The Dallas Mavericks seem to have gotten their act together and are on track after a convincing win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Cup. They are now 8-7 and have a winning record again.

With both a top offense and a top defense as of late, the Mavericks are in a good position to keep pushing forward. However, before their latest wins came, Dallas superstar Luka Doncic was under fire for his performance and defensive play.

As the leader of the franchise, a lack of effort in this regard is unacceptable. However, given his injury history and current situation in this regard, some forgive him. Kendrick Perkins isn’t one of them, though. The NBA champion and longtime veteran turned ESPN analyst went Slovenian on “The Road Trippin Show.”

“We’ve got to stop letting Luka off the hook,” Perkins said. “True words – that’s enough. Like, you know he leads the league defensively in hitting? Nobody’s asking him to be Jrue Holiday … We’re asking you to be a leader and put some effort (implement) and fix your body language.”

No matter how much he struggles in terms of offensive efficiency to start the season, that will course correct and his stat averages will be video game-like by the end of the season. However, his energy and defensive effort as a leader is contagious.

Last year, when the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, Doncic made an impact on that side of the ball. The effort is what stood out, though it hasn’t been consistent since.

Doncic’s offense is coming together again, but he needs to find that defensive energy again to help lead the team.

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