An Ode to the Fighting Dallas Mavericks

Amidst the chaos, the Mavs keep winning; Plus thoughts on Luka’s second game as a Laker

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

This has to be near the top of the list of the most impressive wins I’ve seen in the last seven years of watching Mavericks games.

Surrounded by chaos, and down nearly half of their rotation and literally every frontcourt player, the Mavericks pulled off an upset over the new-look Golden State Warriors, now upgraded with Jimmy Butler, winning their third game in the last four. And just one DeMar DeRozan overtime step-through away from what would be a four-game winning streak.

After a crazy ten-day stretch and heading into the All-Star break, I wanted to take some time off game coverage and talk more about future content plans here (and I still plan to tell you more about that soon), but Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and the rest deserved to not be forgotten.

In a week that’s probably been the hardest in Mavericks franchise history, everyone has their own way of processing what’s happening. There’s no point in judging whether any response is right or wrong. I can’t blame anyone who has given up on the franchise. But it’s clear the players haven’t given up on the fans who stuck around, so the fans shouldn’t give up on them. The players.

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Today’s highlights:

1. The force

2. Kyrie beats Curry and the Warriors at their own game (🎞️VIDEO)

3. Playing small but finally aggressive (🎞️VIDEO)

Bonus point: Quick thoughts on Luka's second game as a Laker (🎞️VIDEO)

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1-The force

My most loyal readers know that I use the word 'force' a lot. Playing with force is a term I’ve heard many NBA coaches use over the years, and it’s a factor that, along with the increasing importance of three-point shooting, determines the outcome of the vast majority of regular season games.

In a packed 82-game schedule, teams that play harder, that play with more force dictate the terms of the game. That’s how even the worst teams can beat bad ones. We saw it with the Lakers, in their second game with Luka Dončić in the lineup, failing to respond as the 12-40 Jazz came out ready to hit them after an embarrassing blowout two days earlier and got blown out themselves (see bonus point for more).

The undermanned Mavericks, on the other hand, were in full force last night. They showed pride and grit, playing hard from the jump to compensate for their lack of size.

2-Kyrie beats Curry and the Warriors at their own game (🎞️VIDEO)

At their best, the Warriors run opponents off the floor in a chaotic, up-and-down game, playing small, with Steph Curry draining long-distance daggers, pulling up at any time and from anywhere.

Irving delivered yet another special performance in a Mavericks jersey, scoring 42 points and sealing the win by putting his body on the line for a crucial stop against Jimmy Butler. Irving drained seven of his ten threes, Curry-style, pulling up off the dribble, on the move, and in transition.

When I put together my Kyrie timeline in the summer, trying to predict his remaining peak seasons, the main argument that kept me confident was his elite shooting, on a level only Curry and Kevin Durant have reached since 1999. That’s why I believed his game should age well. Last night, winning the head-to-head battle against Curry was a good reminder of that.

3-Playing small but finally aggressive (🎞️VIDEO)

The Warriors are one of the smallest teams in the NBA, making them a good matchup for the undersized Mavericks, who relied on Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Kessler Edwards as their small-ball centers for most of the game. Despite dominating the Mavericks on the offensive glass, Steve Kerr chose to play down to their size, playing guard heavy lineups and giving his top center, Kevon Looney, only 10 minutes and rookie Quinten Post just 11 minutes.

Before the game, I tweeted about the Mavericks' defense being in free fall since Dončić's injury on Christmas and Dereck Lively II's soon after. While rebounding and rim protection struggles were understandable, the puzzling and disappointing part was the smaller Mavericks failing to compensate for the lack of size by playing more aggressively and forcing turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks - opponent’s turnover rate

I don’t know if Jason Kidd or any of the Mavericks players saw the opponent turnover rate chart I shared, but last night they finally played like they wanted to push that number upward.

Kidd adjusted the rotation by leaning on his more aggressive defenders—Max Christie, Naji Marshall, Prosper, and Edwards—while limiting the minutes of Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy. Prosper and Edwards logged a combined 57 minutes, which hurt the Mavericks on the offensive end as Draymond Green and Kevon Looney roamed off them all game to provide help and double-team Irving. Which makes Irving’s 42-point performance even more impressive.

But the Mavericks' wing length made a difference, disrupting by putting pressure on driving and passing lanes all night. Edwards was especially impressive, delivering a Draymond-like defensive performance as a small ball center with three blocks and two steals, earning himself crucial clutch minutes

If the Mavericks are going to survive this next month without their big men, last night's active and aggressive defense is the blueprint.

Bonus point (🎞️VIDEO)

• Quick thoughts on Luka's second game as a Laker: I mentioned the Lakers playing without force in this one, clearly looking like a team whose mind is already on the All-Star break. Dončić threw some incredible passes again (see video below), but he also had some uncharacteristic turnovers, still looking rusty and adjusting to minutes restrictions in just his second game back from the longest layoff of his career. Post-game, Dončić talked about how the break will be welcome to get a mental reset, recover, and, with all the buzz, adrenaline, and spotlight of his first games in a Lakers uniform behind him, focus on playing at his rhythm and expected high level for the second half of the season.

  The Lakers were also playing without two key rotation players and defenders, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent, and then lost their only somewhat proven big, Jaxson Hayes, to a facial injury early in the first quarter. If Dončić’s debut showed exciting flashes of what the offense could look like once he, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves get used to playing together, last night was a reminder of the limitations. The center spot is the obvious weak link, and losing Hayes early in this game meant newly signed Alex Len had to log extensive minutes in his debut. Without Finney-Smith and Vincent the Lakers struggled to provide any resistance on the drive, and lacked the versatility and force to execute their switching, wing heavy defense on the level they did in prior games. For the Lakers to prove that their recent impressive defensive stretch without Anthony Davis wasn't a fluke, Dončić, James, Reaves, and the rest will need to play on a string, and with force every night. Especially if or when some expected growing pains on offense arise.