The Dallas Mavericks have struggled over the past week. It all started Sunday when the team lost 133-111 to the Indiana Pacers. The struggles continued on Tuesday, with Dallas losing in the last minute to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavs were trailed throughout the game and nearly won, but Max Strus' shot from outside halfcourt gave the Cavs the victory.
The worst loss came on Friday, when the Mavs struggled mightily against the Boston Celtics. He trailed by seven points at halftime, but started to crumble in the fourth quarter. The Celtics scored 36 points in the fourth, helping seal the deal.
So what do you think is the problem? Does it have something to do with sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr.? He has struggled to find a rhythm on the court. Or is coach Jason Kidd the problem? Will his coaching tactics ultimately have a negative impact on the team?
However, how to use and develop rookie Daniel Gafford may be an issue. The Mavs' center is starting to spend less time on the court, and it's clearly impacting the team.
Gafford played six minutes in the team's most recent loss. During this time, he recorded 2 rebounds and 1 block. His defense was great against guys like Jayson Tatum and he guarded well in space. But Dallas opted for small ball, which probably cost them the game.
The same issue occurred Tuesday against the Cavaliers. Gafford played seven minutes in the game, recording four points and two rebounds. dilemma? Dallas had Maxi Kleber at five, so they opted to go small again.
Gafford has averaged 18.9 minutes since joining the team. What a difference! Washington averaged 26.5 minutes. However, over the past three games, he has played a steady 12.6 minutes per game.
So, one thing is clear: the small-ball lineup is not working in the Mavs' favor, and Gafford is paying dearly for it.
In the first three games against Dallas, Gafford averaged 21 minutes. That meant he had a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds. He also averaged 2.3 blocks per game.
Gafford appeared in eight games for the Mavs. He had three games in which he saw more than 20 minutes of action. He averaged 13 points and 11.3 rebounds in those games. So having Gafford in the lineup will obviously help the team on both ends of the court.
The team traded a first-round pick and Richaun Holmes for Gafford last month. The reason for the deal was simple. Dallas needed a backup center for Kidd to play behind Derek Lively II. So why not make more use of him? It would be a shame to give up a first-round pick for a player the team barely uses.
Gafford has the ability to get the right production at the right time. Look at his performance against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. He had 13 points, seven rebounds, one block, and one steal in 25 minutes.
This isn't to say that Kidd's small-ball lineup won't work at all, as has been effective for the Mavs in the past, but Dallas can't afford to bench Gafford for the entire second half of games. . It's a unique matchup because Boston can knock down threes with almost its entire rotation, and Gafford could get more minutes tomorrow.
Jason Kidd, Daniel Gafford and the Dallas Mavericks will look to bounce back tomorrow against the Philadelphia 76ers.
