Shades of 2011: Mavs' Gritty Defense, Mental Toughness Raises Playoff Hopes
Although there is still a lot of basketball left to be played, it just feels like there's something special happening with the Dallas Mavericks right now.
The Mavs (42-26) have a 26-7 record since New Year's Eve with statement wins over the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors (3x), Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies (2x), Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz and most recently, the Boston Celtics in a playoff-like 95-92 win on the road. And aside from two inexplicable blowout losses to the New York Knicks, every other loss during that span was by single-digits and very-much winnable.
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas has hopes of continuing this hot-streak for the remaining 14 games of the season in order to capture home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs – something the franchise hasn't accomplished since the 2011 championship season. Whether or not the Mavs are able to gain home-court, though, they're still showing us things we haven't seen in over a decade.
For starters, the Mavs are certified streak-busters, having halted opponent's win-streaks of 5+ games six times. This is something Dallas hasn't done since that magical 2010-11 season.
Secondly, the Mavs also have the mental fortitude to continue playing through rough stretches to make comebacks, thanks in large part to their much-improved defense. Dallas has 14 double-digit comeback wins, which is the most in the league this season behind Miami (13) and Phoenix (13). Although the Mavs have technically had two other seasons between now and 2011 (2015-16 and 2019-2020) where this has happened, this is the first time it's happened since then with a truly elite defense.
There was a lot of moaning and groaning (mostly from Mavs fans if we're being completely honest) when Dallas hired Jason Kidd to take Rick Carlisle's place as head coach. Now, though, there are many who are happily eating crow as Kidd and his coaching staff have completely changed the identity of the franchise back to what it was a 11 years ago – a gritty, defense-first, underdog team led by one true superstar and a cast of hungry role players with chips on their shoulders.
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no coincidence that Kidd was a big part of that Mavs championship team's identity, and now that same mindset is being applied to the team he's coaching years later. Kidd had a rough go of things when he first jumped into head coaching with the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, but he learned a lot as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers over the previous two years. Being home in a more comfortable environment has surely helped Kidd as well.
"The thing people don’t really put a lot of emphasis on is the job he did with the Lakers,” said Mavs GM Nico Harrison on our Mavs Step Back Podcast.
“The Lakers don’t win the [2020] championship without what he did. The way he’s able to communicate with superstars, the way he’s able to support the team. … He did everything he could do to support the head coach and support the players, but never grandstanding."
As the Mavs clawed back from a 13-point deficit against the No. 1 defensive-rated Celtics on Sunday afternoon to take a 76-73 lead into the fourth quarter, adversity hit as Boston went on a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the final period to take an 83-78 lead.
"Listen... understand one thing," a mic’d up Kidd preached to his team during a crucial fourth-quarter timeout. "Our mental is important right now. No matter what [the officials] call, we are still winning the game. If the whistle goes a little bit against us, just stay the course."
X's and O's play a big part in coaching, but getting every one of your players to buy into a bend-but-don't-break mentality might honestly be harder to do than drawing up a game-winning play – especially when you have a transcendent star like Doncic who doesn't necessarily need plays drawn up for him. Kidd, his stellar coaching staff, the players, and Harrison all deserve credit for the mental makeover the team has undergone this season.
Who knows how far the Mavs can actually go in the postseason this year? Anything can happen in a seven-game series. But one thing we know for sure is that this year's Mavs squad is better built for the playoffs than in previous years. If shots aren't falling, Dallas can now rely on its defense to give them a fighting chance to break out of a shooting slump and still come out with a win.
Although the roster ages and storylines are different, this year's Mavs team will be hungry to get out of the first round and beyond, just like that 2011 team was. And just like in 2011, many media members will pick against them, given that they've been a 'one-and-done' team over the last two years.
We've seen just how much Doncic and his teammates have ‘grown up’ during the regular season. Now it's time for them to prove it to the rest of the world on the NBA’s biggest stage in about a month from now.
