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Mavericks star Luka Doncic displays biggest weakness in Slovenia's loss to Canada

Noah Weber
Noah Weber

The Smoking Cuban

Canada v Slovenia: Quarter Final - FIBA Basketball World Cup / Ezra Acayan/GettyImages

After a great run in the FIBA World Cup, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic and Slovenia are officially eliminated from the tournament.

It was an uphill battle all tournament long for Slovenia, and Canada was just the better team in their matchup with Slovenia on September 6.

The final score of that game was 100-89, and Doncic finished with 26 points on 8-20 shooting. Doncic was hitting tough shot after tough shot, but it wasn't enough for Slovenia to outduel Canada.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic displays biggest weakness in Slovenia's loss to Canada

The game was tied at 50 apiece at halftime, but the game began spiraling out of control for Slovenia in the second half. Canada got up early in the second half and never let up.

It also didn't help that Doncic got ejected from the game. Doncic received his second technical foul with 6:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, resulting in him getting disqualified.

Doncic was arguing a no-call on one of his post-up attempts that led to a missed shot and immediately sharted chirping at the official when they didn't call a foul. Doncic then did a sarcastic clap and exited the court.

Doncic's complaining with the officials hurt Slovenia (in a game they needed to win to stay alive in the FIBA World Cup), and it has hurt the Mavericks too many times. He always seems too worried about getting foul calls and arguing rather than just playing the game, and it could lead to even bigger problems if it doesn't stop soon.

Doncic is too talented of a player to let his complaining get the best of him, and he has to get himself in check if he wants to reach his full potential. He was on the verge of being suspended for a game towards the end of last season (when the Mavs needed him most), and oftentimes, he complains to the official rather than running back on defense. He has gotten his 16th technical foul (one that leads to suspension) rescinded in back-to-back seasons.

Doncic and Slovenia did seem to not get as many calls as they should have, but that doesn't give Doncic the excuse to complain so much that he got ejected from the game.

If Doncic can't get his complaining down, the Mavs will be in trouble. He has tried different ways to avoid technicals in the NBA, such as cursing at the official in a different language and singing songs to himself, but none of it has helped.

Hopefully, Doncic can mature in this way and keep his complaining to a minimum next season, but that seems like it will be a pipe dream at this point for Mavericks fans.

We'll have you covered with all the latest news and rumors surrounding Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks this summer, so stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.