Dallas Mavericks’ Role Players Stepped Up Amidst Stars’ Struggles

An often discussed topic in basketball circles is the construction of the Dallas Mavericks ever since Luka Dončić burst onto the scene immediately upon stepping on an NBA court. Most of this discourse has been centered around the Mavericks’ inability to surround their Slovenian superstar with adequate help, both offensively and in the grittier areas of basketball.

Several of Dončić’s early playoff series involved supernatural scoring performances only to be let down by the lackluster supporting cast on their way to premature postseason exits. Dončić certainly isn’t without his own shortcomings in terms of effort, defense, and his questionable style of play, but the poor rosters built around him have been the main reason Dallas has fallen short.

Dallas began to reverse this trend in February 2023, when they sent away two veteran stalwarts in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith to acquire Brooklyn Nets’ star Kyrie Irving. This move worked out extremely poorly because of the thin roster surrounding the two superstars, leading to the Mavericks shockingly missing the playoffs.

The narratives swirling around the trade were harsh, as Dallas looked very unprepared to build a winner around their two stars, creating the buzz that Dončić would eventually leave the franchise. However, the Mavericks quietly went to work in the off-season to improve around the margins by making several underrated acquisitions that have completely transformed the identity of the team.

Dallas is now reaping the benefits.

Acquisitions of Jones Jr., Lively, Exum, and Williams Had a Huge Effect

Despite flying under the radar, Dallas had a fantastic off-season

The biggest problem the Mavericks dealt with over the past five seasons has been their atrocious defense, which stemmed from a shortage of athletes with size on the roster. They had very few perimeter defenders while also lacking quality rim protection, a formula for defensive disaster. Having Irving and Dončić at the point-of-attack without backline help in the paint resulted in one of the league’s worst defenses, limiting any ability to contend for championships.

Dallas began the road to solving this debilitating issue by making four small, but invaluable moves: drafting Dereck Lively, signing Dante Exum from overseas, Derrick Jones Jr. on a veteran minimum, and trading for Grant Williams. All four players had a common skill: they are excellent defenders who can also provide some value offensively.

Lively is a hyperathletic big who specializes in rim protection while also being a lob threat, Exum is an elite three-point shooter who can guard the ball, Williams is a stocky, tough defender who can hit threes, and Jones Jr. is a lockdown point-of-attack defender as well as one of the better athletes in the NBA.

These moves didn’t make a ton of noise around the NBA community at the time, but each has paid dividends for Dallas. Jones Jr., Exum, and Lively have all provided needed contributions, while Williams was used in the trade to acquire PJ Washington. The weak Mavericks roster had begun to progress.

Dallas Had a Great Trade Deadline

PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford changed the physical profile of this squad

Keeping with the theme of underrated acquisitions, the Mavericks traded Williams and Richaun Holmes for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington at the trade deadline. What seemed like small moves at the time because of underperformance from both players in losing situations changed the course of the Mavericks season, and their franchise going forward.

Since the trade deadline, Dallas has been the fourth-best team in the NBA, boasting a record of 22-9 after beginning the season just 28-23. The continued mediocrity gave Mavericks fans cause to worry that another season of Dončić’s prime was going down the drain.

Adding two more players to the existing additions from the off-season gave Dallas an excellent rotation beyond just Dončić and Irving. Hardaway, Kleber, Jones, Exum, Gafford, Washington, and Lively are a great group of versatile players that allows Dallas to play any style of basketball and hold up better in intense playoff environments.

The Mavericks now are in an unfamiliar spot where they are winning playoff games against top-tier competition on the backs of tertiary scoring options, defense, and rebounding while their two stars struggle to get going. In the past, a Dončić/Irving stinker series could be a death sentence for Dallas, but they disposed of the Los Angeles Clippers in six games and are now just one win away from the Conference Finals.

Mavericks’ New Formula has Covered for Dončić, Irving

Defensive turnaround plus role player scoring has saved Dallas

Dončić and Irving haven’t been their usual selves offensively throughout the first two series of Dallas’ playoff run, posting pedestrian numbers compared to their typical standards. Irving was excellent in all facets of the game in the first round against the Clippers, while Dončić put up a near triple-double in his sleep but was extremely inefficient. However, in the second round vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder, both players have struggled mightily to score the basketball.

Yet the Mavericks continue to pull out gritty wins vs. the West’s number one seed because of the new identity they’ve assumed under head coach Jason Kidd. The aforementioned role players have allowed Dallas to win tight, low-scoring games despite getting little from their superstar duo on the strength of improved rebounding, defense, and tertiary scoring from several players.

Even Dončić and Irving have committed to the defensive end and are playing the best ball of their careers on that end. The league should be frightened, knowing that you can’t keep this pairing down forever. Dallas’ potential is unlimited should their superstars get going.

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