Quote:
Originally Posted by SMC0007
The notion that Luka had just a 'nice performance, mostly' is sad. The dude produces double and triple what any other Mav contributes. He is having an MVP level start to the season in his 2nd year. It's far too early to be that spoiled and start "expecting" these kinds of numbers from him especially with the supporting cast. I'm surprised that he averages basically 10ast/game. It very well could be 12 or 13 per if we had a better roster or guys who could shoot or finish more consistently.
Luka is so good...it's almost too good to be true.
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Nice performance: 33/10/11 is tempered (for me) by 3/12 from 3-point range; there's also the timing of some of those missed 3s. And 2 of his 3 TOs came again in crunch time. No question he can produce numbers, but at some point numbers have to convert into putting a team away, no? Especially a bottom-feeding team like the NYKs. I tip my hat to him, though, he did NOT shrink from the situation.
Expecting: I agree that big-number games can be entertaining to watch, but it seems the faster pace of the modern game has inflated stats, and that the value of a triple-double in 2019 isn't what it was in 1979. Ultimately, I don't care about Luka putting up a gaudy stat line, let alone EXPECT it. Or if he's going to go off, I'd personally rather see 20 points and 20 assists, rather then 40 points and 10 assists, because the former means that he's creating and orchestrating a diversified team threat. I look forward to seeing his game mature, and seeing him play a controlled game rather than a flashy one.
Too Good to be True: Luka is more than twice as good as I anticipated; and maybe half as good as some people make him out to be. Plenty of room for him to improve, and no reason for him to be immune from scrutiny or above criticism. I certainly agree that he shows the potential to be a dominant player over the next decade, not just in terms of flashy stat lines, but as an NBA champion; sometimes, though, all the gushing, fawning, swooning superlatives feel like consuming too much sugary candy.