Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were close to eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs although they were simply not able to get it done when it mattered the most. Doncic was virtually by himself on the court while his teammates largely underperformed. To make matters worse, head coach Rick Carlisle was putting out some questionable rotations which led to some bad moments on the court. There were times where Doncic seemed frustrated with the decisions that were being made, and now, it's leading to some speculation within the Mavs locker room.
According to The Athletic, Doncic seemed to be distant with his coach at times this season and the sentiment was shared amongst some of the other players on the team. For the time being, Carlisle is fully expected to be back next year, and team owner Mark Cuban is adamant about not making a change.
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Via The Athletic:
"Doncic’s relationship with his head coach, Rick Carlisle, has been publicly scrutinized since joining his team. It’s expected Carlisle will return next season, multiple league sources say.
During the season, it was believed Carlisle’s future could be reconsidered following the season, partly due to a belief Doncic had tuned him out.
Sources say some players have been frustrated with Carlisle after they lost playing time despite doing exactly what they felt he had asked of them, and for stiff rotation patterns."
With Doncic unhappy, this could spell some trouble for the Mavericks, as they will desperately want him to sign a supermax extension. Otherwise, they could very well lose out on the future best player in the NBA.
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