After a season that fully met expectations, with the Texan team managing to reach the NBA Finalsa reconfirmation of this positive trend was expected. However, at the moment, this is not happening. THE Dallas Mavericks they are going through a disappointing start to the season, with a negative record of 6 wins and 7 defeats.
As the recent past of the NBA, and that of Dallas itself, teaches us, the level of play during the Regular Season is often very different from what we see in the Playoff NBAand the position in the ranking today has a much lower weight than in the past. These factors could reassure, at least in part, the fans of the Mavericks, who could hope for a recovery in the later stages of the season.
Although it is premature to take stock after just 13 games, there are aspects that could become problematic for the continuity of the Mavericks. One of them is the yield of Luka Doncic. Statistically, his numbers haven’t changed drastically, but his efficiency has certainly dropped. In fact, during these games, the Slovenian is shooting 42% from the field and 32% from three points, figures well below the standards we have become accustomed to.
And we cannot forget the defensive half of the field, where Doncic is showing several limitations this season. Despite his offensive talent, his ability to impact the defensive half of the field remains a problematic aspect, which could put the team’s continuity at risk.
It is known that the former Real Madrid player is the franchise man, the go-to-guy who manages most of the actions, but in periods of shooting difficulty, it would be much more advantageous to offload part of the possessions to Kyrie Irvingwho is scoring with significantly higher percentages.
Furthermore, the arrival of a Klay Thompson discontinuous did not compensate for the departures of key players. Systematic and impact athletes like Derrick Jones Jr. e Tim Hardaway Jr. they are difficult to replace. In particular, the current Clippers player with his athleticism and versatility on both sides of the court allowed coach Kidd’s team to deal with any type of match-up more effectively.
It is still too early to draw definitive conclusions. The Mavericks, in fact, are a team that in past seasons has always had difficulty finding continuity. In just three years, they went from finishing fourth to eleventh, and then moving up to fifth in one Western Conference which, especially this year, is decidedly more competitive and complex.
The championship is still long, with more 65 games to playbut getting wins right now, when the team hasn’t yet hit full stride, is an opportunity too valuable to pass up. Any success at this stage could prove crucial in the race to the postseason.
