After the fiasco that involved being left out of playoffs last year, the viability of the Dallas Mavericks project begins to be measured this Sunday with the first postseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Texan franchise, led by Luka Dončić who finished as the season’s top scorer (33.9 points per game), has been seeing for years how the Slovenian star’s level is not enough to fight for the championship. After an irregular start to the season, Jason Kidd’s journey on the bench seemed to be in danger, but the adjustments made to the squad before the market closed have completely changed the team’s reality. The Mavericks have recorded a balance of 22 wins and 9 losses since then, supported by one of the best defenses in the league and, above all, driven by the feeling that Dončić is, finally, surrounded by a team of guarantees.
The meeting with the Clippers will be the third that both franchises have had in the last five years. The Angelenos won the first round in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, but the disparate trends between both teams point to a duel of maximum equality. The Californians caused fear during several sections of the season on the back of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and with the recovery of James Harden for the cause, but while the Mavericks have grown in recent months, the Clippers have deflated with 15 losses in the 31 games played after the closing of the transfer window. The physical condition of Kawhi Leonard, in doubt due to injury, is another of the great keys to the crossing.
Dallas’ improvement is explained, above all, in the strategic movement of Jason Kidd’s team before the market closed in February. The Mavs got rid of shooter Seth Curry, power forward Grant Williams, once brilliant with the Boston Celtics but a complete bust in the Mavs, in exchange for two interior players: the physical interior Daniel Gafford and the four shooter PJ Washington. The objective was to sacrifice pieces for the sake of a drastic improvement in the team’s defensive and rebounding level, and the bet has turned out well.
Before the trade, the Mavs were 25th in rebounding and 26th in blocks. At the end of the season, they are seventh in sacks and 17th in blocks. The improvement in the inside game also translates into the difference between the points scored in the opponent’s paint and those conceded in their own. The signing of Gafford and the general improvement of Kidd’s pupils has led the Mavericks to go from being the second worst team in points scored in the opposing paint to 16th place, but above all, in the defensive section, from 22nd most scores allowed in his basket, the sixth best protecting the rim.
Another factor that explains the team’s dynamics is its ability to win tight games, something known as clutch. This is measured based on games won when in the last five minutes of the game there is a difference of five points or less on the scoreboard. In this section, the Mavs are the second best in the league, only behind the Lakers. In close finishes, Dallas wins 71.9% of duels.
All these reasons have pushed the team to guarantee their direct pass to the playoffs and Luka Dončić has maintained his level with averages in regular season who are close to the triple double: 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists. In addition, the star called to accompany Dončić, Kyrie Irving, is also more focused (25.6 points per game) and, above all, is avoiding injuries. The good work of both figures, added to the defensive level, has allowed the Mavs to avoid the play-in and finish fifth in the very competitive Western Conference.
The collective improvement has also allowed Dončić to fully enter the pools to win the MVP, although it will not be easy. Despite his brutal numbers and Dallas’ good record, the fact that both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets (tied at the top of the standings with 57 wins and 25 losses), suggests that the Slovenian will once again stay with the desire this time. Barring a surprise, Nikola Jokic will win his third trophy or Canadian Shai-Gilgeous Alexander will debut his locker thanks to Oklahoma’s surprising campaign.
Since Dončić’s arrival in the 18-19 season, the furthest the Mavs have gone in the playoffs is the conference final lost in the 21-22 season against the Golden State Warriors. In his first year, the Slovenian did not enter playoffs; In the next two championships, Dallas fell in the first round to the Clippers, and in 22-23, the project was shipwrecked and they did not even manage to sneak into the play-in after finishing eleventh. The shadow of Dirk Nowitzki, champion against LeBron James’ Miami Heat in 2011, hovers over the American Airlines Center. The player called to succeed him as a European basketball legend is finally not alone in his quest for glory.
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