Dallas Mavericks: Rebounding Is A Major Need

The Dallas Mavericks had many key issues in 2015-16, but perhaps none were bigger than their rebounding woes.

The 2015-16 Dallas Mavericks could be classified as one of the more average teams in the league. They had the capability of challenging elite teams while also suffering frustrating losses to poor teams in the process.

It was all a part of a season that featured eight new players on the roster and many injuries, leading to a lack of consistency throughout the season.

While the Mavs had certain issues, like scoring problems and defensive failures, there’s one thing they struggled with on a nightly basis: rebounding.

It’s been a key factor in the locker room for the past few seasons. In fact, 2008-09 was the last time the Mavs were in the top 10 in rebounding, when they averaged 42.7 rebounds a game.

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While there were other seasons, like 2010-11 for instance, where it could simply be covered up, 2015-16 didn’t provide the same opportunity.

In the regular season, the Mavs were the 19th-best rebounding team in the league, averaging 43.1 rebounds per game.

They averaged just 9.2 offensive rebounds, which was better than only four other teams, and they suffered from a minus-2.7 differential, which was the fifth-highest number seen. Along the way, they endured brutal stretches, featuring spans of five minutes or more with no boards.

In the playoffs, things got worse. The Mavs were the worst rebounding team in the postseason with just 35.0 rebounds per game, suffering from a minus-12.2 differential.

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Sure, they were playing the

Oklahoma City Thunder

, one of the best rebounding teams in the league, but players like

,

,

and

proved to be overwhelming to the rest of the Mavs team.

The Mavs’ best rebounder over the course of the season was Zaza Pachulia, who averaged 9.4 rebounds per game. Behind him was mid-season signing David Lee with 7.0 and Dirk Nowitzki with 6.5.

Then the postseason hit and everything fell apart. The Mavs’ best rebounder was still Pachulia, but he averaged just 5.4 rebounds per game and no one else even hit five.

Again, some of that can be credited to the size and strength of the Thunder and some of their overpowering big men, but it still shows a true weakness in the team.

According to head coach Rick Carlisle, the Mavs plan on solving some of those issues by looking for some guys this summer that can come in and become valuable paint players (via Mavs.com):

"“We’ve got to get some monsters that push and shove, throw people out of the way and go get the ball,” Carlisle explained. “We’ve got to get more of those guys. We’ve got to block out and we’ve got to have five guys going (for the rebound) all the time. And when it matters, we’ve got to get the rebounds.”"

Fortunately for them, those kind of players will be available in free agency.

At the center position, there’s Hassan Whiteside (11.8 RPG), Joakim Noah (8.8 RPG), Al Horford (7.3 RPG) and Al Jefferson (6.4 RPG), along with Pachulia, who will be a unrestricted free agent.

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Then there’s Dwight Howard (11.8 RPG) and Bismack Biyombo (8.0 RPG), two players expected to opt out this summer.

The reason I only listed centers as options is because I believe the center position can provide the biggest swing for the team, in terms of rebounding.

At the beginning of 2015-16, when Pachulia was notching double-doubles left and right, the team was thriving, but as February approached, and Pachulia’s big nights became more rare, the Mavs began to drop in the standings.

Heading into the 2016-17 season, they are going to have to make sure they make some big changes so they can avoid falling right back into the same hole again.

They can always look from within, as re-signing David Lee would provide them with a great bench presence, but they’ll most likely have to go out and find a big man capable of dominating the boards on any given night.

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If the Mavs plan on building a championship team around Dirk Nowitzki in his final NBA seasons, they are going to have to make sure they get a steady rebounding output each night.