Dallas Mavericks: 3 Things That Must Improve
The Dallas Mavericks first half was a wild roller coaster ride if one were to put the season into perspective. With the second half of the season under way, the team must address key issues if they want to compete for the last playoff spot in the West.
Currently, the Dallas Mavericks sit three games back for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the team wants to move up the ladder they have a lot of competition ahead of them. The Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans are all vying for the eighth spot in the West.
Since the beginning of the month, the team has won four games and lost four games. The Mavs are currently riding a two game losing streak. There are plenty of areas they must improve on if they hope to get back on the winning track and be a force in the playoff race.
Here are some key areas Dallas should address if they hope to tighten things up:
Rebounding
The Dallas Mavericks rank last in the NBA when it comes to rebounds per games. The team’s leading rebounder has been recently traded center, Andrew Bogut. Behind Bogut, the next leading rebounder for the Mavs has been Dirk Nowitzki, a player not well known for his presence on the glass.
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Crashing the boards has always been a problem for the team, as the last big men to make his presence known was center Tyson Chandler. Having a glass protector is something Dallas needs if they hope to make a playoff run. Nerlens Noel should provide a huge boost in this area.
But it will also fall on the shoulders of other big man players like Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri.
As a team they average around 38 rebounds per game, while the rest of the league average around 41 to 46 rebounds a game.
The team must crawl out of last place in terms of rebounds and become a force on the glass.
Bench Play
Another area Dallas must address is the play of their bench.
The team does not make a lot of noise when it comes to bench play. Currently, the top player coming off the bench for the Mavs is point guard Yogi Ferrell who is averaging 14.2 points per game.
And even that change as he could be inserted back into the starting line-up during the season’s final stretch. The Mavericks second leader off the bench is J.J. Barea, who has yet to see major playing time due to injury.
After Yogi and Barea, Dwight Powell is the third leading scorer off the bench. Powell averages 6.8 points per game and four rebounds a game as well. The team needs a leading sixth man who can take over a game if needed. Maybe once Barea comes back this could all change, but until then, players like Devin Harris and rookie Dorian Finney-Smith must step up.
Having a healthy roster could make a key difference for Dallas in the long run.
Vintage Dirk
A Dallas Mavericks playoff run is not complete without a fully healthy dominant Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk holds the keys for the Mavs. When number 41 is healthy, he gives the team a fighting chance. The Dallas All-Star is averaging 13.9 points per game.
This the second time in his career he has averaged below 15 points a game. The last time came in the 1998-1999 season when the German sensation averaged 8 points a game his rookie year. The team needs a vintage Dirk to make the second half of the season successful. If Dallas has a healthy and dominant Dirk then things just might look up for the Mavs. Now the German star must get back to his old habits even at his age.
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There are plenty of things Dallas must work on if they plan to make a playoff run in the second half of the season, but with plenty of games left anything is possible.