On Thursday, the struggling Dallas Mavericks will host the in-form Miami Heat at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks started February on a hot streak, winning seven straight games to climb to the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings. However, they suddenly went cold after that and have lost five of their last six games, slipping to eighth in the West, only one game clear of the 10th-placed Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Mavericks’ stunning dip is inexplicable. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have featured regularly in their past six games, but have been powerless in stopping Dallas’ alarming skid. Their next opponents, the Miami Heat, have won nine of their last 11 games, with their two losses coming against the Eastern Conference leaders, the Boston Celtics, and the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets. To make matters worse, Doncic is nursing a right ankle sprain and is on the Mavericks’ injury report for the game against the Heat.
However, the superstar guard’s status for tonight’s game has been listed as “Probable”, as per the Mavs’ latest injury report. He is likely to suit up and play against the Heat and look to end his team’s tumultuous run. Doncic and Dallas would also look to go on a winning streak to regain their previously held sixth spot, which will free them of Play-In concerns.
Mavericks’ defensive inconsistency is haunting them during their slump
When the Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, fans and analysts alike were excited to see the two team up to form the most offensively potent duo in the league. However, questions were raised about the Mavericks’ defense, as neither guard is known for their defensive proficiency.
The Mavericks have been consistent offensively since Irving joined the team, but their defense has been wildly inconsistent. During their seven-game winning streak in February, they gave up 104.5 points per game, which ranked #1 in the league during that span. However, in the subsequent six games, opponents are averaging 126 points against Dallas, which ranks 30th.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd’s response to questions about the team’s defensive effort suggests the inconsistency is unfixable. In Tuesday’s post-game press conference, he said,
“Our offense is our defense. Have I not said that? Okay, so when we score, we will play defense and I’m half joking, but I’m being also serious. When we put the ball in the basket, we are really good on both ends. The next step, and it’s a small step is when we don’t score, can we play defense? It’s really simple, right?”
Kidd’s response should ring alarm bells. Fourteen months into the Doncic and Irving era, the Mavericks’ defense has regressed further and they risk missing out on the playoffs for the second year running. The roster and the coaching staff need to address their defensive frailties or expect to slip further in the Western Conference standings.
