'Blessing In Disguise': Brunson Speaks On Mavs' Major Turning Point
The Dallas Mavericks got off to a slow start to this season. A lot was going on in the first few months, between adjusting to a new coach, the attempt to involve Kristaps Porzingis more in the offense, and an unfortunate COVID outbreak.
After 34 games, the Mavericks had a disappointing 16-18 record. The final game of that stretch was played on Dec. 30 and was a 95-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings. With Luka Doncic and Reggie Bullock almost on their way out of NBA health and safety protocols, Frank Ntilikina was starting next to Jalen Brunson during that time.
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The Mavericks had to use 10-day hardship signings to maintain a sufficient number of available players. Isaiah Thomas and Brandon Knight were recipients of those deals and made a few appearances with the team. Knight even had a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 27 where he scored 18 points in a Mavs win.
The COVID outbreak caused the Mavericks to make do with a handful of different players going in and out of the lineup. Despite the struggles, Brunson looks back on that time fondly since it forced the team to refocus on their principles — resulting in the team firing on all cylinders again.
“I’m just proud of how we bounced back when we had the outbreak,” Brunson said. “When things were rough, guys were in and out of the lineup, our 10-day (joiners) were in and out. It was a rough time.
“But it helped us refocus, and I think having to teach the new guys about our system helped us. The players on the original roster kind of relearned it and mastered it because we had to teach it. Once we did that, everything kind of became second nature, and things started clicking a lot easier for us.
“That COVID outbreak was a blessing in disguise, to say the least.”
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Since Doncic's return from the NBA health and safety protocols on New Year's Eve, the Mavericks have gone 35-12 while posting a 114.7 offensive rating (11th), a 108.9 defensive rating (4th), and a 5.8 net rating (4th).
A combination of tightening up on defense, Doncic elevating his game to superstar levels, and the Mavericks' complementary role players converting at a higher clip on 3s contributed significantly to the turnaround in results.
There is a lot of momentum surrounding the Mavericks as the start of the playoffs nears. Dallas just clinched home-court advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 2011 with a blowout win over the Trail Blazers. The team's goal remains to get out of the first round, and by getting the job done in the regular season, they face more favorable circumstances to achieve that.
