DENVER — It’s time to take stock of the Dallas Mavericks’ 3-2 start to the regular season.
Here are five things we’ve learned about Dallas through the first five games, following Friday night’s 106-75 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
—Luka Doncic has room for improvement
Doncic entered the season as the odds-on MVP favorite with soaring expectations following a dominant showing with Slovenia in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
At times, he’s delivered for Dallas this season, leading the team in scoring every outing and in rebounds and assists three times. But, Doncic has yet to sustain an All-Star level takeover across an entire outing.
Some of his dip in production reflects the Mavericks’ new approach under Jason Kidd, who wants to lighten Doncic’s workload and allow other players to handle the ball.
But, Doncic’s averages still lag his standards, especially from three, where he’s shooting 25.7%. With the Mavericks lacking depth with secondary creators, Doncic’s slow start has magnified Dallas’ offensive woes.
—Offense isn’t breaking more records
The Mavericks performed at an historically efficient offensive pace in former coach Rick Carlisle’s last few seasons.
So far, Dallas can’t say the same under Kidd.
The Mavericks are shooting 39.6% from the field and 30.9% from three through five games. They’ve scored above 50 points in the first half just once, and have trailed by 20 points in each of their last two games and three overall.
While spacing and movement on the floor has become more cohesive as the season has progressed, the shot-making consistency hasn’t always followed.
On Friday night in Denver, the second game of their first back to back, the Mavericks reached a per-quarter low with just 12 points — to the Nuggets’ 33 — in the third. They shot 29.5% from the field and 21.6% from three, emblematic of their disjointed start to the season.
—Defense isn’t just talk
In each of their wins, the Mavericks have erased a deficit of at least 8 points, including two that reached double digits. When their offense wasn’t jelling, Kidd commended their defensive effort.
Statistics support his praise.
The latest example: They held reigning MVP Nikola Jokic to four points and forced 11 turnovers Friday against the Nuggets before the grind of playing the second night of a back to back in Denver’s altitude likely contributed to their second-half slide.
The Mavericks have held opponents to 105.8 points per game, which ranks in the top third of the NBA.
The free-agency additions of Reggie Bullock and Frank Ntilikina to the rotation have relieved some of the burden on Dorian Finney-Smith and an again-healthy Maxi Kleber to serve as the Mavericks top — and sometimes only — standout defenders. When healthy, Kristaps Porzingis also showed improved mobility and confidence in protecting the rim.
“In the past, they’ve heavily relied on out-scoring the team,” Kidd said Thursday. “Yes, that’s fun, but championships are won by playing defense, and they’re playing defense.”
—Bright spot so far
When the Mavericks’ starters have slumped to start games or needed to tweak rotations, their second unit has often provided a strong boost.
In the last three games, Jalen Brunson has accounted for 34 points and 19 assists. Kleber tied a career-high with six blocks Thursday against the Spurs and added another in Denver to reach 250 for his career. Reggie Bullock has taken on a starting role while Porzingis has missed two consecutive games with lower back tightness.
Boban Marjanovic and Frank Ntilikina have also had strong stretches in spot minutes, too.
Kidd also made a little history with his reserves. After meeting with his new leadership “council” of Doncic, Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., he played every active Maverick — the first 15-man rotation in NBA history — in the home opener.
—First quarter, worst quarter
The Mavericks had a chance Friday night to do something they hadn’t yet accomplished this season:
Take a lead after the first quarter.
No dice.
The Mavericks trailed the Nuggets 29-21 after the first period, dropping them to minus-31 in first quarters this season. But, Kidd wasn’t ready to panic when he addressed slow starts before the game.
“I’m just happy that we play three more quarters. If we were judged on first quarters, our record wouldn’t be that good,” Kidd said. “It’s early in the season, so you’re going to go through things like this.
“This is something, for us, we don’t have to address it today, but we have to pay attention to it. We would like to get off to a good start. As a coach, I don’t like seeing the score 20-3 but I think the positives that we take away is no one let go of the rope. We continued to grind, and our defense put us in a position to win.”
