Dallas Mavericks: Biggest needs as trade deadline approaches

The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away and teams are scrambling to see what moves they must make if necessary. Currently, the Dallas Mavericks are the eight seed in the Western Conference. They have a long road ahead of them if they expect to be at a top five seed.

While things seem to be improving for Dallas, there are still some grey spots on the roster. Don’t get me wrong, Luka Doncic‘s castmates are great, but bringing in another player or two wouldn’t be so bad.

Here are three of the biggest needs for the Dallas Mavericks as the deadline approaches.

No. 1 should be of no surprise at all…

1. Rebounding, rebounding and more rebounding

Do I need to say more about this? The team currently ranks 25th in the league when it comes to average number of rebounds. The biggest struggle comes from the offensive side of the ball.

Overall, Dallas averages around eight offensive rebounds per game. This comes as a shock, as the Mavericks led the league in points last season. It makes it very difficult to add on points when you can’t grab down your own boards.

Besides Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, no else on the roster is averaging more than eight rebounds a game. When translating the numbers towards the offense, not one player has a mean of at least two or more offensive rebounds. This is going to important to keep an eye on it, as Dallas should look to find someone who can crash the board.

While KP and Maxi Kleber are great players, they cannot dominate on the rebounding side of the ball. Could Dallas pick up the phone and pull in a player like Lamarcus Aldridge or John Collins? While the answer is unknown, the answer is simple: they need help crashing those coveted boards.

2. An extra passer

Another area the team has struggled with is their assists per game. Dallas on average consumes around 22.6 assists a game. This is huge as the team ranks 26th in the league, when it comes to assists.

Besides Doncic, the team’s assist numbers look down right indescribable. Luka averages around 9.3 assists a game. Technically this what he is suppose to do, after all he is the point guard of the team. However, the Mavs’ star does not play a full 48 minutes. When breaking down the numbers, the second highest player in assist total is Jalen Brunson, whose mean is around 3.3 assists.

So basically what I am trying to say is, Dallas needs an extra guard who help find the extra pass. On the bench, Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr. are key shooters. However, they aren’t big assist men. Brining in a player like Lonzo Ball or George Hill could help with the assist numbers. This will be key in the playoffs as Dallas will need all the passes they can get, if they hope to utilize their shooters on the roster.

3. A lethal three-point shooter

Last season, the Mavericks ranked 10th in the league in three-point shooting. Fast forward to this season, and the team has taken a downfall. Currently, Dallas ranks 20th in the league when it comes to three-point percentage.

On average, the team shots around 37 threes a game, but only convert 13 of those shots. This is huge if Dallas hopes to outscore their opponents. Their top three-point shooter this season is Maxi Kleber. At a 45.8 three-point goal percentage, the dude can shot. He currently ranks fifth in the league when it comes to three-point percentage.

Besides Kleber, only one other Mavs is shooting 40 percent from behind the arc. The three is one of the key targets that made the 2011 Championship Mavs successful. They had player like Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki who would all ball from the arc. Obtaining an extra three-point shooter wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

A player such as Tony Snell or JJ Redick could make some noise for the team. Just look at Snell’s numbers! He is shooting 56.8 percent from the three-point line. A player of his caliber could improve Dallas’ points per game.

While it is expected for Dallas to stay put this trade deadline, it does not mean things are perfect in Luka town. A small trade or two would not be a bad thing. Plus, the team has plenty of assets like Dwight Powell, James Johnson and Trey Burke who could all be used as trade bait.

This next week heading into the deadline will be crucial as teams look to revamp their roster. Could Dallas actually pull the plug on some players?