Mavs Game Observations: Game 27 vs Clippers

Despite no stars, a disappointing performance

Photo by Sam Hodde / Getty Images

The four-game homestand got off to a rough start for the Mavericks, as they fell 118-95 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Expectations can’t be sky-high when a team is missing its two superstars—Luka Dončić was ruled out with a left heel contusion, and Kyrie Irving was a late scratch with right shoulder soreness. Still, while losing shorthanded to a scrappy, well-prepared, and physical Clippers team isn’t something to lose much sleep over, the disappointing part was that a more competitive game was still expected from what has been praised as a deep Mavericks team all season.

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Today’s notes:

1. Offensive struggles are excusable, defensive ones less so

2. Early, key domino that led to defensive problems (🎞️VIDEO)

3. Lively (and Gafford) continues to struggle against size

4. Tough to create an advantage, but Klay was a bright spot

5. No stops, no run, no easy buckets

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1- Offensive struggles are excusable, defensive ones less so

Without Dončić and Irving, struggles on offense were predictable against a very good defensive team like the Clippers. However, it was expected that the Mavericks would try to compensate for the lack of scoring firepower with hustle, energy, and defensive pressure. The Clippers entered the game as the 22nd-ranked offense, and with their stars out, this was an opportunity for Jason Kidd to lean into more defensively minded lineups. Well, he did, with Grimes starting and Marshall, Kleber, and Prosper all getting bench minutes. However, it didn’t translate on the court, as the Clippers still managed to score 118 points (or 121 per 100 possessions).

The Mavericks also failed to win any of the hustle categories—the Clippers outperformed them in second-chance points, deflections, points off turnovers, and fast-break points. Nor did the Mavericks’ effort players manage to make an impact on the offensive glass.

2- Early, key domino that led to defensive problems (🎞️VIDEO)

I’ve been highlighting the Mavericks’ point-of-attack issues all season, and last night was another example. Quentin Grimes opened the game as the designated defender on James Harden but was involved in two early, consecutive breakdowns.

That prompted Kidd to make an early adjustment, re-assigning P.J. Washington as the primary Harden defender for most of the night (or on Norman Powell when Harden was on the bench). Washington did OK, even great early on, showcasing his versatility and strengthening his All-Defense case. However, plugging that hole created a domino effect, opening up other vulnerabilities in the Mavericks' defense.

With Washington defending on the perimeter, and Ivica Zubac once again overwhelming Lively and Gafford with his physicality and strength (more on that in the next point), the Mavericks lacked the size to provide help against Zubac in the paint. This left them vulnerable both on Zubac’s post-ups and when they showed two defenders on Powell, forcing much smaller players to tag the roll.

The Mavericks needed more energy and force playing without Dončić and Irving, so the lack of ball pressure and failure to generate turnovers against a team ranked bottom five in taking care of the ball was disappointing.

3- Lively (and Gafford) continues to struggle against size