For a team that made the NBA Finals last year, the Dallas Mavericks have had a horrendous start to the new season. Their offseason firepower led everyone to believe that they’d finally solidify a spot at the top of the Western Conference this season, but the team is languishing with a 5-7 record at the 12th spot in the West. They have lost the last four games on the trot.
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That’s not to say that the team isn’t good at all. All of their four losses on this dismal streak have been by three points or less, which clearly shows that they’re doing enough to stay in the game, but are somehow losing their way in the clutch.
In any case, if a team stacked with offensive talents like Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson is failing to out-score their opponents, it indicates a deeper issue within and that is exactly what we’re going to try to understand.
Luka Dončić’s efforts are going in vain
Dončić finished the Mavs’ losing effort against the Utah Jazz with 37 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Although it was a really good game, the Mavs fell 115-113. Luka’s teammates didn’t share much of his offensive load because no one else had more than 19 points.
This has been a common theme in many of the past games. The team’s other stars need to set up their game to help the Slovenian centerpiece in the frontlines.
The Dallas side, moreover, simply seems incapable of winning close games. One of the league’s worst clutch teams, they have lost five of their seven games by a margin of six points or less. That is hardly what one would anticipate from a team with as much playoff pedigree as the Mavericks.
The Mavs have also struggled with shooting, and Dončić’s subpar shooting form has been the biggest surprise.
Dončić’s shooting struggles
After 12 games, Luka is averaging 42.8% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. To put it into perspective, he averaged 48.7% from the field and 38.2% from the three-point line through the first 12 games of last season.
His shot selection and clutch decisions have cost the Mavs as well, especially in their last two games against the Warriors and the Jazz.
Although Kyrie Irving has been trying his best to maintain the team’s efficiency standard, with 54.5% from the field and 54.1% from the three-point line, he cannot single-handedly change the Mavs’ fortunes with his volume of shooting.
Klay Thompson with his 14.8 points per game on 41% shooting can be excused for being new to the setup, but it can only save him from criticism for so long. As a veteran, he’s expected to lead and provide solutions for the team, but so far he has been unsuccessful on those fronts.
With basketball being a momentum game, the Mavs’ trouble could slowly start to disappear if they solve any one of their issues.
However, Dereck Lively’s struggles on defense may be the most important one so far as the 2nd year center has shown all the tell-tale signs of a sophomore slump.
Dereck Lively II’s foul troubles
Lively was a revelation for the Dallas team last season after his one and only Duke season. However, his inability to avoid foul trouble has been his biggest problem this year and he has failed to show fans the player they fell in love with in 2023-24.
For example, Lively had two blocks in the first two minutes of the game against the Jazz. A terrific beginning, no doubt. However, he didn’t do much after that.
He attempted zero shots and drew zero rebounds by the end of the first twelve minutes. He also received two early fouls, which made things worse. When he returned in the second quarter, he was given his third personal due to careless defense, which required him to take yet another extended break.
To everyone’s amazement, he picked up his fourth foul as soon as he returned in the third quarter. He just had five points and two rebounds at the end of the contest. It is not a good sign that the 20-year-old doesn’t appear to have any self-awareness about just how important he is to the squad.
However, the blame can’t solely be placed on his young shoulders. The Mavs have been unlucky with injuries as well. They’ve played five games without one of their brightest sparks from last year’s playoff run.
P.J. Washington’s absence and the struggles of the bench
P.J. Washington has been recovering from a right knee sprain. He was a two-way catalyst in the Mavs’ playoff run last season, especially after his heroics in the 2nd round against the OKC Thunder.
However, he has missed five straight games, and has an ‘unlikely’ status for the Mavs’ next game as well. The possibility of seeing him in the next one or two games is very low.
The Mavs are also facing a shortage of production from their bench players. Jaden Hardy, who was so promising in the Finals off the bench, has struggled in his 11 outings. He’s only managing 3.8 points per game in the 12 minutes that he gets.
To make matters worse, the Western Conference is full of good teams. The Thunder, the Warriors, the Rockets and the Suns aren’t going to give them easy chances to win games. The Lakers have also been on a dominant run with a four-game winning streak, which will only make things worse for the Mavs.
The fact that they weren’t able to beat the Jazz, the worst team in the West, is a scathing indictment that last year’s finalists have lost their way this season.
With the talent that the Mavs have, the issues they’re facing are not that grave. But if left unchecked, the four-game losing streak could snowball into yet another wasted season for Jason Kidd’s men.
