Mavs Game Observations: Game 35 vs Cavaliers [Game of the Week]

Grasping for positive signs amid another loss...

Photo by Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images

How quickly things can change in the NBA, and the Mavericks’ rollercoaster season is, unfortunately, a vivid example of that.

Just a few weeks ago, Dallas seemed to be hitting its stride, winning 14 of 17 games heading into a high-profile Christmas matchup. Luka Dončić was slowly returning to MVP form, Kyrie Irving was a stabilizing force, and the offense was climbing into the league's top three. But then, disaster struck. Dončić suffered an injury on Christmas, and the Mavericks found themselves in a heated altercation in their next game in Phoenix. Since then, they’ve been in free fall. Last night’s 132-122 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers marked their fourth straight defeat and their fifth in six games since Christmas.

Kyrie Irving was a late addition to the injury report due to illness, leaving the Mavericks without any firepower to keep up with the NBA’s best offense. This was the 11th game the Mavericks have lost due to illness this season—the highest total in the NBA—with six Mavericks missing at least one game.

It’s hard to analyze this team and this season, as we’ve already seen four distinct stretches, each feeling like a completely different team. Instead of one continuous sample, we’re left with fragmented signals. The hope now is that the Mavericks can eventually patch things together and return to the most positive level among those signals.

It will take some time to get there, especially with Dončić sidelined for extended time, but the Mavericks will have two days of rest to regroup and work on turning things around. With Irving and Naji Marshall expected back, they should be in a better position to take on their conference foes, the Grizzlies and Lakers, in the upcoming back-to-back.

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Today’s notes:

1. Offensive struggles are excusable, defensive ones less so

2. Quentin Grimes attacking the rim (🎞️VIDEO)

3. New iteration of Mavs’ 3-and-D players that can do more 📊

4. Other small wins (🎞️VIDEO)

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1-Offensive struggles are excusable, defensive ones less so

True Mavs die-hards, who stick around to watch and read recaps even after games where Dončić and Irving are absent, might recall that I used this headline in a similar situation earlier this season following the first loss to the Clippers. Although the Cavaliers are a couple of levels above the Clippers, last night’s defensive resistance was similarly disappointing.

Cleveland scored 69 points in the first half last night, and they did it without their two star guards, Mitchell and Garland, even breaking much of a sweat. Throughout the game, we saw plenty of miscommunications on switches, in pick-and-roll coverage, and off-ball screens, along with missed cuts and transition breakdowns, all of which led to a parade of easy buckets for the Cavaliers at the rim (Cleveland was 22 of 27 at the rim, or 82).

The Mavericks, who have flirted with great defensive performances (mostly against weaker offenses) and some disappointing outings this season, have left me questioning their top-10 defensive worth. Right now, the Mavericks lack a defensive backbone or identity to fall back on when their stars are unavailable. Irving, and especially Dončić, are often portrayed as defensive liabilities that opposing teams target. However, it’s clear that the alternatives the Mavericks turn to for ball-handling duties in their absence—Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy, and Brandon Williams—are all significantly worse defensively.

2-Quentin Grimes attacking the rim (🎞️VIDEO)

If this season is a mix of different signals, as mentioned in the intro, then the rare positive signs or stretches are what we should focus on taking away from this otherwise uncompetitive game.

Quentin Grimes putting his head down and relentlessly attacking downhill in the third quarter was certainly a standout moment in this game. Grimes' 20 points and 4 assists during that stretch made for one of the most entertaining sequences we’ve seen from a non-Dončić or Irving Mavericks guard in quite some time.

More importantly, after a prolonged period plagued by injury concerns, Grimes looks fully healthy, showcasing the explosive first step that was missing last season.

Grimes’ rim frequency and finishing numbers at the rim have returned to the levels of his sophomore season in New York (his overall shooting numbers are even better), when he first appeared on the radar as a potentially intriguing three-and-D prospect.

Quentin Grimes finishing at the rim (source: Cleaning the Glass)

3-New iteration of Mavs’ 3-and-D players that can do more 📊

The Mavericks are seeing the emergence of a new generation of 3-and-D players who bring more to the table offensively than past iterations. Quentin Grimes’ performance last night marked his fifth game this season with 20 or more points. Naji Marshall, another offseason pickup, has also hit that mark five times already this season. Along with P.J. Washington, who has notched four 20-point games, this trio provides hope for brighter days ahead—whether that’s when Luka Dončić returns or even sooner.

Compared to previous Mavericks role players brought in for their two-way potential, this trio offers the most scoring punch in recent memory. Only Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. have a higher percentage of 20-point games as Mavericks role players, but both lean more heavily into the score-first category and come with notable defensive limitations. In contrast, Grimes, Marshall, and Washington combine defensive versatility with the ability to contribute meaningfully on offense, making them a more well-rounded and promising group for the Mavericks moving forward.

4-Other small wins (🎞️VIDEO)

Small wins are all we can hope for during this disappointing stretch, and apart from Quentin Grimes’ standout performance, there were a few others last night:

• P.J. Washington’s return: The Mavericks finally got some positive injury news as Washington returned to the lineup after a knee sprain scare in Houston. His presence offers a much-needed boost to the team’s depleted rotation.

• Dereck Lively II’s small steps: Jarrett Allen is often mentioned as a potential comparison for Lively—a reference point for how a player with his skill set can expand his offensive game through added strength and experience. Last night, Lively showcased some of that potential by hitting a couple of hook shots in the paint. The second one, where he rolled and sealed a smaller defender before finishing, provided a small but encouraging glimpse of what he could develop into as he continues to grow.

• Jaden Hardy’s bounce-back: After a couple of rough outings in Sacramento and Houston, Hardy showed some promise with a strong fourth quarter. It was a reminder of the playmaking flashes we saw from him during last season’s playoffs. However, his defensive challenges, highlighted in the first observation, and Brandon Williams surpassing him in the rotation earlier this season signaled a low point in his confidence and the coaching staff’s trust in him. Hopefully, this fourth-quarter performance will help him regain some of that trust and provide the scoring punch needed off the bench. This will be even more critical if Spencer Dinwiddie’s play continues to regress.

Now, let’s hope the Mavericks can come together and start turning these small wins into real ones, beginning Monday in Memphis.