5 things Luka Doncic must improve next season if the Dallas Mavericks want contend

1. Leadership

Luka Doncic is the leader of the Dallas Mavericks, and he seems to embrace that role. Number 77 has been the team’s best player since he arrived in 2018, but others have often been the leader. Jalen Brunson even shouldered some of that responsibility during the team’s run to the conference finals in 2022, and Doncic must learn from his former teammate.

Luka needs to be the vocal leader and lead by example. It is hard to convince others to give max effort on the defensive end of the floor when the best player is not. Things become impossible when you call a teammate out for a missed defensive rotation when the leader has missed a handful in the game.

Screaming at the referee and not getting back on defense to help your teammates also does not do him any favors in the leadership category. It makes it acceptable to be upset and let it impact your defense. The Mavericks have to improve their defense to get back to the playoffs, and the only way that happens is with effort. Improving the effort starts with Luka.

Luka Doncic learned a lot from the 2022-23 season, and fans can bet that he is going to use it as fuel to improve his game. Can number 77 take a massive leap this summer? Will he have the Dallas Mavericks right back in contention to win the Western Conference next season? Stay tuned to find out.