It is going to be tough sledding in January
The Mavericks finished the past two weeks 3-2 and have a record of 19-11 in fourth place in the Western Conference. Their two losses came at home to the Clippers (118-95) and Timberwolves (105-99), and their three wins came in Golden State (143-133) and in Dallas against the Trailblazers (132-108) and Clippers (113-97). Jaden Hardy is now healthy after missing time with an ankle injury, while Luka Doncic will be missing at least a month with a left calf strain. Dante Exum remains out while he recovers from wrist surgery.
Grade: B+
Dallas is very hot and cold right now. With guys in and out of the rotation, they find themselves searching for consistency. With Luka Doncic out of their near-term plan, that will only become tougher to find. They have the fifth-best offensive rating over their last five games, which is offset by their bottom-10 defensive rating. They do not get aggressive Kyrie Irving every night and now they are barely getting Naji Marshall at all. P.J. Washington’s offense is streaky (as always) and the center minutes range anywhere from breathtaking to puke-inducing. Despite all of this, the Mavericks still look like a true contender when they are healthy.
The loss against the Clippers can be thrown away because neither Luka Doncic nor Kyrie Irving played. When either played during this stretch, Dallas went 3-1 and averaged almost 130 points in the three wins. Beating the Warriors when they allowed 50 percent shooting from distance was an incredible feat, and bouncing back against a feisty Clippers team showed this team’s refusal to quit. Overall, the Mavericks did the best they could with the cards they were dealt and won the games they should have.
Straight A’s: Klay Thompson
Maybe the Mavericks’ only consistent piece, Thompson has been sensational in the last five games. During this stretch, he averaged 18.4 points on 45.5 percent from deep and 2.4 steals. Dallas was 56 points better than their opponents while Thompson was on the floor, which was just under 26 minutes a game. His shooting prowess is always felt, but when he is getting his hands in passing lanes on defense and distributing on offense it takes the Mavericks to a different level. In particular, there were a few stretches where his impact stood out.
In the fourth quarter against Golden State, Dallas led 120-115 with 10:25 left. Thompson subbed in, Kyrie Irving hit a free throw, the Mavericks got a couple stops and a Luka Doncic jumper, and then Thompson drove in and dished it to Daniel Gafford for a thunderous slam to put the Mavericks up 10. Against Minnesota, Thompson switched onto Anthony Edwards in a crucial spot down 9 and blocked his shot before hitting a three to bring the Mavericks within two just two and a half minutes later. He is doing everything he can to help the Mavericks and it is a joy to watch.
Currently Failing: Luck
Luka Doncic came up limp during a harmless play in the second quarter against Minnesota. At that point in the game, he had been delivering a gift to Mavericks fans, scoring 14 points in just 16 minutes, and was well on his way to another Christmas masterpiece. Unfortunately, his calf had other plans and we now learn that the Mavericks are preparing to be without Doncic for at least a month and likely more. Not that there are any “easy” stretches in the NBA, but Dallas is about to go through a gauntlet until the All-Star break. Over the next month and a half, they have nine national TV games, two road trips of at least four games, play Houston, Cleveland, Boston, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Sacramento twice each, and have five games that start before 5 PM at the venue they’re playing at. It is going to take a group effort to stay afloat during this stretch and if Dallas can get through it without falling into the play-in, they are primed for a big end to the year.
Extra Credit: Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks, by and large, gave us coal on Christmas Day. The second and third quarters tested your fandom and the fourth was incredibly exciting but yielded a disappointing outcome. The one shining star was Kyrie Irving, who had some of the most incredible shot-making you will ever see on Wednesday. He kept the Mavericks in the game and, on his way to 39 points, hit some shots in the final period that only he could. Here are my favorites:
First, a reverse layup and-one that started the quarter with energy, and was a lot tougher than it looked:
Then, a floater over two of the Timberwolves best defenders:
Finally, another and-one, this time from outside the paint:
His shot-making was magnificent on Christmas. This montage did not even include the two left-handed floaters that he made earlier in the game. It is going to be fun to watch a lot more of him for the next month.