Luka Doncic admits Mavericks miss Jalen Brunson a lot / News - Basketnews.com

Luka Doncic admitted that the Dallas Mavericks miss Jalen Brunson a lot, revealing the team's chemistry is not the same as it was during the last season.

Credit: Reuters-Scanpix Credit Reuters-Scanpix

Luka Doncic revealed he feels disappointed about the Dallas Mavericks season, emphasizing the loss of Jalen Brunson.

Free throws this season

76%19,3Points made:19,3Accuracy:75,7%Place in standings:9Record max:35Record min:6Most made FTs:Luka DoncicTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

"I think you don't see that chemistry we had before, especially [like we did] last year," Doncic said before the game against the Kings. "I think that chemistry was at the top, everybody. But chemistry builds not just not right away. It's a long process."

In an attempt to save the season, the Mavericks made a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, sending Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Kyrie Irving.

Since the trade, the Mavericks have a 7-15 record, and with Doncic and Irving in the lineup, Dallas has won only four games in 15 contests.

On top of that, it's still unclear whether Irving will sign a new long-term deal with the Mavericks.

During the summer, the Mavericks didn't manage to keep Jalen Brunson. According to several reports, Brunson would have signed a 4-year $55.5 million deal before the 2021-22 season, but Dallas resisted.

During the last offseason, Brunson left the Mavericks as a free agent, signing a 4-year $104 million deal with the New York Knicks.

"A lot," Doncic said when asked how much the Mavs miss Brunson. "I mean, amazing guy, amazing player, for sure."

The 24-year-old Slovenian star also addressed the defensive issues the Mavericks face.

"I don't think the offense is a problem, and I always said this," Doncic said. "It's our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us."

Finally, Doncic took responsibility for lack of effort on the defensive end, revealing he struggled with fatigue after a few intensive years with the Mavericks and Slovenian national team.

"But that's not an excuse. I'm still young, age-wise, but it's a lot of basketball. But I gotta be way better. I'm the leader of this team. The one to blame is me," Doncic concluded.

Currently, the Mavericks have a 37-42 record and are in 11th place in the Western Conference. Dallas has 3 games left in the regular season and is one win behind the 10th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder.

Doncic averages 32.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.1 assists over 64 appearances this season. The 24-year-old Slovenian still battles for the NBA's scoring title.

Currently,Joel Embiidleads the NBA in scoring with an average of 33.0 points per game.

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