Adjustments the Dallas Mavericks Could Make Heading Into Game 2 Against Boston Celtics

What can Dallas do to head back home with a tied series?

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd look on in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals 107-89. They were really only competitive for five minutes in the first quarter and a couple of minutes in the third quarter before Boston took over and dominated. Jason Kidd and his team have been in this position a few teams before in these playoffs, but what can they do against the Celtics in Game 2 to go back to Dallas?

Coach Kidd may have already tipped his hand a little by saying Jaylen Brown is Boston's best player, something that was said to drive a wedge between the team, but more specifically, force Tatum into taking more hero-ball shots. Tatum infamously idolizes the late Kobe Bryant, someone who had a reputation as a shot chucker, especially in the mid-2000s. In the 2004 NBA Finals, Bryant averaged over 22 shots per game, shooting 38.1% from the floor and 17.4% from 3. Kidd is likely trying to force Tatum into taking tough shots.

READ MORE: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Respond to Jason Kidd's Bold Take About Boston Celtics

Dallas was sending help on Tatum's drives, one of the many things that allowed the Celtics to have 35 open 3-point looks, according to NBA.com. Kidd wants to put the seed of doubt in Tatum's mind that he won't be seen as "great" if he doesn't score the basketball. In Game 1, Tatum finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 6/16 from the floor. While he had a fine game, Kidd also isn't wrong in saying Brown has been the better player.

What they can also do to stifle some of the open 3-point looks is zone defense. I expected Dallas to break a zone out more in Game 1 than they did and it led to Daniel Gafford being lost in space as Al Horford screened on the perimeter to free shooters. Dereck Lively II was also forced to switch more often than Dallas should want.

Running a zone can be difficult against a 5-out offense like Boston, but it can force out-of-rhythm attempts if Dallas stunts at the ball. It's a better alternative than everyone being sucked in on a drive before a spray to an open shooter. If the Mavs can do a decent job of forcing everything to the rim into Gafford and Lively, they also won't pick up some of the sillier fouls. A lot of this will come down to communication and off-ball awareness, something that Luka Doncic and P.J. Washington noticeably struggled with in Game 1, but this is the NBA Finals, they have to be attentive and this could clean up some of their poor rotations.

The most important thing, whether they continue to run man or throw in some zone, they have to close out possessions with defensive rebounds. The Celtics grabbed 10 offensive rebounds for a rebound rate of 27.7%, leading to 10 second-chance points (could've been higher if they made some open kick-out 3s in the first quarter). J.J. Redick rightfully pointed out on the broadcast that Boston loves to crash the boards from the corners, something Dallas will have to be mindful of the rest of the series.

Whether they change their strategy on Kristaps Porzingis will be fascinating as well. Lively especially started to be more physical with him in the second half, which seemed to work, but Lively also got into foul trouble and Boston was up double digits for the majority of the game. Porzingis ended with 20 points after coming off the bench and it wouldn't be surprising to see him start Sunday night.

There are some things on the other side of the floor that the Mavericks can't adjust, such as hitting open shots. That's just a make-or-miss thing, not necessarily a switch in the game plan. Dallas was 6/24 on their open 3s in Game 1, the law of averages will balance that out. But they can do things to make life easier on Luka Doncic's passing.

Doncic only had one assist in Game 1, a shocker considering his 9.2 APG average this season. Boston played him 1-on-1, letting him score and taking away every other option, especially lob attempts at the rim. Doncic is the most creative passer in the game currently and there were opportunities for kick-out threes if he does his jump to throw the lob and pass to the corner at the last second thing he loves to do. Jaylen Brown was waiting near the paint to jump at those lob attempts and there's a chance he'll be doing the same moving forward.

Kyrie Irving also just has to be better. He knows it, Boston knows it, everyone knows it. He had plenty of open looks in Game 1 that Dallas is used to him hitting and a few careless turnovers. We know he wants to make an impact against his former team, he just needs to let the game come to him. He's done well this postseason to not stack bad games on top of each other, so the expectation is he'll bounce back.

There are some smaller things to control, such as limiting Derrick Jones Jr.'s shot attempts when he's driving at three defenders or being better in transition, but the offense will balance out.

Doncic is also notoriously incredible coming off of losses, averaging around 35 PPG in the postseason in the game after a loss. Boston knows this and I imagine they'll do what they can to stop that incoming storm. I'm not as worried about Dallas' offense knowing what Doncic and Irving are capable of, and it was everyone's first game ever in The Finals outside of Irving and Kidd. Just about everybody on Boston's side has been in these moments before and knew what to expect. The Mavericks haven't been here before and you never really know how players will react until they're in that moment.

We'll see what adjustments they make in Game 2, Sunday at 7 p.m. CST in Boston.

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