ESPN Analyst: Dallas Mavs' Undefeated Start Flying 'Under the Radar'

The Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics are the only two undefeated teams remaining in the NBA after four games, and ESPN's Zach Lowe believes Dallas' start is being overlooked.
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As the undefeated Dallas Mavericks prepare for their toughest test of the young season on Friday night when they take on the Denver Nuggets, many are wondering if the hot start is 'fool's gold' due to Dallas having a favorable schedule so far. Although it's true that the Mavs haven't faced stiff competition yet, they're still playing extremely well, especially on the offensive end of the floor, considering all the new faces they brought in over the summer.

ESPN's Zach Lowe posted his latest edition of "things he likes and dislikes" so far this season, and the chemistry between Luka Doncic and rookie big man Dereck Lively II made the list as one of the things he's intrigued by.

"The Dallas Mavericks' 4-0 start has gone under the radar because they've played a cake schedule," Lowe wrote. "They don't seem to be sure who their fifth starter should be. But their offense is absolutely blazing behind Doncic, and last year's mediocre Mavs went 15-16 against sub-.500 teams. In the West, every win matters. The Mavs aren't quite this good, but they pass the early eye test. They're solid."

The Dallas Mavericks closed out Wednesday's win over the Chicago Bulls with a lineup that was 24 years old and younger.
The Dallas Mavericks closed out Wednesday's win over the Chicago Bulls with a lineup that was 24 years old and younger / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Lowe goes on to talk about how Lively brings a skillset to the table that "Doncic's game has begged for" over the last five years. In his latest outing, a clutch win over the Chicago Bulls, Lively played the entire fourth quarter and finished with seven points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block while being team-best +15 on the night. The 19-year-old, who is being mentored by Mavs legend Tyson Chandler, has had an immediate impact, and the eye test correlates with the numbers so far.

"The Mavs have outscored opponents by a massive 15.5 points per 100 possessions so far with Lively and Doncic on the floor," Lowe wrote. "Opponents are shooting just 53 percent at the rim when Lively is the closest defender, per NBA.com. Doncic is defending with more vigor and going along with the Mavs' faster pace. Keep an eye on Dallas."

If the Mavs are able to defeat the defending-champion Nuggets on the road tonight, they might not be flying under the radar for too much longer.



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Dalton Trigg
DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.