Dallas is starting to look like one of the West’s best
The Mavericks are 3-0 in the last week with two wins against the Jazz and a road victory in Sacramento. Dallas is now 43-29 and officially owns the sixth spot in the Western Conference, ahead of the Kings by one game. Josh Green remains out with an ankle injury.
Grade: A+
The Mavericks have been one of the best teams in the league for a little over two weeks. They are 9-1 in their last 10, have escaped the play-in (for now), and have even restored the vibes surrounding the team. After their victory against the Kings on Tuesday, Luka Doncic joked about being Kyrie Irving’s Robin, and made it a point to say the team chemistry is excellent:
“He’s the Batman, I’m the Robin.”
Luka speaks to his chemistry with Kyrie pic.twitter.com/kKrqv8hvF2
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 27, 2024
Over this stretch of nine wins in 10 games, Dallas is top-five in points per game, field goal percentage, defensive rating, and net rating. They are the only team that is top-five in all four. In the same time frame, Luka Doncic is averaging 29.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Kyrie Irving is pouring in 23.6 points on nearly 50 percent shooting.
The center spot has been a sweet surprise. Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford have averaged a combined 23.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks in just under 44 minutes per game during this 10-game stretch. The revolving door at center has given opposing teams almost no rest against the Mavericks’ big men, and this has resulted in Dallas allowing 45.8 points in the paint during this surge, as opposed to the 51.7 they average for the year. If they kept that paint protection up for the whole year, it would be the second-best number in the NBA this season.
At this juncture, the Mavericks are a real threat in the Western Conference. Realistically, the only teams they do not match up well against are the Nuggets and Timberwolves, if Karl-Anthony Towns is healthy. Even then, Luka Doncic can be the best player on the floor at any moment, which could win you a playoff game by itself. The Mavericks are dangerous, and it would not be surprising to see this team back in the Conference Finals.
Straight A’s: Jason Kidd
For as much blame as Kidd deserves for various losses this year, he deserves every ounce of credit for having the Mavericks ready for the biggest game of the year. Playing a back-to-back on the road, against the team directly ahead of you, with all the implications on the line, is not easy. To go out and win by almost 40 points is gutsy and the preparation for that falls on the coach.
Jason Kidd pushed all the right buttons to get his team ready for that game. He played a playoff-like rotation for three quarters and the intensity reflected a heightened awareness of the situation. Outside of that game, he has established the right rotations. Beginning the game with Gafford to establish a rim presence while Lively backs him up and dominates reserve bigs has worked. Derrick Jones Jr.’s return to the starting lineup in place of Josh Green or Dante Exum has allowed Dallas to be dominant defensively to open games. The management of Tim Hardaway Jr.’s minutes has benefited them when he has had poor shooting nights (which has been a lot). Kidd may not be a great coach in the aggregate, but he has had some really good moments in this push for sixth place.
Extra Credit: Tim Hardaway Jr.
After his excruciating stretch earlier this month, Hardaway has found his shot again in the last two games, where he has scored 35 points on 7-of-15 from three. He is a plus-27 in his 55 minutes of play and has started to look more like the version of himself that can help Dallas win games. The Mavericks will need him to continue this upward trend as the postseason looms.