Why Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was happy to let others shine in 2024 NBA All-Star Game

INDIANAPOLIS — With 1:22 left in the first half, a Western Conference 3-point shot attempt missed and Luka Doncic, rather accidently, was there to grab the offensive rebound on the bounce.

The Mavericks superstar’s ensuing slow-motion layup gave him his first points of the night, typifying the ho-hum nature of another easygoing Doncic All-Star performance during the East’s 211-186 victory over the West on Sunday night in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Anyone who hoped Doncic might use the NBA’s biggest non-playoff stage to inject his name more prominently into the end-of-season Most Valuable Player conversation could immediately see that he had no intention of being offensively assertive – as now has been in case in all five of his All-Star appearances.

“People come in here and play 40 minutes, they don’t want to get injured,” Doncic said. “Everybody just gets out of the way. I don’t know how to fix that. I just follow the lead.”

The “highlight” of Doncic’s 7-point, 7-assist, 7-rebound night was his uncontested third-quarter dunk that gave himself four points and cut the East’s lead to 127-105. Hey, no hating: Doncic only has one dunk as a Maverick this season.

Shortly after his dunk, Doncic missed an attempt at the rim, later sheepishly telling TNT during a timeout: “I was feeling myself too much. I don’t dunk, guys.”

After the game, Doncic laughed and said: “On the second one, I was tired.”

Considering that Doncic has averaged a career-high 37.4 minutes while averaging an NBA-best 34.2 points per game and largely carrying an injury-ravaged Mavericks team much of the season, perhaps it was common sense to essentially rest even during his 23 minutes of court time Sunday.

In five All-Star appearances, Doncic has yet to score in double-figures and has totaled 35 points – in other words, one more point than his current season average.

Appearances to the contrary, Doncic says: “Every year I’m excited to be here. All the people you see. The players you share the locker room with. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Fortunately for the Mavericks organization and fans, rookie center Dereck Lively II had more than enough fun for both Dallas representatives together while playing in Friday’s Panini Rising Stars games and attending as many weekend festivities as he could.

In fact, Doncic seemed to get more of a kick out of seeing Lively than anything he personally did this weekend.

“Just a great kid,” Doncic said. “He listens to everybody, never complains. And on the court he looks like he’s played 10 years already in this league, so I’m really happy that he’s on our team.”

Doncic, who turns 25 in nine days, no doubt is one of the brightest stars in the NBA constellation, but when it comes to All-Star games he’s more than content to let everyone else shine.

Naturally this weekend’s center of attention was Lakers superstar LeBron James, at age 39 making his record-breaking 20th All-Star appearance.

James was asked before Sunday’s game whether he sees his potential replacement as the face of the NBA, a mantle he accepted a few years after Michael Jordan’s retirement.

“We have a great home a group of guys in our league right now that playing spectacular basketball and also are being great off the floor, as well,” he said. “But I don’t think you just just say ‘OK, this guy is the next person to be the face’ of anything.

“You have to just let it happen organically and see what happens. But we have some great, great players in this league that can carry anything if they put their minds when they want it.”

As was the case after his previous four All-Star game appearances, Doncic will try to disappear from public view and rest as much as possible before the Mavericks’ season resumes Thursday with a home game against Phoenix.

Dallas has the same record, 32-23, as it did after 65 games in 2020-2021, when it finished 52-30 and made a run to the Western Conference finals.

This Mavericks team has won six straight games and is 3-0 since the acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. It remains to be seen whether this team can gel as seamlessly during the final 27 regular-season games as the ‘21-’22 team after the additions of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Conversely last year’s team, despite the February acquisition of Kyrie Irving, finished 38-44 and missed the playoffs. Does that put more onus on this season’s stretch run?

“Every year is big,” Doncic said. “Every year I want to win the championship. So every year it’s the same goal. I think our team is really good, so we’ve just got to get through the last part of the season with good motivation.”

Perhaps it was rookie optimism, or maybe it was the excitement of his first All-Star weekend, but Lively said he believes the Mavericks have the attention of Western Conference contenders.

“I feel like we’re the darkhorse that everybody doesn’t want to look at,” he said, “but we’re in the back of their minds.”

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.