “I’m 21 in my third season, and I can improve so much. I can still prove so much, so I’ve got to work on those shots every day and if you work on it, they’re going to fall in eventually, so that’s my point of view.”
Despite his struggles — Doncic mustered just 12 points in their 118-99 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night — neither Dallas coach Rick Carlisle or Doncic’s teammates seem concerned.
Carlisle said Thursday that “it’s clear Luka doesn’t have his rhythm yet,” and teammate Maxi Kleber knows Doncic can work whatever shooting bug he’s dealing with out of his system eventually.
“Everybody’s going to cheer him up and tell him to keep pushing because we’re his teammates, and everybody supports each other,” Kleber said, via The Dallas Morning News. “But I don’t think he necessarily needs it. He has a winning mentality, a winning mindset and every day in practice, he goes hard.
“Guys like him are going to have stretches like that too, but he’s an All-Star, he’s a superstar, and he will bounce back. I don’t think we have to worry about that.”
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