Is Luka Doncic doing too much for the Dallas Mavericks?

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is off to a blazing start to the 2022-23 season. He has scored 30-plus in each of the first seven games, and Luka is the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 to accomplish that feat. Doncic is leading the NBA in scoring by averaging 36.1 points per game, but the Mavs are just 4-3.

Their record doesn’t tell the entire story. Dalas has a 117.9 offensive rating, which ranks second in the league. They are also fifth in net rating over the small sample, and Dallas is a few plays away from being 7-0. The stats suggest the Mavericks are a better team than their record.

Is Luka Doncic doing too much to begin the season? He leads the league in scoring and has a historic usage rate after seven games, but the Mavs want to go on another deep playoff run. Is that possible with number 77 doing so much?

Defenses are forcing Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic to beat them

The Mavs won in the playoffs by getting Luka into the paint and kicking out to shooters as the defense was scrambling. So far this season, most defenses have been happy to let Doncic go 1-on-1 as they try to limit his teammates. The results have been Luka going off early in games with teams adjusting late, but the shooters have not touched the ball much making things a bit more difficult for them.

Doncic is making the right plays, and not trying to do too much. The lane is open, and he is feasting. The 23-year-old is in midseason form after EuroBasket, so Luka is cooking defenses. He looks phenomenal and is on pace to win his first NBA MVP honors, but can he keep it up for the entire season?