Old habits die hard in Dallas, and none proved truer than Luka Doncic’s. After winning the Western Conference Finals, he celebrated with a beer, just as he did after erupting for 73 points, calling it part of his “recovery.” What began as a lighthearted ritual soon sparked concerns about his fitness and an eventual blockbuster trade. But Doncic took it personally, and it reflected in his answer.

After another spectacular performance of 38 points, this time against the Charlotte Hornets, Luka Doncic was arguably exhausted playing 38 minutes. But besides the stat line, his dunk caught eyeballs, and a reporter casually asked whether the five-time All-NBA selection still indulges in a beer after a tough night. Doncic was clear. “No,” he told the reporter.

There won’t be another moment like when Michael Finley snatched a beer from 26-year-old Luka Doncic, leaving him clearly unimpressed. That incident, along with concerns raised by Nico Harrison and the Mavericks, prompted discipline. After reports surfaced about the team’s worries regarding his weight and conditioning, Doncic approached the offseason with a clear plan and renewed focus, but this time for the purple and gold.

Luka went to Slovenia, disconnected from everything, including basketball (except for the EuroBasket weeks). For the entire summer, his goal was to return to his best physical shape. The result was him shredding 31 pounds and building muscle. And now that he initiated the process, Luka Doncic isn’t willing to stop. “If I stop now it was all for nothing,” he told Men’s Health.

The Lakers are benefitting from the impact of his dramatic mindset switch. They are 8-3 through 11 games, even without LeBron James, and Doncic is averaging close to a 37-point triple-double. He’s more explosive, and with the added muscle, still able to shake off defenders. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Mavericks are craving a floor general.

Their offense reeks from the lack of Doncic’s wizardry, and the heat is piling on to one man: Nico Harrison.

How the Dallas Mavericks wish they still had Luka Doncic

If you think about it, the Mavericks’ situation is similar to that of the Lakers. They are without Kyrie Irving, like the Lakers are still without LeBron James. Additionally, they have other short-term injuries preventing the team from really dialing in to this season. However, even with such glaring absences, they didn’t have to worry when Luka Doncic was with them.

Doncic played through injuries and still managed to have a winning impact. That was through pure instinct. The Mavs, although blessed with Cooper Flagg, are now without a player who could help manage such dreadful times.

The Mavericks average just 107.2 points, ranking last in the league. Even the Indiana Pacers, who are without Tyrese Haliburton and several others, have managed to produce a better output. Furthermore, even after bringing D’Angelo Russell to the starting lineup, not much has changed.

The Mavericks have lost 8 of their 11 games, and four of their last five. Likewise, the owner, Patrick Dumont, is growing restless. Reports are emerging about the Mavs looking into parting ways with Nico Harrison. Marc Stein reported, “that the front office executive who conceived and pushed for the widely criticized Doncic deal can no longer be the one trying to pilot the organization past it.”

For Nico, though, life would have been much different if the Mavericks still had Luka Doncic. Be it an occasional beer or not, he swings the pendulum unlike any other player in the league right now. And clearly, the loss of a generational talent is stinging the Mavericks.

They can still recover. With a fully healthy roster, they do have the personnel to do better than last season. However, with Luka Doncic on your team, winning is always possible, no matter the circumstances. And each time he does that for the Lakers, it’s a big slap in the face of the Mavericks.