By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Dallas Mavericks are set for their first season without Dirk Nowitzki, but with plenty of European stars in their roster including Luka Doncic. The 20-year-old Slovenian is coming off his NBA Rookie of the Year campaign and is fully ready to add on his list of accomplishments, as he explained during the Mavs’ recent 2019 preseason Media Day.
“Yeah, for sure.” replied Doncic to a question on being able to lead the league in assists, “Who wouldn’t like that? It can be, with players like on the Mavs you can do it, for sure.”
Players like Kristaps Porzingis and Boban Marjanovic also seem enough for returning to the playoffs. “The whole team is excited about the season and all the guys want to make the playoffs,” mentioned the Slovenian star, “So that’s my goal for this year.”
Starting point guard
Head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that Doncic will be his starting point guard, also reserved a spot for Porzingis. “I think Doncic and Porzingis are going to start if you ask me. Look, beyond that, it would be unfair to start naming names of guys that are in and out and stuff like that” noted the 59-year-old American.
“Luka’s the point guard. Porzingis, he’s the four-man really, in most cases,” he added, “When you’re talking about positions, you’re talking really about offensive positions because that’s where play calls and things like that determine in most cases the four-man’s got to be here and the five-man’s got to be there.”
Boban and Porzingis
“If they’re on the roster and they’re active, it’s always possible.” Carlisle said on playing Marjanovic with the Latvian big. Porzingis also commented on the possibility, “Boban is huge, so strong. It’s going to be exciting.”
The other European of the squad is Maxi Kleber. The German forward is set for his third NBA campaign, but the first without his fellow countryman Nowitzki that represented Germany in Dallas since 1998.