Dallas Mavericks: Offense Will Be A Need At The Trade Deadline

The Dallas Mavericks are usually known for their electric offense, but this season it has been the reason for many bad losses.

The Dallas Mavericks have been defined by offense throughout the past decade and a half. A couple of teams in the early 2000s put up some of the best offensive ratings of all-time, like 110.7 and 112.2. It was their offense that powered Dallas to the Finals in 2006 and 2011, and their offense was what got them off to a hot start in 2014-15.

However this season, the narrative has not exactly been the same. The Mavs currently have the 18th-best offense in the league, averaging 100.5 PPG and shooting 43.8 percent each game. Since 1999-00, they have been lower than 12th just one time (2011-12).

Through their first 54 games of the season the Mavs went 29-25, scoring at least 100 points in half of their games (27). Eighteen of their 25 total losses came on nights when they did not reach 100 points.

One common theme for the team this year has been the pattern of hot shooting turning cold. For example, on Jan. 24 against the Houston Rockets, the Mavs scored at least 27 points in the first three quarters. That gave them a one-point lead heading to the fourth, where they would score only 19 points and ultimately lose the game by 11.

In other cases, the Mavs have started out slow, like on Feb. 5 when they scored 12 and 14 in the first two quarters. Though they went on to score 34 and 30 in the next two, it was too little too late against a team like the San Antonio Spurs.

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With that being the case, the front office needs to look for offense at the trade deadline. First of all, you have to break down their trade assets. Every member of the starting lineup is obviously untouchable and players like Devin Harris and Dwight Powell are most likely off limits in terms of bench play.

That leaves viable options of J.J. Barea, Charlie Villanueva, Jeremy Evans and John Jenkins, making it difficult for the Mavs. They aren’t going to get a game-changer for any of those guys. The only hope they would have is packaging a few of those players together or completing a multiple-team trade.

So who would be an option once Feb. 18 arrives?

The first and most obvious option would be Kevin Martin. The Mavs have always been interested in him and rumors even surfaced just a few weeks ago about the two sides possibly being linked once trade rumors begin to build. The 13-year veteran is averaging 11.3 PPG this season and would be a great sixth man.

The only problem with this option is Martin’s $7 million contract that extends over into 2016-17. A trade is possible but a more likely route would be signing him after a buyout.

Evan Turner is another player worth a look. Though the Boston Celtics would most likely be looking for draft picks, Turner is a great player that can do a little bit of everything while averaging 9.8 PPG.

One last option would be Jared Dudley of the Washington Wizards. He’s a great three-point shooter that puts up double-digits on a consistent basis. He would almost be an “updated” Charlie Villanueva in terms of coming off of the bench and staying active while he’s on the court.

Next: Three Superstars The Mavs Nearly Traded For

Though the Mavs will have a lot of thoughts and ideas to weigh as the trade deadline gets closer, they need to take a hard look at some offense in order to give their team a boost for the playoffs.