Luka Doncic does remarkable things on a basketball court all the time but one gripe about the Slovenian superstar is that his shooting can sometimes get streaky.
It doesn't help when being double-teamed qualifies as being lightly guarded, a triple-team is often standard and that sometimes he has four defenders marshalling his every on-court manoeuvre. You try scoring against that!
Despite the occasional cold spells, though, Doncic is still fourth in scoring across the league, averaging 28.5 points per game, so he often finds way to transcend the defensive megatrons that try to nullify him.
One such way is to make sure you're dishing to team-mates when you're crowded by multiple bodies or when you're having an off-night from the field.
And that is exactly what the likely future-MVP did in the Dallas Mavericks 113-109 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Doncic, who is also among the league leaders for assists per game (third overall, averaging 8.9 apg), finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the win but shot only 7-for-22 from the field and didn't make his first 2-point shot until a drive to the hoop with 3:11 left in the fourth gave Dallas a 106-99 lead.
A vital basket at a clutch moment, but it was his decision-making throughout that impressed the Mavs' head coach Rick Carlisle.
"You never play a perfect game in the NBA, so much of it is about managing mistakes but the thing when Luka goes through periods when he's not scoring is he finds other ways to impact the game.
"He was rebounding really well during that (cold) stretch, he moved it to some guys for some really good shots. He kept playing the game and that's what you've got to do."
Doncic himself admitted it wasn't his best performance, but said he was glad to get the win, especially with Kyrie Irving dropping a season-high 45 points
"One of worst games I've played but we got a win that's all that matters. When you're not scoring you've got to do other things, you just keep playing," said Doncic.
"I mean, they're obviously a championship team. You know, they have all the other great pieces. But you know, we really came out strong. And, you know, obviously Kyrie had a great game, but we were able to close the game."
When asked by Shaquille O'Neal about when it was that he learned to draw coverage and then kick passes to team-mates, the 22-year-old referred back to his time at Real Madrid where, at age 16, he became the youngest player in club history before, two years later, leading Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title, winning the EuroLeague MVP as well as the Final Four MVP in the process.
"In Europe, the first thing they teach is post up and passing. That's the first thing they teach you. So you know, I think since Euroleague where the court is smaller, they always double team and, you know, just learning to play every game like that."
One aspect of Doncic's season which has been far from ideal though, has been his propensity for picking up technical fouls. Indeed, the Mavericks star chalked up his 15th technical foul of the season four days ago and one more would lead to a one-game suspension at a vital point in the season.
"With officials, I wasn't myself this season," Doncic said. "I'm complaining way too much and I've got to work on that. I've got to stay calm and just not talk to them. I've got to learn from that.
"It's difficult with all the emotions in games, but obviously I've got to stop. It's just hard for me on the court with all the emotions, but I realise it and I've got to work on this."
Cleveland visits Friday for Dallas' second-to-last back-to-back, with the rematch set for Sunday in Cleveland. The Mavericks have won the past four meetings by an average of 20 points.
Doncic wants to see that run continue as Dallas look to finish in the top six in the Western Conference to avoid being involved in the play-in tournament.
He added: "It's a crazy rhythm we play almost every other game a lot of back to backs. We just tried to go game by game first. Escape the play-in tournaments, so we can be straight in the playoffs and then go from there game by game."