Heading into the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Miami Heat on March 7, they had lost five of their previous six games. This was by far their worst run of the season, with losses to Indiana twice, Cleveland, Boston, and Philadelphia.
With just over a month left in the Mavericks' season, fans were starting to hit the panic button. During this period, from February 25th to March 5th, the Mavs had the worst defensive rating in the NBA at 127.3 points, a difference of more than five points.
The only way Dallas could win these games was by scoring 136 points, just like they did against the Toronto Raptors, which was their only win during that period.
Something needed to change quickly, and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd came up with the perfect lineup change, propelling the Mavs to a 13-2 record since March 7th.
Kidd decided to start Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. instead of Derek Lively II and Josh Green, a shocking decision at first, but it paid off in the team's success. Brought. Mavs insiders reportedly believed that Lively II was hitting the rookie wall and that Green wasn't playing very well either.
Since this lineup change, the Mavs have the No. 1 ranked defense in the NBA (105.4). Kidd doesn't get enough credit for how much this change helped Dallas on both ends of the floor, but both Gafford and Jones Jr. were important pieces for this team.
Due to Lively II's recent injury, Gafford is playing the most minutes since coming to Dallas. On Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, Gafford played 31 minutes and had 10 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Gafford's passing has been great lately, making him a perfect fit as this team's starting center.
Jones Jr., on the other hand, also had a great performance, recording nine points and three blocks, and also played great defense against Stephen Curry. Guarding one of the best point guards of all time is no easy task, and Jones Jr. made life difficult for him.
Stephen Curry while guarded by Derrick Jones Jr. (3 games: 12/30, 4/2, 4/5)
– 16:21 game time (85.7 partial possessions)
– 22.7% field goal percentage on 5-22 shooting
– 15.4% from downtown on 2-13 shooting
– 3 turnovers🔒⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fugBo88W55
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) April 6, 2024
While players other than Jones Jr. and Gafford have stepped up defensively, they have been the players who have done the most in that regard, along with P.J. Washington. The Mavs have an elite defense and if they keep going they could be a formidable contender in the Western Conference.
Kidd and the Mavs' next game is against the Houston Rockets later today.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford, and the Dallas Mavericks heading into the highly anticipated playoff run.
