How the Warriors should guard Luka Doncic
Mavericks' Luka Doncic has dominated Suns, Jazz in playoffs and stands
between Warriors and NBA Finals
>Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) defends against a pass by
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic during the first half of an NBA basketball
game in Dallas, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
>Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) defends against a pass by
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic during the first half of an NBA basketball
game in Dallas, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
By JANNELLE MOORE |
PUBLISHED: May 17, 2022 at 10:15 a.m. | UPDATED: May 17, 2022 at 4:09 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/17/how-the-warriors-should-guard-luka-doncic/

Luka Doncic is a problem.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar has been consistently spectacular in the
playoffs so far, averaging 31.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists
per game. He decimated the Phoenix Suns in Sunday night’s Game 7,
torching the Suns for 35 points, including 27 in the first half, which
matched Phoenix’s whole team for the half.

The Warriors, like the Suns and Jazz before them, will have their hands
full in trying to contain him. Here is what the Warriors could (or
should do) in their efforts to contain Doncic.

- Remember the blueprint and tweak it

The Mavericks run a heliocentric offense that is centered on Doncic.
They have shooters who can give Doncic the space he needs to dominate
through stepback jumpers, taking advantage of mismatches on a switch,
and getting to the free-throw line almost at will. The Warriors have
been here multiple times before with James Harden’s Houston Rockets. He,
too, at his peak dictated a slow tempo, favored stepback 3s, was able to
score downhill and draw tons of fouls.

In those battles against the Rockets, the Warriors switched a lot. In
their last matchup against the Mavericks, they used the same strategy
but it didn’t work against Doncic. Why? Because the thing about Doncic
is he’s going to stick with his tempo regardless of what the defense
does. He has no problem using most of the shot clock to get the mismatch
or look he wants.

In the playoffs, Dallas leads in time of possession, averaging 22.5
minutes while Doncic leads in time of possession with 9.7 minutes per game.

The Warriors will not quicken Doncic. He’s going to be slow and
deliberate in his attack, but that doesn’t mean that the Warriors should
abandon switching in its entirety. The Warriors should switch some
actions but not over-switch.

If the Warriors “switch everything” on defense, it’s more likely Doncic
will get the mismatch he wants for himself and others. A combination of
Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter, Jr. (if available), and
Klay Thompson should be the only players guarding Doncic or switching
onto him. Over-switching everything will leave Stephen Curry or Jordan
Poole in iso situations with Doncic and that’s what the Warriors would
want to avoid.

- Forcing him right

Doncic shoots with his right hand, but he favors driving to the left. He
makes his stepbacks when driving left. Knowing that Doncic is
left-dominant, whoever’s guarding him should force him to the right side
and shade him there. While Doncic makes his stepbacks when driving left,
he struggles driving to his right and attempting the shots because it’s
awkward for him.

[video: Wiggins defending Doncic this season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1ILkrMz8hA]

In the opening drive of this compilation, notice how Wiggins is forcing
Doncic to his right. Wiggins fought through a screen, recovered and
continued to force Doncic into airballing a fadeaway jumper. In another
possession, Wiggins shades Doncic to the right and funnels him to Kevon
Looney for the contest.

Sometimes a defender succeeds when they note the habits and use them to
guard the offensive player. Doncic, more often than not, will find a way
to score but that doesn’t mean it should come easily.

- Using offense as defense

Just like the Warriors will have their hands full trying to defend
Doncic, the Mavericks will have a hard time guarding Curry, Thompson and
Poole — and the Warriors should take advantage of that.

The Warriors can use ball and player movement to tire Doncic out. As
formidable as Doncic is, it’s not like he’s the most conditioned player
out there. The Warriors could force Doncic to switch on Curry only to go
through a series of screens before cashing in on a relocation 3 or a
drive to the paint. The Warriors could then dial up high screen and
rolls either with Curry, Green, Poole, and Wiggins and make Doncic guard
that action in addition to chasing Curry off the ball.

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- Zoning out

It’s not likely that the Warriors will trap Doncic but they should
deploy traps sporadically. If the Warriors don’t want to selectively
switch, they should use zone defense. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to
go as far as using a box-and-one.

Wiggins is the only defender outside of Green that can effectively match
up with Doncic. Remember, the Warriors defense can selectively switch,
and Doncic deliberately takes long possessions to get the matchups that
he wants. To negate that possibility, the Warriors can play zone.

For instance, a box-and-one with Wiggins or Thompson hounding Doncic
gets the ball out of his hands and forces the others to make shots and
make them consistently. With the way that Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen
Brunson have been shooting the ball lately, this strategy is a gamble.
However, it’s one worth taking since role players more often than not
struggle on the road.

--
Jannelle Moore | Guest Analyst