The Mavericks needed time to figure it out. The team they were at the beginning of the season is really different than what they had become when the NBA closed on March 11.
Dallas had to find the right kinds of role players around stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle went through several starting lineups before landing at the best in late January. The end result was the best offense in NBA history.
Unlocking Doncic was the first step. The sophomore guard got into better shape the offseason and became an MVP candidate. He’s getting incredible individual numbers (28.7 points on 46.1 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game) while driving the Mavs to the highest offensive rating (116.7), ahead of the 2018-19 Warriors (115.9), that closed games with at least four future members of the Hall of Fame, in no. 2. The gap between the two is as wide as that between the Warriors and the no. 10 teams of all time.
The key change in the lineup was pairing Doncic with Tim Hardaway Jr., who became a starter in mid-November. Hardaway has the best net rating of any Mavs player with Luka (plus-10.8 in 1,032 minutes). He went from being a top-scoring gunner to a 3-D player, using his size (6-foot-5 and 205-pound) and athleticism to protect Doncic on defense, while burying 3s of catching and shooting and dumping points (15.8 on 43.7 percent shooting) without the need to bounce the ball.
Making Porzingis go to Doncic’s side was more complicated. He needed to find his rhythm after sitting 20 months with a torn ACL, as well as adjusting to playing with a dominant point guard on the ball. His offensive output has increased as the season progresses, from 15.8 points per game with 38.7 percent shooting in November to 25.2 points with 48.3 percent shooting in February.
Bad luck also played a role in Porzingis’ growth. It began alongside Dwight Powell, an elite player, until Powell ripped off Achilles on January 21. The Mavs traded in for Willie Cauley-Stein, who is waiting for the restart, to replace him. But the real solution was to stay small with four perimeter players around Porzingis. Powell, with all his strengths, was always going to be a placeholder, even if he had remained healthy. Using him as a role player made Porzingis a 7-foot-3-inch spectator on offense, and neither big man had the speed to keep up with the best frontcourts.
Carlisle had to adjust his offense for Porzingis to prosper. He’s always preferred athletic edge runners in the center, from Tyson Chandler to Brandan Wright and Powell. But that is not the KP game. He rides more than he rolls to the edge. It’s risky for someone with your size and injury history to spend too much time on the air. The good news is that it is so big that you can dive without hardly jumping:
Fading on the perimeter is more dangerous because of the amount of space it creates in the lane. Someone has to stay attached to a shooter with its length and quick trigger. Forcing changes on those plays has allowed Porzingis to better use his later game. Rather than hitting bigger defenders in the paint, you can fire on smaller ones in the midrange:
His role doesn’t even change much when Doncic is away. He scored 38 points against the Pacers and 36 against the Grizzlies without his co-star, and 34 against the Pelicans with him. The lineups with Porzingis in the 5 have actually been better without Doncic (more 21.5 in 164 minutes) than with him (more 7.7 in 176 minutes). KP’s true shooting percentage shoots (60.2) when he’s the only great man, regardless of who his guards are. He deserves credit for buying the new Carlisle system, even when he was being scammed by the Inside the NBA crew and others, in addition to accepting the physical punishment that comes with playing center defense.
His change in position also created a place in the starting lineup for an elite scorer in Seth Curry. He has long since left his brother’s shadow. The youngest Curry is a great shooter of all time in his own right (career 44.3 percent of 3 in 3.9 attempts per game) and can shoot the dribble from anywhere on the floor. It seems easy when it gets going, like when he scored 37 points on 15 shots against the Heat in February:
Rounding out the top five is Dorian Finney-Smith, a 3-D striker prototype who does a lot of dirty work in Dallas. The list of his most frequent defensive assignments this season is who’s who of the NBA’s top scorers. He’s the only starter who doesn’t need an above-average defender on him, and even he’s a consistent shooter (37.4 percent) with a high release point (6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan) that can’t be left open:
The new five starters have been dominant in a limited time (plus 11.7 in 122 minutes) this season. They space the floor as well as any lineup in NBA history. All five players are legitimate threats beyond the arc:
Mavs Starters’ 3s
| Player | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|
| Player | 3PA | 3P% |
| Doncic | 9.1 | 31.8 |
| Hardaway | 7.2 | 40.7 |
| Porzingis | 7.1 | 34.9 |
| Curry | 5.1 | 45.3 |
| Finney-Smith | 4.1 | 37.4 |
They combine for 32.6 3-point attempts per game, which would have led the entire league four years ago. Even more impressive: Dallas doesn’t have the trade-off that usually comes with volume versus efficiency. The team is no. 2 in the NBA in 3-point attempts (41.5) and no. 8 in 3-point efficiency (36.9 percent). No other team in the top five in attempts is in the top half of the league in efficiency.
The Mavs are pushing the limits of the game. Doncic and Porzingis don’t just take 3s. They take deep 3s. Doncic has taken 22 30-34 foot shots this season. And Porzingis is right behind him at 21. No wonder they have the greatest offense of all time. They are forcing teams to completely rewrite the traditional rules of defensive basketball. A 6-foot-7 and 7-foot-3 midfield bombardment with three more shooters around him is a glimpse into the future. Look at how far the Mavs stretch the defense and how they swing the ball across the floor to create open 3s. This is how the best teams will play in 2025:
The question, as it has been in Dallas since the days of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, is whether the defense can match the offense. The Mavericks have the no. 17 defense (110.3) in the NBA this season.
There is room to grow. Doncic is the only bad defender of the starting lineup. It is the area of your game that you still have to improve on. He is too big and smart not to be an adequate defender of the team that understands his role in the scheme and knows where to channel the ball.
Porzingis is an elite rim protector, but he also has limitations on that side of the ball. There’s no reason to ask a 7-foot-3-inch center to switch screens and chase smaller players around the 3-point line.
The three wings have to be the backbone of the defense. They need to handle the best perimeter scorers while covering a lot of ground on the aid side. Finney-Smith is the best in the group, but Hardaway and Curry are better defenders than their reputations allow. They are tough players who play with an advantage and allow Doncic to rest on that end of the floor.
Dallas takes two excellent defenders off their bench at Delon Wright and Maxi Kleber. Wright, 6-foot-5 and 185-pounder, slips between three positions on defense, while Kleber, 6-foot-10 and 240-pound, moves his feet well for a player of his size. They have been two of the best banking players in the league this season. Wright can run the offense and get to the edge, while Kleber can stretch the floor (35.4 percent run from 3 in 3.0 attempts per game) and finish above the edge.
The Mavs have only one real weakness on each side of the ball. While Finney-Smith is the team’s best defender, at 220lbs he doesn’t have the elite athleticism or sturdy frame to match the best wings. Look at the way Jimmy Butler gets into his chest and draws fouls in this clip:
The problem for Dallas is that they may have to go through Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in three consecutive rounds to win an NBA title. The road to winning in the modern NBA runs through the position of the big wing. Few can defend those players while contributing to the offense.
The Mavs need a 2020 version of Shawn Marion or Andre Iguodala. Both were elite defenders who also had the ability to score to average 20 points per game earlier in their careers. Marion, unlike Iguodala in 2015, did not win the Finals MVP in 2011, but was the unrecognized hero of the Mavs’ championship. He kept Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron in those playoffs. It is no coincidence that Dirk’s only ring came with such a player at his side.
Dallas has come a long way this season. The team found the perfect roles for their two stars, as well as the right supporting cast to fit in around them. You only need one more piece. But it is also incredibly difficult to find.
