Dallas Mavericks losing skid linked to this player (the X-Factor)

The Dallas Mavericks have had an interesting two weeks: It all started with the acquisition of Kyrie Irving and ended with a three game losing streak.

Just last week the Dallas Mavericks were sitting in fourth place in the West, and remained three games back from third place. That all changed this week when Dallas fell to the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets. Currently, the team sits at the seventh spot and remains a game and half ahead of the 10th slot.

So it begs the question: What went wrong for the Dallas Mavericks? Does it have to do with the Luka Doncic and Irving combo?

To answer the latter it is too early to tell whether Doncic and Irving are the problem. Yes, they both struggled during the end of the Timberwolves game, but that should be no reason for concern. In their first game together the duo averaged 55 points. Offensively, they did a great job sharing the workload while working to find each other’s skillset.

The biggest issue might be linked to a player not named Doncic or Irving.

Better yet, it is connected to someone Dallas had on the trading block.

Tim Hardaway Jr. 

The biggest issue might be linked to a player not named Doncic or Irving.

The eight veteran could be the one player holding the Mavs together. In six games without him, Dallas has gone 0-6 and struggled to find offensive rhythm beyond their two all-stars.

Before the injury last Saturday, the Mavs shooting guard was averaging above 15 points a game on 40 percent shooting.

Against the T-Wolves Monday night, no one beside Doncic, Irving and Christian Wood scored more than six points. You see, before the injury on Saturday, Hardaway scored points of 22, 17, 19 and 15. In his last healthy game against Sacramento, he dropped in 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

While he has yet to regain his 2020-2021 form, he is still a productive scorer who gets hot at any minute. Just two years ago, he was averaging 16.6 points, something he has come close to this season. During the month of December he averaged 16.9 points and scored a season high 29 points.

For now, his role with the team is simple: be the role player Dallas can rely on. With Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith in Brooklyn, it will be up to him to make up for the loss of offensive production.

The biggest issue is his lack of consistency. Any given day he has the ability to average anywhere from 20 plus points to five points. His sporatic shooting is the biggest issue, as he tends to get cold feet.

Whatever the case, Hardaway is the team’s X-factor in that the team has failed to win without him; not to mention he is the only player not named Doncic, Irving, or Wood who can provide quality points.

If Dallas can get back to full strength, then we can see what the team is truly capable of. Having a healthy and consistent Hardaway is just the start.