The Mavericks needed Luka Doncic to play 53 minutes in their 119-115 double-overtime victory over LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night in Hollywood. As we've all been saying around these parts, the Mavs' reliance on Doncic to be a one-man show isn't sustainable.
Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban has taken the brunt of the criticism after he passed on re-signing point guard Jalen Brunson to an extension on multiple occasions before it was too late, and Brunson departed for the Knicks.
According to Tim MacMahon, Dallas could have sewn up a four-year, $55.5 million contract extension with Brunson before the season, but they didn't offer him a deal after he struggled in the team's 2021 first-round playoff series loss to the Clippers in 2021. The Mavs also passed on an opportunity to sign him in the middle of last season.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith joined Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan on Friday and was asked how 'mad' fans should be at Cuban for the way the roster is currently constructed around Doncic.
"I wouldn't say mad. What I would say is you have a right to get mad eventually. You don't have to be there yet. Let me remind ya'll that you were just in the Western Conference Finals. That's more than (the team) had done since 2011. So, when you take that into consideration, respect that. You have a superstar in Luka Doncic. He didn't just fall in your lap. You had to do a swap with Atlanta in order to get him. You pulled that off from an organizational perspective. Respect that," Smith said before giving Cuban credit for bringing in head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison.
"I will tell you this, what you have is unacceptable if you stand pat. Here's the deal, (Dallas) is a great city, (has) a great fan base. The fact of the matter is I love Mark Cuban as well, (but) he's got to do better. There is no excuse not to have more talent on your squad in that city. I'm talking about the pieces you've acquired in free agency. Christian Wood is a good pickup. He's not a scrub. Spencer Dinwiddie is not a scrub. Luka is a superstar. But the reality of the situation is he's a one-man wrecking crew. ... There is absolutely, positively, no excuse for this roster not to be buffered. Mark Cuban is a relatable individual, very smart, (he's) connected. A lot of guys get along with him. ... But when are you going to cultivate those relationships and make sure it manufactures into you buffering that roster? Because this is not good enough to win a championship. We all know that."
Listen to the entire conversation in the podcast below.
