You can’t deny that Luka Doncic has already surpassed all expectations around him. When he first entered the NBA three seasons ago, some people thought the Dallas Mavericks were reaching way too much, and that his ceiling would be a poor man’s Hedo Turkoglu. Fast-forward to today, and not only he’s one of the most popular players in the league but also one of the most promising.
Then again, even great players have flaws. Doncic is an offensive juggernaut, a playmaking machine, and a dominant scorer but he’s not much of a defender. Moreover, his character and constant whining are wearing the referees down.
As we saw again last night vs. the Brooklyn Nets, Doncic complains after every single play. He doesn’t even come back on defense and stays on the referees’ face asking for a call, so it’s not unusual to see him leading the league in technical fouls this season.
Luka Doncic Says He’ll Stop Complaining That Much
So, when asked about that critical flaw of his game, the former Real Madrid star vowed to do some soul-searching and stop getting into the referees’ face, as he knows he can’t afford to miss a game with a suspension:
“You know, with the officials, I wasn’t myself this season. I’m complaining way too much. And I gotta work on that, you know. I just gotta stay calmed and just not talk to them, I gotta learn from that,” Doncic said after the game.
“[It’s difficult] with all the emotions in games, but obviously I’ve got to stop. It’s just hard for me on the court with all the emotions, but I realize it and I’ve got to work on this,” the Mavericks star added.
With 16 technical fouls as of now, Doncic is one ‘T’ away from a one-game suspension. After that, every technical foul would result in another game missed, which is terrible news with the playoffs just around the corner.
Doncic is one of the most talented players in NBA history and it’s not like he needs any help from the referees to dominate. If he keeps this up, he’s even less likely to have that superstar treatment he’s advocating for.