Dallas Mavericks: Focusing On Improving Team Defense In 2013-14
The Dallas Mavericks spent the offseason upgrading their roster at point guard (Jose Calderon), shooting guard (Monta Ellis) and at the center position (Samuel Dalembert). Dirk Nowitzki will be starting the season healthy for the first time in two years and he will find that he has a better collection of players surrounding him. Offensively the Mavericks have the potential to be an effective, high scoring team during the 2013-14 season. While Dallas is clearly a better offensive team, the buzzword from coach Rick Carlisle at the Mavericks 2013 Media Day was defense.
Speaking to the media on Sept. 30, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle had a quiet confidence when speaking about the Mavericks’ potential to have a strong offensive team in 2013-14. It only took Carlisle a few minutes to voice the importance of defense during the upcoming season.
"“We have to establish ourselves as a solid defensive team; we were OK last year, but we weren’t good enough.”"
Saying that Dallas was OK in 2012-13 is putting it nicely. Only three teams in the NBA allowed more points per game than the Mavericks last season. Dallas allowed opponents to score an average of 101.7 points per game. The last time the Mavericks allowed more than 100 points per game was the 2008-09 season.
The Mavericks will be counting on Samuel Dalembert to provide them with a defensive presence in the paint. (Photo Credit/Brandon Jennings/InsideDFWsports.com)
The Mavericks do not have the roster in place to be one of the top defensive teams in the league. Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon will ensure the Mavericks finish the season as one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, but their collective strengths are all on the offensive side of the ball. While the Mavericks roster is not full of defensive stoppers, they do possess a strong defensive center in Samuel Dalembert and a creative head coach in Rick Carlisle. Dallas will rely on effort, communication and team defense to give Dallas enough stops to win close games.
Carlisle knows the current roster will provide him with a challenge on the defensive side of the ball and he spoke about what it will take.
"“We have to do it collectively; we have to establish a covenant that it is going to be important. I’ve got to have the stomach to make sure guys are doing the things to sacrifice put us in a position to be a lot better than we were last year. That has to be a big part of what we are doing.”"
Carlisle will experiment quite a bit in the preseason and the early part of the regular season as he attempts to determine which lineup combinations give the Mavericks a strong team on both ends of the court. Carlisle may not be working with a roster composed of defensive stoppers, but that will not prevent him from focusing on defense leading into the season.
"When speaking about the Mavericks roster, Carlisle said, “I’ve got to fit these guys into a defensive system that can help us be better than we were last year. That’s going to be the crux of our mission.”"
The Mavericks defense won’t have to resemble the 1989 Detroit Pistons for Dallas to make a return to the playoffs in 2013-14. Dallas has a legitimate superstar in Dirk Nowitzki and he is surrounded by a better supporting cast than he had last season. Carlisle will put a team on the court that will creative mismatches on the offensive end, but it will take more than offense and Rick Carlisle knows it.
"“I like this team offensively; this is going to come to defense.”"
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