Dallas Mavs' Defense Still Among Worst in NBA Despite New Roster Additions; Can Jason Kidd Fix?
After making several new roster additions over the offseason, including Grant Williams, Dereck Lively II, Derrick Jones Jr. and others, the Dallas Mavericks hoped to change the way they've played over the last year given their newfound versatility.
Sitting at 10-6 through 16 games, that has happened for the most part, as the Mavs have amped up the speed in which they play, going from 28th (97.21) in pace last season to eighth (101.06) and having the the fourth-best offense.
Rebounding has also improved from being dead-last in the league to being 22nd, thanks in large part to the Mavs acquiring 19-year-old Lively during the NBA Draft, who is averaging 8.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.1 minutes per game. The Mavs are 0-2 this season when Lively hasn't been able to play.
Although some things have changed for the better, one big thing has unfortunately remained the same. The Mavs still rank 25th in defense, the same place they finished at the end of last season. During the 2021-22 season, Jason Kidd’s first year as head coach in Dallas, the Mavs finished with the seventh-ranked defense in the league, propelling them to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in more than 10 years. But the Mavs haven’t played that kind of defense since then.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have been playing at an elite level together this season, but the Dallas Mavericks have yet to solidify themselves as a contender.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Given the defensive personnel the Mavs brought in, they should, in theory, be better on defense this year than they’ve been so far. Part of playing defense is about the players you have on the floor and the effort they’re giving, but … another part of it is coaching.
We aren't trying to say things will unfold in Dallas the same way it did for Kidd when he coached the Milwaukee Bucks, but so far, the Mavs’ defense is trending in the same direction. During the 2014-15 season, Kidd's first season in Milwaukee, the Bucks had the fourth-best defense in the league. For the three seasons following that one, the Bucks ranked 23rd, 19th and 18th in defense respectively.
Again, that’s not all on Kidd, but it’s an interesting pattern to at least keep an eye on. Kidd has shown that he’s capable of orchestrating a high-level defense, but sometimes a coach’s message can stop resonating players, and the hope is that isn't gradually happening now.
Players love Kidd, with the most recent example of this being Josh Green saying he “wouldn’t be here” without Kidd helping him develop his game. Even when Kidd eventually got let go in Milwaukee, Bucks star Giannis Antetokunmpo was upset with that decision. So if being likable isn’t an issue, one of two things must be true. Either 1) the Mavs still don’t have the best-fitting personnel around Doncic and Kyrie Irving, or 2) Kidd must be harder on his guys in order to get a more consistent defensive effort on a nightly basis. Either way, something has to change.
The Mavs, despite making roster improvements over the summer, could still use another big, defensive-minded wing, as well as a backup center that can play better defense behind Lively than Dwight Powell or Richaun Holmes can. That part would be up to GM Nico Harrison and owner Mark Cuban to take care of.
That being said, though, if the Mavs were able to achieve a top-10 defense with Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson manning the backcourt, as well as Powell starting at center two years ago, then they should at least be able to muster up a middle-of-the-pack defense with Doncic, Irving and the other upgraded defensive pieces they have around them, even if they’re still at a size disadvantage.
When Luka Doncic breaks out of his current shooting slump, and Lively returns from his back contusion injury, perhaps the Mavs can return to playing at the level that led them to an 8-2 start. However, if Dallas continues to play at the level of a .500 basketball team for the next month or so, the front office will have to consider making more changes. Some tough decisions could be ahead.
