ESPN Applauds Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavs' Change of Pace, Revamped Offense

In his latest column, ESPN's Zach Lowe spoke on the Dallas Mavericks' revamped offense, which has picked up the pace this season.

The Dallas Mavericks are off to a great start to the 2023-24 season. They currently hold a record of 9-3, tied for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with the defending champions, Denver Nuggets.

Along with the offseason acquisitions of Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr., and rookie Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks have changed their offense with an effort to play faster and incorporate the entire team. 

Through 12 games, the Mavs rank second in offensive rating, second in points per game, and fifth in pace. Last season, Dallas ranked sixth in offensive rating, 16th in points per game, and 28th in pace. 

In his latest version of Lowe's Things, ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote about the Mavs' offense and how playing faster has benefitted the team and the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Mavs' Kyrie Irving drives to the basket against Clippers' Paul George / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

"Doncic is still playing slow-down chessmaster a lot. That's his comfort zone. But in snippets, he's giving himself over to a faster, more flowing style," Lowe wrote. "Playing faster is an organic way to share the ball and spread shots. It can also generate more attempts at the rim, and the Mavs are starved for those."

Lowe noted that when Doncic runs the show, the Mavs play at a league-average pace while when Irving is the head of the snake, Dallas is 'absolutely flying'. Having two different play styles on the offensive end provides some variety for the Mavs and creates problems for opposing defenses. 

Point blank, this offense has taken a massive overhaul for all the right reasons as Lowe pointed out. Though Doncic can, and does, still dominate at a slower pace, playing faster creates more possessions and more shots for players other than No. 77. 

If Dallas can keep up this pace for the entire season, the outlook on their postseason chances and beyond look bright.

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