Mavs Game Observations: Game 36 @ Grizzlies [Quick Notes]

Disappointing losses piling up

Photo by Justin Ford / Getty Images

Despite saying I’d take a week off from Mavs game coverage while on vacation in Egypt, I couldn’t help myself. The wind wasn’t great this morning for my wing sessions on the water, and with good internet, I managed to catch the game. Here’s a quick rundown of my notes and observations in short bullet-list form.

• Defense continues to disappoint. Allowing 119 points to a Grizzlies team missing Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and others is disappointing, especially with the Mavericks having all their best defensive players available. Or is Luka Dončić perhaps more critical to the Mavs’ defense than we realize? Jaren Jackson Jr. scored an efficient 35 points, despite the Mavericks prioritizing size and interior defense. The Mavericks currently lack the identity and cohesion that defined their success last year—both desperately needed to grind out and secure these types of gritty wins.

• The Grizzlies are the best example of a team winning with their style and identity. Even without their stars, Memphis stays true to their "hustle and grind" mentality. Their elite ball pressure (top 7 in forcing turnovers each of the last four seasons) and dominance on the offensive glass (top 5 in offensive rebound percentage in four of the last five seasons) are the foundation of their ‘culture’ and success.

• Inconsistent role players. Many NBA players are capable of scoring 25 to 30 points on a given night—we’ve seen P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Spencer Dinwiddie do it this season. But the difference between stars and role players is consistency: stars deliver on most nights. Last night, none of the Mavericks’ role players who needed to step up had a great—or even good—scoring night. If the Mavs want to secure wins moving forward, at least one, and likely two, role players will need to rise to the occasion consistently.