X

NBA Rumors: Kristaps Porzingis 'Often' Feels Like 'an Afterthought' to Luka Doncic

Tyler Conway@@jtylerconwayX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVJune 7, 2021

DALLAS, TEXAS - MAY 28:  Luka Doncic #77 and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks react against the LA Clippers in the first quarter in game three of the Western Conference first round series at American Airlines Center on May 28, 2021 in Dallas, Texas.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis reportedly feels like "an afterthought" in Dallas amid the rise of Luka Doncic.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Porzingis has been "frustrated" at not being looked at as a true co-star to Doncic, who gets the lion's share of the praise and touches in Dallas. Mavericks governor Mark Cuban has previously admitted Doncic and Porzingis are not friends off the floor, comparing the situation to Dirk Nowitzki's relationship with Jason Terry when they first played together:

"On the court they are fine. I mean, coaches coach, and coach kind of runs the show so everything gets worked out on the court. That's not to say there aren't dust-ups, because there are.
I'd compare it to Jet and Dirk. If you remember, when we first got Jet, Dirk was not a fan. Dirk did not like him. And we lost in a playoff series because Jet made a mistake against [Steve] Nash and that just made it even worse. They weren’t best friends at the beginning, but they grew to like each other and grew to be great friends and that’s just part of the process when you’ve got young kids who are growing up. It took forever before Dirk and Jet did anything off the court together. A long time. Yeah, I mean, KP and Luka get along fine. It’s just that they’re different people. They like to do different things."

Porzingis has not been particularly quiet about his displeasure with the Mavericks offensive system, making public comments about ball movement on a number of occasions.

The 7-footer has been the subject of criticism following his lackluster performance in the Mavericks' first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Porzingis averaged just 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds over the seven-game series, with Doncic often left to shoulder the load on his own.

Criticism' of the Mavericks' offensive flow appear to have little merit. Dallas set the NBA record (that was since broken) for offensive efficiency in 2019-20 and finished ninth this season after rebounding from a rough start. 

Doncic's usage rate of 35 percent ranked behind only Joel Embiid during the regular season, but it wasn't far out of line with any other top superstar. The game's top stars tend to use around a third of their team's possessions. There aren't many people in Golden State upset with Stephen Curry's 33.1 percent usage rate.

Porzingis likely isn't treated like a co-star because he hasn't played like one. Porzingis has taken a massive step back defensively since suffering a torn ACL and has become a liability on that end in many cases. The Mavericks started Boban Marjanovic the final three games of the Clippers series and moved Porzingis to power forward.

Conversation about the Mavericks roster after the series has focused on a lack of help for Doncic, who scored or assisted on 421 of Dallas' 752 points against the Clippers.