The Dallas Mavericks have won all of their first four games. Some positive trends can be seen, even if there is a limitation.
In 44 years of franchise history, it is only the fourth time that the Mavericks have won the first four games. The last time this was achieved was in 2004/2005, but like 1995/96 there was a defeat in the fifth game. In 2002/2003, Dirk Nowitzki and Co. won a whopping 14 games in a row, only Houston (15, 1993/94) and Golden State (24, 2015/16) were able to top this in the league.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic is in MVP form
Despite just 18 points against the Chicago Bulls, Luka Doncic is still at the top of the scoring list, a whopping 33.8 points on average for the Slovenian, who returned in time for the start of the season after a long summer with the national team and persistent thigh problems in preparation is in top shape.
In general, Doncic looks significantly fitter than in previous years and is therefore almost unstoppable. The Bulls only managed to do this because they applied massive pressure and forced Doncic to give up the ball, so that the superstar only took 16 throws. The Mavs still won, but you can’t blame Chicago for this strategy, as Doncic otherwise outplayed everyone one-on-one.
What was particularly noticeable was that Doncic goes to the ring less often and instead takes almost 50 percent of his attempts from outside. That can have several reasons. On the one hand, there are still a few percent missing here and there or because Doncic is scoring so outstandingly in these first few days. Despite going 1/8 against Chicago, the Slovenian is still at 42.5 percent from distance.
Of course, like Doncic, the attempts were rarely easy, like here for example, the more highly it should be valued. Of course, this could also be a hot phase, after all, Luka never shot better than 35 percent from outside over a season. Should Doncic at least continue to scratch at 40 percent with this volume (11.3 3PA), then that would almost be curry level. And another nugget: It took Doncic four games to receive his first technical foul. – by his standards, that’s almost progress.
Dallas Mavericks: The first games at a glance
Dallas Mavericks: The new guys help immediately
And at least against the Bulls, who were in a bit of a crisis, there was no need for another Luka gala; instead, the many role players also made plays. What is striking is that the new ones in particular have integrated quickly and are contributing to the team’s success. Grant Williams plays the most minutes after Doncic and Kyrie Irving (who was even missing in two wins) and has seamlessly brought his qualities with him from Boston.
Williams plays good defense and is one of the best three-point shooters from the corner. He won’t be able to hold 55 percent from downtown either, but the beefy forward is respected across the league and will be able to widen the field. The 24-year-old is not afraid of important shots, as seen against San Antonio, as seen against Chicago, when Williams hit 7 of his 9 three-pointers – setting a career high. Coach Kidd even recently described Williams as “the voice we didn’t have last year.” Maybe Williams can have a little influence on the moody Doncic, During the Bulls game, the forward announced that Doncic should let him talk to the refs.
The big surprise, meanwhile, is Derrick Jones Jr., whose athleticism gives the team a new element on the wing. It’s often not a good sign when a player signed shortly before the season starts straight away at the minimum, but DJJ has absolutely earned this spot with his performance and is not a disruptive factor in the offense. But the same applies to him: He is not known as a shooter; his career average is 30.6 percent. That was also one of the reasons why Jones Jr. was still available in September. During his time in Miami (2018-2020), DJJ proved that he can be a valid rotation player in the right environment.
The team is significantly more well-stocked with NBA players in almost all positions who also deserve this label. For example, the up-and-coming Jaden Hardy hardly sees any minutes before sinking an important three-pointer in crunch time against Chicago. That is valuable. And even more valuable: Doncic had the trust in this phase and actually passed the ball to the youngster.
Dallas Mavericks: Dereck Lively II exceeds expectations
Speaking of youngsters: The headlines here obviously belong to Dereck Lively II, who also has his moments in an already brutal rookie class for bigs (Wembanyama, Holmgren). Of course, there will still be games in which the 19-year-old will have to learn his lessons, but the Mavs’ vision is clearly visible, even if the Tyson-Chandler comparisons are very far-fetched for the moment.
However, it is also a fact that the Mavs have a net rating of 14.6 with Lively. The big is simply a good fit alongside Doncic. As an incredible athlete, he is a constant threat of praise, finishes almost everything at the basket and has already indicated that he also has the overview to play the right passes to the shooters under pressure. Fun Fact: After Doncic and Irving, no one has racked up more assists for the Mavs than Lively (well, it’s just 7).
Defensively, there is also a lot of room for improvement; the Mavs will live with the classic rookie mistakes, at least that’s the hope. In the Nets game, Jason Kidd preferred to rely on small ball, ultimately successfully, but in the long run the reps would have been desirable for Lively. It may still be early, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable that Dallas has found a starting center at No. 12 in the draft.
Dallas Mavericks: The schedule was a gift
But now to the other part of the truth. The Mavs have had a very soft schedule so far and are shooting lights out from outside. If you want to have something to say in the West, you should already beat teams like San Antonio, Memphis without a frontcourt and Ja Morant, Brooklyn and Chicago. That’s what the Mavs did, and as a reward they are the only undefeated team in the league other than Boston.
The first real test will come on Saturday night when Dallas visits the champions in Denver at the start of the new in-season tournament. The Mavs were less lucky here; their group with the champions, the Clippers, New Orleans and Houston is the hardest the new tournament has to offer.
Nevertheless, it is positive that the Mavs are doing their duty, which is exactly what broke their necks last year when a series of such games were given up. In order to be successful this season, these games must be won in the strong West and the offense must continue to hum. The Mavs currently have the second-best offense in the league and are at least below average defensively. If this remains the case, then there is a chance of getting a direct playoff place.
Dallas Mavericks: Upcoming games
2023-11-02 09:26:00
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