Now that the Dallas Mavericks are past the All-Star break, it is time to begin solidifying a few things. Here are the biggest areas to focus on to ensure playoff success.
Playoff Rotation
Most of the teams that make the NBA playoffs play a 7-8 player rotation on a consistent basis during the postseason. The beauty of the Dallas Mavericks is that they have a very deep team that can contribute down the stretch. The addition of PJ Washington Jr and Daniel Gafford provide some much needed depth on both sides of the ball. They have added some great rebounders and defensive-minded players that they’ve sorely needed in past postseason series.
However, they are going to have to determine the roles of a few players to make sure they are maximizing their potential moving forward. One of those players is Tim Hardaway Jr. Before the acquisition of the two previously mentioned players, and during the Kyrie Irving injury period, Hardaway Jr. was relied on heavily on offense. Unfortunately, in the last 5 games, he has only scored in double figures twice, and twice has shot less than 15 percent from 3. For a player who is not known as a great defensive player, he is going to have to improve his perimeter shooting to be a consistent piece.
Another player to figure out where he fits into this rotation is Dante Exum. During the last ten games, while Exum recovered from injury, the Dallas Mavericks have gone 7-3. Exum has shown several things he can bring to the team, such as attacking the rim and competing on the defensive end. However, with two ball-dominant players in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Exum is going to have to prove himself every chance he gets to crack a tight playoff rotation.
Appreciating Josh Green
In a recent interview Head Coach Jason Kidd spoke on a question around what Jaden Hardy had to do to earn playing time. He responded essentially saying that Hardy should remain ready and do what is needed from him when his time is called.
To me, there is no one on this team that has done that more than Josh Green. When Green was first drafted, his shooting stroke was a massive concern. He spent the summer two years ago working hard on his jump shot and shooting technique to help prove his commitment to the team.
There was a lot of talk at the trade deadline that the Mavericks really needed to find a good wing defender. Josh Green has proven that he can be that guy for them moving forward. In his last three games Green has recorded eight steals. His ability to jump into the passing lanes and anticipate when a pass will be made has been an underrated part of his game this season.
He is also contributing on the offensive end. He is shooting right around 41 percent from behind the arc, and almost 50 percent from the floor overall. He has proven himself as a reliable catch-and-shoot player alongside Luka and Kyrie, and could provide some consistent defense to accompany it.
These are just a few areas that the Mavericks really need to focus on to ensure their success moving forward. Having playoff success is about fine tuning the little things to ensure the overall goal is met that they have been fighting for all season.