Dallas Mavericks: Offense Could Be An Issue Down The Stretch
By Cole Mentzel
The Dallas Mavericks are surprising many with their high level of play but a lacking offense could hurt them in the future.
The Dallas Mavericks are off to a great start in the Western Conference. They rode the momentum of a six-game win streak early in the season and have managed to stay in the West’s top five for the majority of the year.
Many players like Dirk Nowitzki and Wesley Matthews have been doing exactly what they are known for and that is part of the reason they are having success. However, players like Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia have been overachieving and that has given the Mavs an extra push.
Their bench is still great and the team is very well-rounded with an improved defense, but there is one flaw that has hurt them this season: offensive troubles.
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A year ago, the offense was the last thing the Mavs had to worry about. They still had Dirk Nowitzki and he had sidekicks like Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler helping out. They were on pace to have one of the best offensive ratings of all-time. When they traded for Rajon Rondo, they lost a little bit of that firepower but still had one of the better offenses in the league.
This season, the roster looks quite different but the players are all producing in a way that is leading to success. They do have an issue with scoring slumps though. In six of their eight losses this season, the Mavericks have been held to less than 100 points.
A few games have been exceptionally sloppy on the offensive end and have included long stretches with little offense at all.
On Nov. 30 against the Sacramento Kings, the Mavs were held to just 13 points in the third quarter. That poor execution helped the Kings gain a lead that they would never lose and the Mavs’ highest scorer was Chandler Parsons, who only scored 14 points.
On Nov. 25 against the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavs failed to score more than 23 points in any quarter. Their highest scorer was Wesley Matthews with 15 points and the team was limited to just 83 points on the night.
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On Nov. 3 against the Toronto Raptors, the Mavs shot only 38.4 percent from the field and missed plenty of opportunities in the third and fourth quarters where they could’ve taken the lead or taken control of the game.
They are currently ranked at 16th in the league offensively. They average 100.8 points per game with 44 percent shooting from the field. This type of offense is good enough to win some games but not good enough to compete with some of the elite teams in the league.
If the offense continues to have poor games such as these, the Mavs will be trapped in a cycle that leads to a near. 500 record. It could also become a burden late in the season if they are fighting for a playoff spot.
Rick Carlisle is a great coach and he will work these things out but one path the Mavs could choose to take is the trade route. Though it didn’t pay off for them last season, a bench player that plays with an offensive mindset could benefit the team.
Players like Omri Casspi, Evan Fournier and Thaddeus Young come to mind, but these players most likely will not be available once the trade deadline comes. With that being said, the Mavs have been known to make bold moves in the past.
Next: Williams, Pachulia Exceeding Expectations
Overall, the Mavs are a fairly solid team and if they can figure out a way to keep cold stretches away from their team, they could get even better. There aren’t too many issues to work through right now but the offense is an area that could definitely improve.