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The Dallas Mavericks, led by Slovenian wonderboy Luka Doncic, are off to a rough 8-11 start in the shortened 2020-21 NBA season. The Mavs lost in an exciting six-game series against the heavily favored Los Angeles Clippers. One could argue that had Kristaps Porzingis not gotten injured then the results of that series would have been very different. It seemed Dallas' timeline was to be competitive in the Western Conference was shortened. On the heels of such a promising season, it is surprising that the team finds itself in 13th place in the West.
Is it time to be concerned about the Dallas Mavericks?
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The Mavs find themselves mired in a four-game losing streak. Their last loss was a convincing one at the hands of the Utah Jazz, who didn't even have Donovan Mitchell.
Last season, Dallas had a potent offense and a defense that lagged behind it. This was one of the reasons behind trading for Josh Richardson, which sent Seth Curry to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavs needed a more balanced team, particularly on defense. The Sixers needed outside shooting. It was supposed to be a win-win deal.
So far, the Sixers are the only ones winning. Curry is currently scoring 14.3 points a contest and shooting over 50 percent from deep. Meanwhile, Richardson has had had some good games, but for the most part, he's been inefficient. He is shooting below 30 percent from 3—down from 34.1 percent in the 2019-20 season. The acquisition of James Johnson was also meant to shore up the defense and add some toughness.
Despite these moves, the Mavericks have a middling defense, which ranks close to what they had the season prior. The difference now is Dallas' offense ranks just 22nd. This is a far cry from their third-ranked offense last year.
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Doncic's putting up MVP numbers of 27.3 points, 9.2 boards, 9.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He's averaging a near triple-double per outing, reminiscent of Russell Westbrook's MVP campaign. Time and time again, it has been proven that there is a hard ceiling on teams led by a single star. This is where Porzingis comes in. The Latvian All-Star is a great complement to Doncic.
When Porzingis is on the court, he is producing similar to what he was doing in his first year with the Mavs, although his 3-point percentage is down. He's only played in 10 games, due to injury.
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On the other hand, several players have missed significant time due to COVID-19 protocols. This includes Richardson. Eventually, the Mavs will get healthy and gel into a more cohesive unit. Down the stretch of the season and barring any injuries again, Porzingis will be able to play more and have fewer minutes restrictions. Head coach Rick Carlisle is still one of the best in the league. He will be able to figure out what rotations and lineups work.
Also, the Mavs might be buyers in the trade market. Some rumors have linked them to Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond. While Drummond's game is better suited in the 1990s or early 2000s, he's a double-double machine and elite defender. Dallas is in dire need of rebounding, a category in which Drummond has led the league four times.
The law of averages is still in effect. The Mavs have the lowest 3-point mark in the league at 32.9 percent. There is nowhere to go but up. It's just a matter of time before Dallas collectively finds their rhythm from outside.
Lastly, Dallas has played 19 games of a 72-game season. There is more than enough basketball left to be played. We have seen several teams seemingly turn the switch on after the All-Star break or sooner and have a strong run finish to the regular season.
