The Dallas Mavericks were given no chance by preseason prognosticators to even make the playoffs, much less finish in the top half of the Western Conference. It wasn’t a completely outlandish prediction given what Dallas had lost in free agency and the competitive nature of the West. Instead, Dallas has ignored the negativity, led by their ageless superstar to a 22-17 record.
Whenever we think playoff consistency in the NBA we think of the San Antonio Spurs, but it is equally difficult to imagine the post-season without Dallas. The Mavericks have made the playoffs in 13 of the last 14 seasons, an incredible stretch that was driven by the franchise’s greatest player, Dirk Nowitzki.
Nowitzki is now 37 years old and in his 18th season in the league, but despite all the wear and tear on his body he is playing at an All-Star level once again. After taking a backseat to Monta Ellis last season, many expected him to do the same again, but with the struggles of Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews, Nowitzki has been the go-to guy.
He’s is leading the Mavericks in scoring (17.7 PPG), is second on the team in offensive rating (114) while coming in seventh in RPM (3.30) among power forwards. Nowitzki’s having an exceptional offensive season, and part of that has to do with the new center playing alongside him.
Zaza Pachulia is having the best season of his career playing next to Nowitzki, becoming an excellent so-called backup plan to DeAndre Jordan. Other than leading the Mavericks in offensive (115) and defensive (101) rating, he’s also leading the team in rebounding (10.8 RPG). His greatest flaw, however, is that he’s a mediocre rim protector, according to Nylon Calculus. As important as Nowitzki and Pachulia have been, no one on the roster has been more surprising than the 24-year-old backup power forward, Dwight Powell.
Powell is the best thing to happen to Dallas via the Rajon Rondo trade, the franchise’s first young player with potential in a long time. He’s shooting 51 percent from the field, tied for the lead in OFF rating and DEF rating along with Pachulia, with fantastic per-36 statistics. If Powell improves his jump shot he could earn a spot as Nowitzki’s permanent replacement. Of course, this season is about him working on his game as he is playing less than 20 minutes a night, but Dallas may need to lean on Powell more if they continue to get consistently mediocre performances from Matthews and Parsons.
Parsons was largely a disappointment in his first season with Dallas and was expected to bounce back in 2015-16, but it hasn’t happened as he’s scoring less than 10 points per game. He was signed to be scoring help for Nowitzki and just hasn’t been that guy. His OFF rating is a whopping 98 with an offensive real plus minus of minus-1.03, not to mention he has a net rating of zero. Yes, that means he makes no impact per 100 possessions while on the floor. That’s pretty hard to do. For Dallas to have a chance at a legitimate playoff run, they will need better performances from Parsons and Matthews.
Matthews, the alleged sharpshooter, is currently sporting the lowest field goal percentage (39 percent) on the Mavericks’ roster. In fact, his season is a bit of an enigma. He’s only scoring 13 points per contest, but Dallas plays their best offense with him on the floor and their worst with him off it. Matthews accounts for 8.2 points per 100 possessions while on the floor, the best net rating on the team. Some of that is due to him playing with Nowitzki and Pachulia, but if Matthews can get his shot right then Dallas has a chance to be a special team again.
Grade: A
