That sound you're hearing might be the alarm bells ringing in North Texas after the Dallas Mavericks' 126-111 Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Kristaps Porzingis finished 6-of-12 from the field for 16 points and 11 rebounds. His postgame frustration wasn't limited to the defeat, as his comments also touched on how he was utilized throughout the series.
"There's a little bit of a mental battle because that's not what I'm used to and where I'm most comfortable," he told reporters. "... Whatever I do, it seems like it's always something, so I just try to be as professional as I can."
Looking ahead to the offseason, the Mavs may have a 7'3" dilemma on their hands in the form of Porzingis.
The 25-year-old big man was supposed to be the second star alongside Luka Doncic, hence giving him a five-year, $158.3 million max extension before he had actually suited up for the team.
Instead, Dallas' first-round series may serve as a warning sign for the Doncic/Porzingis partnership because the Latvian didn't perform like a max player.
StatMuse @statmuseKristaps Porzingis averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds and 1 three per game in this playoffs.<br><br>He is getting paid more than Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bradley Beal, Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown this season. pic.twitter.com/N6HeWvT3Yl
Stefan Stevenson @StevensonFWSTPorzingis never took more than 13 shots in a game during the series. #MFFL <br>Gm 1 13 shots<br>Gm 2 12 shots<br>Gm 3 10 shots<br>Gm 4 12 shots<br>Gm 5 6 shots<br>Gm 6 7 shots<br>Gm 7 12 shots
This isn't a case of recency bias, either.
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported in February the Mavs had "quietly gauged the trade market for Porzingis." Team governor Mark Cuban said publicly in March that the 2018 All-Star wouldn't be leaving.
However, Fischer's report also outlined how some around the league had soured on Porzingis as a foundational piece of an NBA roster.
One executive from the Western Conference called him a "scarecrow" on defense. A salary-cap specialist also theorized the Mavericks could only get a lottery-protected first-round pick for Porzingis and would have to absorb bad contracts in the process.
ESPN's Bobby Marks summed up the issue for the Mavs:
"Don't get me wrong: Averaging 20 points during the regular season and shooting 37.6% from three is nothing to complain about. But Dallas could go out on the free-agent market and sign a player at a third of the cost if they are looking for a spacing big man to average 12 points per game, which is what Porzingis produced in the first-round loss to the Clippers."
Players will inevitably say things they regret in the heat of the moment, and Porzingis' emotions were understandable after Dallas was unable to capitalize on its 2-0 series lead.
But openly alluding to a level of internal consternation isn't ideal when his long-term future has already been the subject of discussion.
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June 07, 2021 at 06:15AM
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Kristaps Porzingis Cryptic on Future with Mavs: 'It Seems Like It's Always Something' - Bleacher Report
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