The Dallas Mavericks lost 107-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. Boston was seemingly in control for most of the game. The Mavs are still afloat in the series but need to make some adjustments.
The Celtics were able to receive far too many open looks. The Mavs, meanwhile, were inefficient on the offensive end of the floor. So what led to those results?
Without further ado, here are three adjustments the Mavericks must make for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Who is guarding Kristaps Porzingis?
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the best players on the Celtics. But Kristaps Porzingis' versatility changes the entire dynamic of a game. He's a big who can shoot the ball well from deep. If Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford, the Mavs centers, are guarding Porzingis, they will end up following him to the perimeter. That leads to potential open looks in the paint.
And if the defense protects the paint after the center heads to the perimeter, there will end up being an open three-point shooter.
Another issue that JJ Redick pointed out was that Tatum and Brown got by their defenders on a consistent basis. This led to more problems in the paint. The Celtics stars were able to make various different plays after getting by their perimeter defenders.
If Porzingis moves to the three-point line and Tatum or Brown blows by their defender, the Mavericks are in serious trouble. So how can Dallas adjust?
It should be noted that multiple different players guarded Porzingis at various times after switching in Game 1. Perhaps PJ Washington could attempt to be Porzingis' primary defender without switching. Porzingis would have a size advantage, but Washington is a talented defender who can guard both the perimeter and in the paint.
The Mavs could even implement a hybrid zone of sorts intended to keep Gafford and Lively near the basket. Their rim-protecting ability will be crucial moving forward. The Mavericks only had one block in Game 1, and that belonged to Maxi Kleber.
Lively and Gafford will have more opportunities to contest and block shots by remaining near the basket.
Kyrie Irving's adjustment
Kyrie Irving is a great player and he's going to bounce back following his difficult Game 1. Kyrie scored just 12 points on 6-19 shooting from the field and 0-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
The difference was in other games this postseason where he did not score much, Kyrie still positively contributed in other areas. In Game 1, however, he had just three rebounds and two assists. It should be noted that he recorded two steals, but Dallas needs more offensive production from Irving without question.
So what exactly is the adjustment here?
This will contradict the next adjustment in the article to an extent, but I will explain my thinking later. However, Kyrie Irving needs to be more aggressive with his three-point shot.
The Mavericks feature two primary ball-handlers in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. As a result, there is a better opportunity for either player to receive an open shot. Irving may have gone 0-5, but in all reality the Mavs would benefit from Irving shooting 8-12 three-pointers per game in the NBA Finals.
Why? Well, Irving is a tremendous three-point shooter. And in today's NBA, being able to connect from deep can completely change the dynamic of a game. An 0-5 effort is what it is, but it's not enough volume to truly make an impact one way or the other.
The Celtics will need to make adjustments of their own if Kyrie starts shooting 10 three-pointers per outing in the NBA Finals. And if he starts connecting on a consistent basis from beyond the arc, the Mavs will gain a massive advantage.
Mavericks must attack the paint
As mentioned, I noted that the Kyrie Irving adjustment may contradict this adjustment. Irving's adjustment was just for him, though.
I do need to make it clear that I'm not saying Irving should abandon driving to the basket. He's one of the best guard finishers in the NBA. I'm also not saying that the Mavericks as a team should abandon the three-point shot.
However, you do not want to live and die by the three-pointer. In Game 1, Dallas went 7-27 from deep. That is a lackluster 25.9 three-point shooting percentage.
27 shots from beyond the arc is not incredibly eye-opening, but it is enough to catch one's attention given their struggles. Dallas only took 19 free throw attempts. Luka Doncic had five free-throw attempts and Irving did not attempt a single free throw in the game.
Dallas needs to utilize a strict effort to drive to the basket and either finish at the rim or draw more fouls. Placing pressure on the Celtics big men in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis will lead to foul trouble and potential frustration.
Attacking the paint will also lead to more opportunities for open three-point shots. As a result, the Mavericks are destined to see an efficiency increase if they executive this adjustment.
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