What to expect from Luka Doncic in Dallas Mavericks playoff series vs. Jazz

What to expect from Luka Doncic in Dallas Mavericks vs. Jazz: 2. Luka being Luka

The Mavs made it clear that Luka would not return from his calf strain unless he was fully healthy. He has done 5-on-5 work since Tuesday, according to Marc Stein (subscription required), and all signs pointed to Doncic being ready for Game 3, but the team decided to hold him back and give him a few extra days of rest. Whenever he plays, there will be no added risk of re-injury, and number 77 will be a full go.

The team may decide to lighten his minutes in his first game back, but when Luka is on the floor fans should expect him to be Luka. He will be handling the ball and orchestrating the offense. There will be lots of pick and rolls and plenty of attacking against Utah’s weak perimeter defense. Doncic is going to be himself, and that should be a scary thought for the Jazz.

Luka is one of the best drive and kick players in the league. Defenses are forced to collapse to stop Doncic from scoring an easy bucket at the rim or finding the roll man for a dunk, which creates wide-open shots for his teammates.

Rudy Gobert has wandered into the paint too often in this series leaving Dallas with a plethora of uncontested 3-pointers. Luka will make those passes, which should only further complicate things for Utah. Expect Luka Doncic to be 100 percent and ready to lead the Dallas Mavericks offense whenever he takes the floor.