The Mavericks have lost 5 of their last 7 and have fallen dangerously close to the play-in with the Warriors and Lakers only 1.5-2.5 games behind them. Despite having a stacked top of the lineup with the likes of all-star Kyrie Irving and MVP candidate Luka Doncic, this is the second year in a row that there has been a midseason disintegration of their playoff chances. All of this begs the question: What’s wrong with the Mavericks?
What’s Wrong With the Mavericks: Dallas Hits Cold Streak
Potential Causes
The obvious thought would be that the stars are slumping. However, that hasn’t been the case. Luka has been just as elite as ever, averaging 34.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 9.8 APG. Irving has been the perfect Robin to Luka’s Batman, so the fault doesn’t lie with him either.
The real problem is the bench. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been in something of a slump lately, shooting below 30% from the field in each of his last three games. Furthermore, PJ Washington has come back down to earth after a stellar first few games in Dallas, obtaining a negative plus/minus in four of his last game games. Finally, the center position has been a revolving door of average to below average play. Dereck Lively II is doing well, but he is still a rookie and clearly shows it at times. The other center on the team, Maxi Kleber, has been having a down year, averaging career lows in points, rebounds, eFG, and FG%. This void at the center position has created a sieve in the defense that allows opposing big men to dominate the Mavs.
The second and some would say, main cause of the Mavericks’ recent misfortunes has been coach Jason Kidd. Kidd has been making some truly baffling roster decisions as of late. His decision to continue giving significant playing time to Kleber has been one such decision. Lively isn’t perfect, but he is clearly the better and more reliable center of the two available. Another such decision is continuing to give Hardaway Jr. significant minutes despite his slump. I understand that it is important to not ruin a player’s confidence by benching them. However, Hardaway has been extremely anti-clutch, basically directly costing them wins against the 76ers and Celtics in recent weeks. The Mavericks’ roster is somewhat poorly constructed due to being so top-heavy, but Kidd has not been utilizing it to its fullest potential.
Mavericks Cold Streak Potential Fixes
The number one possible fix is coaching decisions. Kidd needs to take a hard look at his roster and make some changes in his lineup decisions. Lively needs to see more time and Kleber needs to see less. Some people would make the argument that the team needs to keep Lively fresh for the playoffs. However, the Mavs need to actually make the playoffs and currently, they are sliding down the standings and out of the playoffs at an alarming rate.
Furthermore, Hardaway Jr. needs to see less time, especially in the clutch. I understand that benching him would not be great for his confidence, but he cannot be out there shooting contested logo shots in the final seconds of the game. It’s just crushing to the team and their place in the standings.
Finally, the last fix might seem counterintuitive. Luka might need to play less. Luka is undoubtedly the best player on the team and the team is significantly better when he is on the court. Luka’s 36.0 usage rate is the highest among active players. There is a significant risk that he will be absolutely gassed by the time the Mavs reach the playoffs. Having Luka gassed would be a disaster for the Mavs as they rely on Luka to do everything. They need to conserve him for the playoffs. However, they also need to balance that with ending this recent cold streak.
Last Word
The Mavericks are an exciting team and Luka and Kyrie are two of the most electrifying players in the league. However, their extremely top-heavy roster construction combined with poor coaching decisions and unfortunate slumps from key players has put them on a recent cold streak. They are currently 8th in the West with the Lakers and Warriors hot on their heels. They need to snap this cold streak now or else they might be out of the playoffs entirely. That would be another year of Luka’s prime wasted. The team cannot afford that.
