Dallas Mavericks reliance on Luka Doncic on full display in loss to Jazz

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Utah Jazz 108-100 on Saturday night without Luka Doncic. The 23-year-old superstar sprained his left ankle in Thursday’s road win over the Suns. Doncic has a “mild sprain”, and he is only expected to miss a few games, but the Mavs need him back as soon as possible. They are now 0-6 without Doncic in the lineup this season.

Spencer Dinwiddie did his best Luka impression on Jan. 28 as he finished with 35 points, four rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block in 42 minutes of action. He was 11 of 23 from the field, including hitting six 3-pointers and making seven of his ten free throws. Dinwiddie took over as the primary creator, and he was forced to carry a massive workload in Salt Lake City. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd has nowhere else to turn with Doncic injured, but that workload is unsustainable.

The Mavs scored just 100 points, despite making 18 3-pointers and shooting over 39 percent from deep. Dallas needs Luka’s scoring and playmaking, and their issues without their superstar were on full display on Saturday night.

Dallas Mavericks' reliance on Luka Doncic on full display in loss to Jazz

Luka is the team’s offensive engine, and he carries a gigantic workload. The Mavs rely on him to get into the paint and create open looks for others. Dallas plays slow and rarely turns the ball over as Doncic dictates the pace and tempo of the contest. The Mavs are Luka's team, and that was clear on Saturday night.

Without number 77, the Mavs shot 43.8 percent from the field, but 46 of their 80 field goal attempts came from 3-point range. Dinwiddie is the only player that can attack the paint and get easy buckets. If he gets shut down, the Mavericks' offense can stall out quickly. Most of the other players in the team's rotation are just catch and shoot options. The Mavs desperately need another creator to complement Doncic and Dinwiddie.

Dallas only took 80 field goals on Saturday night, and they committed 14 turnovers. The Mavs take the fewest field goal attempts per game this season at 83.1, but the second-most free throws at 26.4. Both were down in Utah as Dallas had just 17 foul shots.

The Dallas Mavericks need Luka Doncic back ASAP, and they reportedly won’t have to wait long. The 23-year-old superstar is expected to return in one of the team’s next two games. Do not be surprised to see the organization hold him out on Monday night against the Pistons, so he can have a full week off before facing the Pelicans on Feb. 2. Stay tuned for the latest.