But Shammgod and other Mavs assistants weren't stunned. They've been getting beat by that move all season. They'd seen Doncic splash plenty of righty step-backs during post-practice one-on-one sessions, during which Doncic and backcourt partner Kyrie Irving take turns attacking the rotating trio of assistants that also includes Darrell Armstrong and Marko Milic. And just as they'd seen Doncic's new wrinkle to his step-back, Irving had hit plenty of 20-foot southpaw hook shots in front of Shammgod & Co. before swishing one at the buzzer to shock the defending champion Denver Nuggets in March. "We just try new things," Doncic told ESPN of the 30- to 60-minute sessions. "We're smiling, and we're just playing basketball. That's what it's all about." And, as Dallas prepares to host the Boston Celtics in Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC), Doncic and Irving will lean on the bond they have forged while deepening their arsenal of scoring moves. "That's definitely the craft table right there," Irving told ESPN. "Just working on our craft when no one's looking. We have a lot of fun, man. It's always a fun time when you can see somebody working on things they don't necessarily show in the game that often, but you know they have it in their bag."

SHAMMGOD'S PADS AREN'T the only way the Mavs' middle-aged assistant coaches try to even the playing court against two of the NBA's most talented playmakers. "They only get two or three dribbles now. Can't get 16 dribbles," the 55-year-old Armstrong told ESPN. "You only get two or three to help us out." Armstrong carved out a reputation as a pesky defender during a 14-year NBA career that was highlighted by winning Sixth Man and Most Improved Player of the Year awards in 1998-99. His feet aren't quite as quick -- and it probably doesn't help that he wears only low-top Chuck Taylors to practice -- but he says his swipe-down move is still as effective as ever and relentlessly talks trash to Doncic and Irving regardless of the results. "I mean, I lock 'em down," Armstrong playfully boasted. Doncic, meanwhile, raised his voice when Armstrong's claim was passed on. "Oh, hell no! DA?! No!" Doncic barked, breaking out in a grin as he shook his head. "You know that's not true." Armstrong, of course, readily admits that Doncic is right. His constant chatter is meant to keep the mood light while providing kindling for the competitive fires of Doncic and Irving.

"It's really just to get 'em going, get 'em some good work," Armstrong said. "It's just fun to get not serious, but competitive. I'm talking s--- and getting my ass whupped. "You already know Luka's talking s---, but Kai's sneaky with it, too. Kai's sneaky. The way they be doing us, I don't blame 'em." Armstrong has been on the Mavs' coaching staff for a decade, predating Doncic's arrival in Dallas. The relationships between Doncic and Milic, as well as Irving and Shammgod, go back much further. Milic, 47, was the first NBA player from Slovenia, a burly, bouncy 6-foot-6 forward who saw 44 games of action as Jason Kidd's Phoenix Suns teammate from 1997 to 1999 before returning to Europe. Milic was teammates with Doncic's father, Sasa, during the Slovenian club Union Olimpija's Adriatic League championship season in 2007-08, when young Luka served as a ball boy. Milic, an assistant coach for the Slovenian national team, joined the Mavs' staff before last season. Shammgod, 48, a New York City native known for his ballhandling wizardry, has been friends with Irving's father, Drederick, and Kyrie's godfather, former NBA star Rod Strickland, for decades. Irving's relationship with Shammgod, who has been on the Mavs' staff since 2019, was among the factors that made the eight-time All-Star comfortable in Dallas upon his arrival via a trade following a turbulent 2½-year tenure with the Brooklyn Nets. "For [Doncic and Irving], it's so many evolutions," Shammgod said. "It's great. It's like a painting where I have this beautiful canvas, and I can just keep adding stuff to the canvas."

"There's some crazy stuff he does that I can't do, but sometimes I try it," said Doncic, one of many current or former players who has called Irving the most skilled ball handler in the history of the game. "It's healthy creativity, man, and that's what you want," Irving said. "Call it like osmosis. We're in that environment together. He's trying new moves, I'm trying new moves. We pick up things and add it to our game." Sometimes the moves are spontaneous. On other occasions, Doncic and Irving take suggestions from Shammgod, who played only 20 games in his NBA career for the Washington Wizards but has unique cachet among current players. Shammgod, who has a Puma signature shoe deal, is widely considered one of the most creative ball handlers in the history of the game. There's a famous, one-handed crossover commonly known as "The Shammgod," a move Doncic used in his warmup before Game 1 of the NBA Finals while being guarded by the namesake himself. Doncic and Irving are more than receptive to Shammgod's feedback. It's often a tip about a seemingly tiny detail, such as Doncic working on getting comfortable getting into his usual step-back after going between his legs left to right, instead of needing to always pick up his dribble with his left hand.