Exits: Act II

Luka Doncic and the Mavericks had their warmup. In the style of an Ancient Greek poem, the stage for the second act is set.

Four years ago during the Orlando Bubble, Luka Doncic drained a nasty stepback 3-pointer over Reggie Jackson to beat the Clippers in overtime and tie up the first-round playoff series at two games apiece. It got the signature — and rare — “Bang! Bang!” from Mike Breen on the call. I was watching the game on my phone after my girlfriend and I picked up Portillos and were settling in for the goodness that is a Chicago hot dog and a strawberry lemon cake shake. A shake that is still probably one of the best things I’ve ever eaten… Drank? Consumed?

I had to have been holding the phone mere inches away from my face, trying to get as close to the game as possible from over a thousand miles away. When Luka released that 3-pointer and it sunk through the net, I dropped my phone and began running around my girlfriend’s parents house shouting like a lunatic. After the game, he dropped the coolest quote for someone in your first playoff appearance, after hitting what was up to that point the biggest shot in his NBA career: “If you don’t believe, you shouldn’t be here.” 

Talk about maximum aura from a 20 year old.

That moment felt like Luka announcing to a world stuck in the house from the pandemic that he’s arrived. After a rookie season that was more of a passing of the torch as Dirk Nowitzki retired, the Mavericks, as Luka’s team, came into full focus in Year 2.

By Year 4, he made the Mavericks a playoff mainstay, and pulled off another shocking postseason feat — overcoming an 0-2 deficit and upsetting the No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns on the way to a Western Conference Finals appearance. I found myself dumbfounded once again that this now 22 year old was quite literally willing his team to wins with every circus shot, stepback 3-pointer, or no-look assist. He certainly made me a believer then.

But those two playoff appearances felt like the opening act to what was the main attraction this season for Luka. It didn’t end in a championship, but this run to the NBA Finals felt like the conclusion of Act I in an Ancient Greek epic poem.

It had the drama of vanquishing a foe you’ve never defeated: the Clippers.

A showdown of two warriors whose paths crossed after being pitted against each other in debates all season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.

And one last test of strength against a team that took out the previous victors: the Timberwolves.

It even ended with a proper David vs. Goliath matchup, though David wasn’t so lucky this time with his slingshot and sword against a Celtics team that was practically invincible. But in an epic poem, it was the perfect end to Act I.

It’s why the ending didn’t really feel like one when the confetti covered TD Garden like a winter storm. It felt like an intermission, a cliffhanger. The moment that every great player points to as the motivation they use to get themselves back to that position. LeBron had the 2011 Finals, Michael Jordan lost the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons to the Pistons before winning three-straight titles, and Luka has this. It might not be as dramatic as those two, but it certainly has the makings of the adversity an athlete goes through before finally reaching their mountaintop.

The criticism alone should be motivation enough.

Luka’s poor effort on defense in the Finals was once again called into question, so was his body language — which sometimes looked like that of a pouting child not getting their way. If you’ve watched the Mavericks a great deal over the years, none of those things are new in the criticism around him. I call it part of the Luka Doncic experience. He’s going to do some bat-shit crazy cool stuff that will literally make you think this dude is involved in witchcraft, or at the very least make you feel like he understood Interstellar on a technical level upon his first viewing.

But on the other side of that coin, where he’s playing with a childlike wonder, is a fiery, ultra competitive guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve — for better or worse. He gets too concerned about officiating, isn’t disciplined on defense, and if he’s competing against your favorite team, is probably shit talking your fans and players to the point where you don’t like him. Basically, if you’re not saying “C’mon Luka,” with annoyance in your voice that’s similar to when your dog has something in their mouth that they shouldn’t at least five times a game, it was a good game! His flaws were always overshadowed by the generational talent he was displaying, but they quickly get magnified, held under the biggest spotlight when you’re playing in the Finals. And when the whole world is watching your flaws, it tends to have a more profound impact on you wanting to change.

Enter the beginning of Act II.

Act I gave us the groundwork of Doncic’s career, the character building and story arc. Through six years he’s got almost every important individual accolade someone of his talent should have: Rookie of the Year, five All-NBA First Team honors, five All-Star selections, two top-five MVP finishes. It gave us enough ebbs and flows to stay interested in the story, lots of conquests won and lost, rivalries formed, drama created.

Act II is where we’ll really see the path of Luka’s career. It’ll be the height of his prime playing years, so in theory the best is still in front of him. He’s on track to still win multiple league MVPs and championships, but that doesn’t come without change from him. We just witnessed all of what makes Luka great and flawed on the grandest stage, the latter of which can no longer be masked by his otherworldly talent. The Finals loss should be motivation for next season, and the one after that, and so on. But will we see the changes needed from him so that he’s the one lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy?

Is he still going to be slacking off on defense and putting in minimal effort? Is he going to spend more time jawing with referees when he should be getting back on defense? Will he still settle for bad shots in hopes of getting a foul call? These are all the questions I have for this new chapter of Luka’s career. It’s an unfinished book with loads of potential in the second act, but not if the main character doesn’t do some reflecting.

Don’t get me wrong, the Mavericks defied expectations every step of the way this season and I was right there with them along for the ride. That quote Luka said four years ago felt even more true this season, because no one — except for my brother who told me when I went home for Mother’s Day that the Mavericks were making the Finals — believed in them making it as far as they did.

But the world-building is done, this is where the meaty part of the tale starts. New characters will be introduced: hello, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. Old foes will regroup (Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets) and new foes will begin to rise (oh hey, Spurs).

The Finals loss was an ending, but it was also the start of something else. What that is, I have no idea. But I’m ready to turn the page and start Act II, fully believing more than ever that Luka is capable of getting back to the Finals — and winning.