We’re in an ugly stretch of the Dallas Mavericks’ season, which was set to be a glorious honeymoon after trading Kyrie Irving days before the deadline. When I asked questions for this article Monday, Dallas had just lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a way that made it clear that this team’s demons are no different than they were before Irving took over. Another loss Tuesday, this time a 124-122 home loss to the 28-35 Indiana Pacers, didn’t help change minds or sentiment. With just 19 games left, Dallas doesn’t have much time to heal from the many ailments we’ve seen.
So let’s talk about it, with a special focus on Luka Dončić’s recent frustrations, both visible and outspoken. Let me be clear, I will write later in this article: Dončić is the only reason why this team is dangerous and successful. Any criticism of him comes from the high expectations he has of himself. But since many of your questions centered on him, I thought it wise to respond in kind.
Note that some questions have been edited or shortened for clarity.
Micah N. asks: “I was very hesitant to jump on the ‘Luka must mature’ bandwagon, but watching Sunday’s game (against the Lakers) I couldn’t help but feel that way. I’m curious if you feel the same way.”
My barometer of Dončić’s temperament is whether it affects his game multiple times per game, and particularly multiple possessions in a row. Lately it has. The technical foul he received against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday was not only earned, it was sought. Dončić had survived a shouting match with one of the game’s officials before seeking another to verbally abuse him and practically forced the whistle on him. If Dončić commits two more technical fouls this season, he will be automatically suspended for one game.
These frustrations affect his defensive efforts several times each game, and maybe even his shot selection on occasion. The problems arise not only with Dončić’s transition defense, but in moments like this when he doesn’t even try to box his man on a rebound attempt.
Dončić’s anger could be justified. He seeks and maintains a great deal of physical contact during games, some of which is inevitably not required for fouls. But such is the life of an NBA superstar. Worse, his frustrations with the office cascaded into a string of negative results for his team: failed boxouts, four-for-five defensive possession, hasty stepback three-pointers, and more. For all the advantages Dončić creates through his sheer, undisputed talent, he gives too much of it back through avoidable behavior on the pitch.
I don’t know how to fix this, not immediately. But it needs to change for the Mavericks to be more successful.
Jon B. asks: “What do you think about trading with Luka?”
Well, let’s not go too far with that. This is an obvious overreaction to one of the league’s best players going through a frustrating period.
Ryan R. asks, “What do you think of Jason Kidd saying, ‘I’m just standing there after the Lakers game?’ I feel like more needs to be made of it.”
Jason Kidd’s full quote read: “I’m not the savior here. I do not play. I’m watching just like you. As a team we have to mature. We have a lot of new bodies coming back and we have to grow up if we’re going to win a championship. There is no young team that has ever won a championship, mentally or physically.”
There’s a lot here.
First, after listening to press conferences and quotes from athletes for more than a decade, I’ve become gracious in trying to interpret them. Kidd said watching “just like you guys” was a self-inflicted mistake; It’s poor word order and reflects his longtime stubbornness to accept guilt. But we’ve all said phrases that aren’t quite what we mean. As we have just established, the second part of his quote regarding Dončić is absolutely correct.
That quote really made me understand that Kidd’s tendency to describe the team as “young” last season (when the roleplayers objectively weren’t) was related to mentality rather than age. It’s true that this team hadn’t accomplished much in common, especially before last season’s Conference Finals. It’s even more true that every team comes after their leader, which is Dončić, whose mentality Kidd was mainly referring to, I think it’s safe to say. What Kidd probably meant was that he can’t change Dončić’s headspace within a timeout with strategic adjustments. It’s a bigger problem than that.
But even a sympathetic look at that very quote doesn’t absolve Kidd of questions. While a time-out lasts 90 seconds, he spends hundreds of hours outside of games with Dončić. Kidd, like everyone else in this organization, is the person tasked with getting the best out of his superstar point guard, and he’s not right now. I wondered after Dončić took the technical foul against Indiana late in the second quarter if Kidd would dare bench him for even a possession or two. I don’t know if that would work! It’s just that other tactics haven’t done so before.
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Joe Z. asks, “A big difference between this year’s Mavs roster and last year’s is leadership. Dallas has lost its top three leaders in Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Boban (Marjanović). I wonder who will rise?”
I suspect this is a factor influencing the Mavericks’ current malaise. Marjanović will of course be missed, but his brand of pick-me-up positivity has been replaced with Theo Pinson and assistant coach. However, Brunson and Finney-Smith do not have a direct replacement. They were the players who worked every day to be what they were as non-first-round picks. They led by urging others to comply with their relentless desire to improve. They had the solid seniority to ask for more even from Dončić.
Irving was asked right after Tuesday’s loss whether this team had leaders, and he skirted the question without naming anyone in particular except for Kidd. These two are probably the only ones left with a chance to meaningfully influence Dončić, and neither has the best track record of creating a positive team atmosphere. In a team sport, the individual motivators should never be greater than the culture set by the whole. Dončić shouldn’t run back into defense because he doesn’t mind being hammered without a call, but because he’s motivated by the fact that his teammates need him back there. It’s possible that got lost.
It’s another reason why I thought this team should sign Goran Dragić this summer, not only because of the role on the pitch he clearly could have played, but also because of the respect Dončić has for him. (While that wasn’t appreciated last summer, it’s unclear if it’s considered more important now Dragić is a free agent again). I’m not privy to either off-hours media availability in the dressing room or Dončić’s internal dialogue. I don’t know what exactly would improve this situation, nor do I think the team’s recent struggles are almost entirely related to him yelling at the referees too much. But it’s understandable to take a closer look at Dončić’s own role as this team stumbles from their position of impeccable spirit to what is happening now.
Stanton H. asks, “How much do the Mavs outperform in situations (after a timeout)?”
Stanton, I’ll limit your lengthy comment to just one aspect that I can answer with exact numbers. Last season, Dallas was the most efficient team in the league after time-outs, averaging 1.21 points per possession. This season they have fallen to 16th place (1.10 points per possession). I think the staff influences this more than the coaching, but last season’s staff having the best numbers in the league means this season’s squad could be better than them.
The only coaching change this summer was the departure of Igor Kokoškov. While he was known for his tactical acumen, the Mavericks slipping when executing after the timeout is likely more complicated and even somewhat random. But while wins and losses are largely determined by a team’s talent, there are small areas in every game — timeouts, plays outside of timeouts, late-game situations — where coaching shines. I don’t think Kidd and his coaching staff excelled in those areas this season.
Timothy C. asks, “Can you honestly tell me that Dwight Powell is a better defense attorney than Christian Wood?”
Powell is in the right positions more often than Wood, while Wood does more to prevent baskets on the rarer occasions when he’s in the right spots. The Dallas coaching staff has prioritized execution over defensive talent, and that has guided the team to their best defensive stretches over the past season. Even this season, for example, McKinley Wright IV was favored over Jaden Hardy for a brief portion of the season; While Wright doesn’t have the physical means to be a great defender, he rarely lost focus or executed plans incorrectly.
However, I don’t know if that standard will hold up in the grand scheme of squad decisions for this team. JaVale McGee was signed to replace Powell and play over Wood, but he was never a fundamentally healthy role player, even when playing for championship lineups. In fact, he was effectively on the bench for key moments in the three title runs he participated in. Wood was treated with skepticism by the coaching staff from the start of the season, at least because of Kidd’s way of playing him. I’m not sure if Wood’s season could have been different with a different approach. But it couldn’t have helped that the team’s accurate assessment that its best role came off the bench quickly shifted from meritocracy to pedagogy when earlier this year he was often the team’s only goalscorer not belonging to Dončić.
While the standard of the coaching staff hasn’t quite risen given McGee’s signing, Powell is playing the role of defensive great much closer to the way they want it. Wood has shown neither the discipline nor the instincts to contribute to a top-10 championship-proven defensive.
Have the Mavericks ever been able to prioritize idealism over pragmatism this season? That’s a difficult question, even if I can understand the intentions behind it.
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Joe Z. asks, “If you could describe the last 20 games of the Mavs season in one word, what would it be and why?”
Undeserved idealism.
Nick D. asks, “What do you think the likelihood is of a Josh Green renewal being completed this summer?”
I think it’s very high.
Dillon T. asks, “Are the Chris Paul/James Harden Rockets a good template for Dallas to emulate their Irving/Dončić team?”
Yes and no, for reasons I would have to write many more words to explain. Do you all want to read this?
Cameron W. asks, “What’s your prediction for the Mavs’ playoff placement?”
Dallas has the 8th lightest remaining skill level in the league according to the Tankathon, and I still think this team will look better in the coming weeks. I’d say they finish sixth and win 11 of their last 19 games to finish 43-39.
But if they win five in a row at the end of March to put some space between them and the play-in contenders, I wouldn’t forget that stretch either. Even after the Irving swap, this team has done very little to convince me they have a higher cap than last season.
(Photo: Grace Bradley/Getty Images Sport)