Last season, the The Dallas Mavericks lost in the NBA finals 4-1 against the Boston Celtics for a multitude of reasons. To begin with, Jayson Tatum‘s elite versatility on defense forced Luka Doncic in uncomfortable decisions outside of the pick-and-roll, unable to simply analyze coverages as he did against other teams. Boston also had no respect for the pick-and-pop that Dallas used with forwards Derrick Jones Jr. And PJ Washingtonsince they both shot 26.5%.
It was important, to say the least, for the Mavericks to address this issue in the offseason, which they did three times by signing three elite catch-and-shoot players in Klay Thompson, Naji MarshallAnd Quentin Grimes. Additionally, all three of these players have perimeter defensive pedigree, another issue Dallas faced in this Finals on defense. Jaylen Brown and the aforementioned Tatum.
READ MORE: The X-factor that could change the Dallas Mavericks
These acquisitions are important because all three should benefit from the “Luka Bump,” or the increased scoring opportunities they’ll get due to Doncic’s gravity. Even as the primary initiator, Doncic is such a scoring threat that no matter where he is on the floor, he’ll be the primary focus of the defense.
This comes in many forms, including using the pick-and-roll, double-guarding on isolations, and sending defenders on tough closeouts due to his ability to shoot three-pointers off the bounce. These defensive strategies all come at a cost to the defending team: there will be an opening, whether it’s a weak three-pointer off a jump pass or a lob to the rim.
READ MORE: NBA Champion Thinks Kyrie Irving Is Better Than Steph Curry
His ability to distribute the ball is evident in his outrageous 44.3% assist rate, which is consistent with his propensity to score off the dribble. The fact is, the aforementioned Mavericks additions of Thompson, Marshall, and Grimes will all see their open passes increase over their previous destinations, all for different reasons.
Thompson will be able to screen for Doncic (and for Kyrie Irving) in multiple offensive sets, which will result in wing-to-guard pick-and-pops, while Grimes and Marshall will play more complementary roles off the ball. The Mavericks will likely engage in more off-ball screens in general with these new pieces, creating an offense that doesn’t rely as much on dribble penetration and can flow more freely
By creating a new offensive system, the numbers may not reflect a significantly better result in terms of points per shot or offensive rating, but that is not the point. The primary function of this move is to be better equipped to play against a team like Boston and force them to take pick-and-pop actions seriously in order to create driving lanes to the basket.
These three players could have that effect immediately.
Stay with Mavericks Game Day to know more FREE Dallas Mavericks Coverage throughout the NBA offseason
Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Keenan Womack on Twitter.
