As the NBA offseason reaches its tedious summit, Def Pen Hoops brings you a preview of all 30 teams in just 30 days. This time around, it’s the Dallas Mavericks being shoved under the microscope.
This summer was filled with teams lying low after the 2016 spending spree. Dallas, however, wasn’t shy when it came to bringing in handy reinforcements after finishing with a disastrous 24-58 record last season. Now, the Mavs look primed to jump start their rebuild.
New Faces
Luka Doncic: Third pick in 2018 draft (traded from Atlanta for pick 5)
Jalen Brunson: 33rd pick in 2018 draft
Ray Spalding: 56th pick in 2018 draft (traded from Philadelphia with pick 60 for pick 54)
Kostas Antetokounmpo: 60th pick in 2018 draft
DeAndre Jordan: Signed a one-year, $24.1 million deal
Hanging Around
Wesley Matthews: opted into the last year of his four-year, $70 million contract
Dirk Nowitzki: Returned on a one-year, $5 million deal
Hitting the Road
Nerlens Noel: Signed a two-year minimum deal with Oklahoma City
Seth Curry: Moved to the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-year, $2.75 million deal
Doug McDermott: Signed a three-year, $22 million contract with the Indiana Pacers
Yogi Ferrell: signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Sacramento Kings
The Outlook
It’s fair to say that, with the exception of 3-point sniper Seth Curry walking away for a fairly manageable price, the Dallas Mavericks hit the draft and free agency out of the ballpark. Trading up for European prodigy Luka Doncic was the suavest move of draft night, and all three of their second-rounders have rotational potential. The Mavs were likely happy to avoid McDermott’s pricey deal, while Noel and Ferrell aren’t losses that are going to come back to haunt them any time soon.
Conversely, bringing back franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki – who still has enough left in the tank to be helpful – on a team-friendly deal is a commendable effort, and Matthews’ extortionate contract is a bit more palatable with just a single year left. The cherry on top of a fantastic summer’s worth of dealings was the one-year, risk-free deal with former All-Star center DeAndre Jordan.
Add these additions to the already-thrilling potential of Dennis Smith Jr., and the new wave of Mavericks basketball is slowly starting to emerge, slowly but surely beginning to emerge from the pile of losses they racked up in the last three seasons.
Even with this exciting offseason transformation, the Mavs still have to face the steep, slippery death-climb we know as the Western Conference. Future Hall-of-Fame head coach Rick Carlisle will be energized and keen to impress with his new-and-improved squad, but it’s not going to be easy.
The moves they made were pleasing for the fans, but none of them will improve the 17th-best 3-point percentage Dallas posted last season, which could spell trouble. Jordan doesn’t venture outside the paint, and Doncic, while possessing immense scoring potential from all three levels, only shot 30.9 percent from distance in his final European season and will undoubtedly need time to adjust to his new surroundings.
Now that the less-spectacular Curry is in Portland, the immortal Nowitzki is the only player capable of burying 3s at a high rate (Unless Smith Jr. or Harrison Barnes make Neil Armstrong-type leaps from long range). Although Dirk’s 40.9 percent 3-point clip from 2017-18 was the fourth-highest mark of his career, it’s fool’s gold to rely on a 40-year-old for your shooting needs.
However, there are important areas the Dallas Mavericks will likely improve in that will make them a truly entertaining team. First, they were horrible in transition last season, which will be corrected. DeAndre Jordan is truly dominant when he gallops the floor, and Smith Jr. has a dazzling burst of speed and eye-popping hops. Sprinkle Doncic’s coast-to-coast ability, and you can picture the flashy, effective fast breaks Dallas will run.
Not only will the Mavericks be improved in transition next season, they should also boast an enhanced pick-and-roll game, where they already grace the upper echelons of the league. Dallas ended the season scoring 0.97 points per possession in pick-and-rolls, the seventh-best mark in the league. The aforementioned passing chops Doncic provides will go a long way toward helping in this area, as will sophomore point guard Smith, who will need some summertime polishing.
The 20-year-old dazzled Mavericks fans at times with his oozing potential last season but scored just 0.70 PPP in his pick-and-roll opportunities. Smith Jr. was often sloppy and out of control with his drives, and lacks the soft shooting touch to warrant the number of pull-up jumpers he takes coming off the screen.
Problems aside, the 6-foot-3 guard’s pick-and-roll game has some obviously glimmering hope. Along with his amazing athleticism, Smith Jr. has an incredible knack for squeezing through tight spaces with the ball on a string. He often gets easy dunks and layups after cramming his way through pick-and-roll coverage; he just needs to find a way to do it more consistently.
With an offseason packed full of practicing, DSJ should be a vital piece to the Dallas Mavericks’ puzzle. The odds of Dallas finishing in playoff contention in a Western Conference that features fearsome opponents at every turn is low. Nonetheless, the Mavericks made big strides back toward the success the storied franchise is used to.
The outlook is burning bright in Dallas, time to get your shades.
