Dallas Mavericks: 5 takeaways for Luka Doncic from ‘The Last Dance’

3. Titles take time

It is easy to forget because Michael Jordan did so much winning, but there was a moment when nobody thought the Bulls would win a championship. Jordan was viewed as just an elite scorer. In his first three years, Chicago lost in the first round of the playoffs each time. They made it one round further in his fourth season.

In the next two years, the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons eliminated the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

MJ finally won a ring in his seventh season. After that, there was only one playoff loss with him on the roster. The Magic topped them in 1995, but Jordan only played in 17 regular season games. He had just come back from baseball and was not at his peak.

It takes time for all the greats to lead their team to a championship. It took Dirk Nowitzki eight seasons to propel the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and 13 before he won a title. LeBron James did not win a ring until his ninth season in the league.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks need to stay patient and keep building. The 21-year-old should continue to evolve his game. The organization must locate the pieces to help him reach the pinnacle. Both parties cannot forget it is a process that takes time.

Next: No. 2