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The Dallas Mavericks endured a cruel case of déjà vu in the 2021 NBA playoffs against the LA Clippers. Although they at least made it to game seven this year, they were once again left with a bitter taste in their mouths having led the series 2-0 with home court advantage to follow.
Luka Doncic did his best to rally his side past Kawhi Leonard and co., but ultimately the superstar's 35 points and 10 assists a night weren't quite enough. And so it is back to square one for the Mavericks front office as they attempt to build a roster around the Slovenian, which can be worthy of a deep postseason challenge.
What began as an improved seeding on last year ended in exactly the same fashion for the Dallas Mavericks. They had a successful run-in before the playoffs and were set to topple their opponents after winning at Staples Center twice. However, four losses in the next five games and some awful shooting allowed the LA Clippers to have the last laugh.
Beyond Doncic's brilliance, there was little else the Dallas Mavericks offered in terms of threat, and solving that issue will be high on the agenda in the offseason. In games four and six, the Mavs were held to less than 100 points at home, something that is simply unforgivable for a team with high playoff aspirations.
In this article, we will examine three areas of the Dallas Mavericks squad that need upgrading if they are to impose a greater threat next year. Let's dive into how the Dallas Mavericks can avoid more heartaches next campaign.
#3 Secondary ball-handler
When Luka Doncic was off the floor against the LA Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks were outscored by 43 points - when on it, they won by seven. That is simply not good enough for a team that wants to make a deep playoff run in the near future. Doncic needs to know that when he is rested, the Mavs are in good hands and that they can find good shots.
Third-year guard Jalen Brunson impressed during the regular season and was even in contention for the Sixth Man of the Year award. However, he struggled in his first ever playoff series, scoring more than ten points in only two games and averaged just 1.6 assists.
As a result of the Dallas Mavericks' roster construction, Brunson is asked to do more than he is able to with their second-unit on the floor. He struggled against the LA Clippers' array of bigger wing and guard options on defense and was even replaced by Trey Burke at times.
In the free agency market, the Dallas Mavericks could try to swoop for Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry. That could at least ease the offensive pressure away from Doncic. Ideally though, they would bring in a player of the ilk of Talen Horton-Tucker, who can come off the bench and have an immediate impact.
#2 Sign better defensive options
A major reason for the Dallas Mavericks' elimination from the playoffs this season was their inability to defend the perimeter or the lane against the LA Clippers. The Mavs had no answer to Kawhi Leonard, who bullied his defenders throughout the series and put up two 40+ point games, including 45 in a decisive game six victory in Dallas.
In game seven, the Mavericks conceded 20 three-pointers, most of which were uncontested. They also struggled in the paint, with the LA Clippers getting to the line more on average throughout the series. The Mavericks couldn't deal with the Clippers' small-ball style of play.
On the free agency market, the Dallas Mavericks need to seriously consider some 3-and-D options. During the regular season, they were not a bad defensive side but they did rank bottom for steals and were among the bottom-five teams for blocks. They could look at trading for Myles Turner, a serial rim protector, or bringing in the likes of Avery Bradley, Danny Green or P.J. Tucker - all of whom are free agents.
#1 Find Luka Doncic a co-star
At the top of the organization's biggest concerns this offseason should be finding Luka Doncic a co-star. There is widespread expectation that the young phenom will sign his supermax contract extension with the club and therefore will be locked in for another five years in Dallas.
Where the Dallas Mavericks have a problem, however, is keeping him happy. And that will be their first priority. At the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, the most help Doncic was getting was from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis. However, both could be in patchy form and the latter went missing in three of the matchups against the Clippers.
Neither player is an offensive creator either and if their shots aren't falling, they have little else to fall back on. They are, essentially, secondary or third-choice scorers on offense.
The Dallas Mavericks have few assets to trade in the offseason but do have cap space and may even choose to move Porzingis on in a deal for another star. A number of teams in the league have salary space to take on the center's monster contract and the Mavs should at least test the market to see what offers they can get. Ultimately, though, the choices could be thin this summer.
Their best bet for a second star could be trying to attain DeMar DeRozan from the San Antonio Spurs - who could take on Porzingis' contract - or Norman Powell from the Trail Blazers. Or they could look to replace the Latvian directly in the frontcourt with Richaun Holmes or John Collins.
