The Dallas Mavericks struggled to start the season, but have been playing better as of late. Here’s the play that may have altered the course of their season.
All it takes is one play, or one moment in an NBA game for fans and media members to start asking questions. The chemistry between teammates or a player’s ability are always under microscopic inspection. The Dallas Mavericks experienced such a phenomenon recently.
Regardless of their validity, rumors often accompany these questions and can potentially overwhelm a franchise. Whether these moments bring teammates together or create divisions in the locker room depends on the situation, however.
For the Dallas Mavericks, the play that altered the course of the early season occurred with 3:57 left in the third quarter of the Mavs’ 118-106 loss to the New York Knicks.
Center DeAndre Jordan collided with teammate Luka Doncic, securing a rebound after the ball bounced on the rookie’s head. Doncic looked frustrated following the play, to say the least.
Since Dallas had a record of 2-7, this spurred rumors that other Mavericks players were “freezing out” the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.
Instead of allowing for Jordan to become the early-season scapegoat, point guard Dennis Smith Jr. came to his defense with a cryptic Instagram post.
Dallas has been firing on all cylinders, going 6-2 over the past eight games. Among these wins was a 50-point blowout against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 14 and solid 112-109 win over the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
Now at 8-9, Dallas is 1.5 games back of the Houston Rockets for eighth place in the conference.
In contrast, the Warriors have experienced much more detrimental effects on their performance as of late. The moment took place on the bench before overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The conversation between forwards Draymond Green and Kevin Durant about Green’s decision-making at the end of regulation spiraled into an argument about Durant’s character and upcoming free agency.
Green was suspended one game without pay and the Warriors have lost five of their last six games, including the overtime loss to the Clippers.
Although Golden State is still likely to successfully defend their title, this might be the first cracks in the deteriorating foundation of their dynasty.
There are many reasons contributing to the Mavs’ recent success. Harrison Barnes and Ryan Broekhoff have been better acclimated in the offense and Smith has overcome a slow start to the season.
Doncic and Jordan have been clutch on offense and defense, respectively, and the rest of the Mavs have followed suit.
The Western Conference is too competitive to assume that the Mavs are a lock to make the playoffs. Still, the team’s response and play has shown they are capable of overcoming divisive rumors and are more unified now because of them.