Luka Doncic must learn from Jalen Brunson for Dallas Mavericks to reach goals

The Dallas Mavericks are likely to miss the postseason entirely just one year after reaching the conference finals. They have lost ten of their last 13 games to slip to 11th in the Western Conference. Dallas is 37-42, despite Luka Doncic putting up MVP numbers all season. It will be the Mavs' first losing season since Doncic’s rookie year, and Dallas is the most disappointing team in the league.

A lot went wrong for the Mavericks, and many people deserve blame. From owner Mark Cuban down to the 15th man on the roster, everybody has played a role in the forgettable campaign. There are signings and trades that did not work, poor execution on the floor, and plenty of baffling coaching decisions to point the finger toward.

Luka is not happy with how the team finished. He pushed for the Kyrie Irving trade because number 77 wants to contend for a championship. There was always worry it would not work, but Dallas wants to win. That takes talent, but it is more than that, and this is one area where LD can learn from his former teammate Jalen Brunson.

Luka Doncic must learn from Jalen Brunson for Dallas Mavericks to reach goals

The Mavs miss Brunson dearly after letting him walk in free agency. It was a massive mistake by the front office. They did not view him as a superstar talent, but they overlooked what makes JB special. His play is underrated. Brunson took his game to another level in New York, and he has improved every year, but the Mavericks miss his leadership more than anything.

The 26-year-old is a winner. He won a state championship in high school, two NCAA championships at Villanova, and helped Dallas to the conference finals last season. The Knicks are back in the playoffs thanks to Brunson’s leadership.

Luka can command the offense on the floor, and he is on pace to be an all-time great, but he does not always lead the team around him. Here are three important leadership qualities that number 77 can learn from former teammate Jalen Brunson.

Luka Doncic needs to tone it down on referees and focus on helping his teammates

Doncic was dubbed by a scout, “the worst transition defender in the history of basketball”, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, and it is not because of a lack of skill. Number 77 does not even cross his team’s foul line at times because he is barking at the official about a foul that was not called.

Luka never wins those arguments, and he compounds a missed shot or turnover with an easy bucket on the other end of the floor. The yelling at officials likely gets him fewer calls, and it always has him near the league lead in technical fouls.

Doncic and Brunson were both selected by the Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft. In their first five years in the NBA, Luka has 59 technical fouls and JB has three. The current Knicks point guard did not get one until his fourth season in the league.

Brunson is no stranger to driving to the basket, and he too draws a ton of contact, but the 6’1 guard just plays through it. If there is no call, he sprints back on defense to help his teammates. Brunson wants to win just as badly as Luka, but he realizes what will accomplish that is winning the next play. The foul or lack thereof is over, and there is no changing it.

That is far from the only leadership trait that Luka Doncic could learn from Jalen Brunson to help the Dallas Mavericks win more games.

Luka Doncic needs to organize the defense and become floor general on both ends

The Dallas Mavericks reached the conference finals last season on the back of their defense. They made a massive improvement in their first season under head coach Jason Kidd, including holding the Jazz to 100 or fewer points three times in the first round of the playoffs and limiting the Suns to their three worst scoring games of the year in round two.

Defense quickly went from strength to weakness for Dallas. They did extremely well last season at limiting shots at the rim or beyond the 3-point line, but their connectivity and effort are just not there this year. The Mavericks give up a ton of easy buckets inside and wide-open threes.

Blame the personnel, which did get worse this season, but it was not like Dallas had a ton of lights-out options in 2022. The Mavs were tied together, wanted to win for each other, and gave it their all to get a stop. Even Luka was engaged and helping on the defensive end of the floor last year.

This season, the defense has been abysmal because nobody is leading it. Luka Doncic needs to be that person. He will never be the greatest defender in the world, but the best player should be the leader. The 24-year-old should be organizing the defense and making sure the team is giving their all.

It starts with him too. Doncic has been blown by plenty on the perimeter, failed to box out, and missed plenty of assignments. The Mavericks cannot afford to have their superstar playing lackluster defense. LD must lock in, give it his all, and start to lead on both ends of the floor.

Luka Doncic must become the leader in the locker room

Look at every all-time great team in NBA history. They were Jordan’s Bulls, Magic’s Lakers, Dirk’s Mavs, Kobe’s Lakers, Steph’s Warriors, LeBron’s Cavs, and so on. The franchise is always defined by its best player, and he needs to be the leader of the team.

Last season, Brunson was the vocal leader of the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic was the best player, and he ran the offense, but LD was not commanding the defense or the huddles. Head coach Jason Kidd and the Mavs turned to Doncic in the biggest moments, and he often delivered. Was he picking up his teammates and getting the best out of every player with his leadership, though?

Luka is only 24 years old, and he has not reached his prime. Yes, let that sink in. Doncic has a lot of improving to do. His jumper will get better. Number 77 will add some new tricks to his bag, and he will improve nearly every aspect of his game on the court, but can he add to his leadership?

Will Luka Doncic pilot his team to a championship? Not until he becomes a better and more vocal leader. He saw and remains friends with a fantastic one in Jalen Brunson. Doncic could learn a lot from his former teammate, but will he? Stay tuned to find out.