Mavs Seek Bounce Back Against Pacers After Meltdown Lakers Loss: 'Film Never Lies'
DALLAS — When the Dallas Mavericks take on the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, they will be doing so a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers that featured after giving up one of the most substantial blown leads in franchise history.
“Film never lies,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Just understanding where we can be better on both sides of the ball, not just the defensive side, but offensive too. We felt like we wasted a lot of possessions there in that second quarter and also to start the third, we gave away some possessions where, if we’re going to be an offensive team, we have to do better.”
Despite having a massive advantage in perimeter shooting results, the Mavs were out-hustled and out-muscled inside the 3-point line by the Lakers. Dallas is giving up over 60 opponent points in the paint over their last 10 games, which ranks second-worst in the NBA within that span. Anthony Davis repeatedly took advantage of the smaller Dwight Powell and switches.
Jarred Vanderbilt put on a rebounding masterclass due to often not being touched when he pursued missed shots when the release occurred. Most of the Mavs' perimeter players stood around and watched the flight of the ball instead of being assertive on the boards. Vanderbilt hauled in a staggering eight of his 17 rebounds on the offensive glass despite being a wing.
The Mavs continued to not only be undersized at center, but also on the wing after moving Dorian Finney-Smith in part of the Kyrie Irving trade. They went from having a 6-foot-7 forward that weighs 220 pounds to play the four, to having Reggie Bullock, who weighs about 20 pounds less, take that responsibility. Against bigger forwards like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, or Michael Porter Jr., this has been a real concern.
It didn't help the Mavs that James was taking advantage of transition opportunities, rebounding chances, and using switches to attack. While James makes a lot of defenders look small due to his incredible frame and strength, the Mavs were especially at his mercy at times. Being overmatched by the two opposing superstars is not a viable set of circumstances for consistent success.
The impending return of Maxi Kleber should help if the Mavs deploy him mostly at the four spot. He's 6-foot-10 and weighs 240 pounds, with decent length. Throwing out a wing like Justin Holiday at 180 pounds isn't going to get stops against bigger forwards. Ultimately, being undersized at positions three through five makes staying in single coverage a challenging task.
“We got to work slowly with Maxi,” Kidd said Monday of Kleber, who participated in 5-on-5 multiple times over the last week.. “We can’t expect him to come back and be the one that holds the defense together, it’s going to take him some time.”
The Mavs are currently relying on their superstars to put up big games and when it doesn't quite happen, the defensive execution hasn't been there to overcome. Until they deploy personnel that has the size to compete, it is unlikely to change. In the meantime, a clear focus for 48 minutes is needed.
“I’m not the savior here,” Kidd said after Sunday's loss. “I’m not playing. I’m watching, just like you guys. As a team, we’ve got to mature, and we’ve got a lot of new bodies coming back, and we’ve got to grow up — if we want to win a championship. There’s no young team that’s ever won a championship, mentally or physically.”
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