Rick Carlisle continued to sub Luka Doncic out of the lineup midway through the first and third quarters and bring him in with the second unit toward the ends of those frames, which gave Smith a solid 12-14 minutes to run the offense as the primary ball-handler, and he took full advantage of those opportunities. Especially now, without Barea for the remainder of the season, it’s going to be very important to make an effort to keep one of them on the floor at all times. Jalen Brunson filled in valiantly for Barea and Smith in their absences, and Devin Harris is still capable of creating a bit, but Doncic and Smith are clearly the two premier ball-handlers on this team.
The Fast Break: Mavs vs. Clippers
