Luka Doncic's Mavericks Confident Shooting Will Improve as NBA Finals Shift to Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks have to shoot the ball better if they hope to compete with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic and Co. remain confident it will happen.

Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) passes the ball against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Against a tough defense like the Boston Celtics backed up by a high-volume perimeter shooting offense, managing to produce on 3-point attempts is vital. Outside of Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks have been unable to get the job done. With an output of 100.0 points per 100 possessions, the Mavs' overall offensive results aren't cutting it.

In the series, Doncic has shot 8 of 21 (38.1%) from 3-point range, while his teammates shot 5 of 32 (15.6%), including Irving, who missed his eight attempts. Doncic emphasized the importance of trusting that these shots will fall, considering that's what helped guide the team to the NBA Finals.

"Just one thing: Keep shooting. We all believe in those shots," Doncic said. "That's how we came to the Finals. That's how we played the whole season. We believe in those guys. Everybody believes. If you're open, just keep shooting. You're going to knock it down at some point."

Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) passes the ball against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics do not make it easy on the opposition by often using a base defensive approach focused on cross-matching in the frontcourt, then heavily relying on switching against screens. It makes it much simpler for their defense to stay home on corner shooters. Meanwhile, a non-shooting big man is often taken out of traditional rim rolling chances.

The Mavericks have been unable to create the regular spray-outs to the corner they are accustomed to producing at a high volume. However, they succeeded in the restricted area since Boston had to live with giving up those shots in this scheme.

In the postseason before the NBA Finals, the Mavericks averaged 11.6 attempts from the corner per game while converting at a 39.4% clip. They were shooting 22.0 above-the-break 3-pointers per game and shot 36.4% on those particular attempts. Those numbers have drastically shifted in the NBA Finals. Dallas only gets 4.0 shots from the corner through two games while taking 27.5 above-the-break 3-pointers.

After Game 1, Doncic put into context how rarely Boston sends help from the weak side in a way that leads to passes for open shooters. "They mostly play one-on-one. They didn't send a lot of help," he said. "So that's why." Given the circumstances, he finished with only one assist since shooters were neutralized or missing while the bigs weren't in spots to be play finishers.

Doncic mentioned after Game 2 that the Celtics seemed to send more help. "They try to guard one-on-one. I think today they tried to help more," he said. "I was able to get some teammates open." He managed to attack the paint and create advantages for his teammates on rolls and cuts, leading to a much-improved 11 assists.

Ideally, Dallas wants Boston to get angled into blitzing more so the offense can play out of 4-on-3 situations, leveraging the ability of the personnel on the wing to put the ball on the floor and make plays. Kristaps Porzingis' injury status plays a significant role in this since potentially losing a rim protector could compromise the Celtics' scheme more.

No matter what spot perimeter shots are coming from on the floor, the Mavericks have struggled even when left open. Dallas has gone 11-47 (23.4%) combined on open and wide-open 3-pointers in the NBA Finals through two games. In postseason action leading to this series, the team shot 183 of 493 (37.1%) on these attempts.

"I think it's just taking good shots, taking open ones," P.J. Washington said. "Obviously, we haven't been making shots. We feel pretty good coming home. It's all about just making open ones, taking open ones. We feel good about taking them, so I think guys are in good spirits."

One of the human elements of playing in the NBA Finals is the magnitude of that stage, which potentially impacts execution, particularly for players reaching this level for the first time. Josh Green made clear the team has to be past the point of jitters and get back to its previous form.

"We’ve been shooting great throughout the playoffs. I think it’s an adjustment. A little bit of jitters in the first game. It’s one of those things now, it’s do or die," Green said. "We need to make those shots. That’s just how it is."

Plenty remains that can be improved outside of 3-point shooting for the Mavericks. Doncic must reduce turnovers coming off a performance with eight in Game 2, along with a team-wide need to improve free throws. There can be better execution on his part when containing drives, but the team has to be more on point in that regard, along with execution and extra effort getting out to shooters.

“We just need to make [our shots],” Green said. “It is obviously frustrating not making them. We need to make sure we are taking every single opportunity. Even if we are missing, at the end of the day, we know that things are going to get better. We’re not going to keep missing. It’s been a big emphasis. We’ve been shooting a lot, getting extra reps in, and we know what we are capable of.”

Doncic needs more help offensively, period. One option would be for open shots to start falling from deep. Another would be for Irving to make his expected superstar impact. He has averaged only 14.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 35.1% from the floor. Irving described his level of play in Boston as "frustrating" and admits he needs to meet his standard of play again in addition to leading.

"First thing of that is just accepting that I haven't played well or up to my standards, as well as I would have liked. Being back in Boston, there's such a level of desire that I have inside of me to play well. Wanted to be there for my teammates. As a competitor, it's frustrating. But I don't want to let that seep in or spill over to any other decisions I have to make there as a player.

"Continue to feed my teammates' confidence. Have been down 0-2 before -- lost a series, won a series," Irving explained. "I know what it takes. Also, how to prepare for something, like, that mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. First is just respecting your opponent, then most importantly putting your best foot forward out there when we go out there. It's as simple as that."

Irving found success by using his speed to turn the corner out of pick-and-roll in Game 2, whether he was bringing a big like Porzingis into the action, or using a guard-to-guard screen. He's sorely struggled to hit shots playing out of isolation while being reluctant to take transition pull-up 3-pointers. Overall, he must find a rhythm as a shot creator and get to the rim to take pressure off of Doncic.

The Mavericks are running out of time to turn the series around. A loss in Game 3 would put them in a commanding 3-0 series deficit, a position that is as improbable as it gets to rally from. Managing to win would make it 2-1 with a chance to tie it up in Game 4 while Boston has ot navigate Porzingis' new injury development.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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