Luka Doncic unfairly gets slammed for his work ethic after Finals

The offseason has begun for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs' hope of winning a championship was crushed Monday when the team fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 5.

One reason for the team's defeat was their 3-point shooting. Dallas shot 29.7 percent from beyond the arc. Their long-range shooting had become their Achilles heel throughout the series. Overall, the Mavs knocked down 31.6 percent of their 3-point attempts in the Finals, and none of the role players consistently stepped up.

One player who shot well from deep was Josh Green. His long-range shooting and hard-nosed defense proved to be a valuable asset to the team. The Mavs guard shot 66.6 percent from the 3-point line. in the Finals.

Green's shooting was a step up from stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Dallas duo combined to go 5-18 from the 3-point line in Game 5. Even in the team's blowout win in Game 4, the two stars struggled from deep. Both players combined to shoot 1-14 from long range.

Luka Doncic unfairly gets slammed for his work ethic after Finals

However, it's clear to say Doncic's 3-point shooting was not the reason the Mavs lost. The Dallas star averaged 29.2 points per game in the finals. He also led all players with 8.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals.

His performance though was overlooked by some commentators. In a recent segment of ESPN's UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio, host and former NFL player Chris Canty criticized Doncic for his recent work ethic.

"I think Luka Doncic is closer to Kevin Durant than he is Dirk Nowitzki. I bring that up because the Mavs stayed the course with Dirk Nowitzki. They had the failure, they got to the Finals it didn't work out, they were able to get back there eventually, they beat LeBron James and the Miami Heat. "

- Chris Canty.

Now, it's very likely the Mavericks stay with Luka long-term. Next summer, he is due for a massive contract extension. The extension would be the largest in NBA history. So, the idea of Doncic overcoming a Finals loss like Nowitzki is extremely possible.

Canty believes though that Luka's work ethic could hold him back.

"We never questioned Dirk Nowitzki's work ethic, we never questioned his commitment to try and improve his body and his game, in order to contend in a championship round. We never questioned his disposition, his mentality, we're questioning all those things with Luka. "

- Chris Canty.

Canty isn't the first person to openly criticize Doncic. ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst deemed Doncic's defense and whining a concern for the Mavs. He then elaborated on how his attitude toward the game affects the Mavs' chances of winning.

One thing that Canty and Windhorst are forgetting, is that the Mavs wouldn't have made the Finals without Doncic. He averaged 28.9 points per game in the postseason, along with 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists. Doncic also shot 44.6 percent from the field.

The Mavs star had his best performance in the Western Conference Finals. He scored 32.4 points per game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He hit a clutch 3-pointer in Game 2 to help Dallas take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Yet, Doncic did all of this after suffering numerous injuries. He played most of the playoffs with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness. Day in and day out fans would see blood coming out of his knee.

Another big injury came when Doncic took a hard fall in Game 1 of the Finals. Doncic was diagnosed with a thoracic contusion and began taking injections to help ease the pain.

Doncic playing through injuries should speak volume about the type of player he is.

After his up-and-down performance in Game 3, Luka reiterated to the media that he really just wants to win. He did a great job showing that by carrying his team to their third Finals appearance.

Like any other player in the league, Doncic has room for improvement. However, it's hard to question someone's mentality and work ethic when their body is not 100 percent.