The Dallas Mavericks are 1-3 in their last four games heading into today's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Eastern Conference trip did not go as planned in Dallas, with losses to the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. The ending of the game for the Cavs was a disaster, as Max Strus hit a shot from beyond half court at the buzzer to beat the Mavs, but the remaining two losses were a little concerning.
The Celtics were clearly the best team in the league and the Mavs hung on, but ultimately Dallas lost the game.
It's clear from this game that the Mavs are having a hard time protecting big players who can stretch the floor and knock down threes. Against Boston, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford shot a combined 6-for-13 from downtown, and one of them always seemed to be open on the perimeter.
The Mavs didn't make many of their threes close and many of their looks were open. This was an even game, as Maxi Kleber played as a small-ball center for much of the second half, even though the Mavs were playing small ball. This came at the cost of Daniel Gafford's playing time as he did not play in the second half, and the Mavs will have to find a way to slow down a team with a center who can stretch the floor.
Derek Lively II played well against Boston, but was slow to counter some of the threes that Porzingis was knocking down. Lively II is still very young and his all-around game will continue to improve, but he needs to get a little better at finishing off big shots quickly.
Gafford is similar, but he doesn't seem to stand on the floor if the opposing team has a floor center. Gafford performed well against Boston when guarding in space, but it's unlikely he'll be part of the late-game rotation considering the Mavs seem to prefer going smaller late in games depending on the matchup. .
Whether it's Kleber, Lively II, or Gafford, the Mavs will need a big player who can stretch the floor, as Lively II and Gafford excel as defenders in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop drop coverage. It's clear that we have to get better at slowing down movements. On the floor.
Stay tuned for the latest on Maxi Kleber, Daniel Gafford, Derek Lively II and Dallas Mavericks basketball.
