Mavs Stat of the Week: Bullock Could Be Dallas' Playoff X-Factor
Although the Dallas Mavericks again failed to acquire their top free-agent target in 2021, their second option, which was Reggie Bullock, is finally starting to pay dividends at the perfect time of the season. DallasBasketball.com recently covered Bullock's surge in the rotation, but it's important to reiterate and add even more context to this current seven-game stretch he's been on.
Bullock's hot shooting has been a silver lining in the Mavs showing life on offense recently. On the season, Dallas has beef fairly inefficient on that end of the floor, ranking 19th in the league in offensive rating. Since Dallas has more streaky shooters than sharpshooters, Bullock's sudden fit within the offense, and more importantly, with superstar Luka Doncic, is somewhat of saving grace.
Just how important have Bullock's recent performances been? Our Mavs Stat of the Week explains. Even if the Mavs end up not doing much at the NBA trade deadline, Bullock trading his early-season shooting for his current shooting is a step in the right direction.
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Effective Field Goal Percentage: 69.5 Percent
On the season, Bullock's overall shooting might suggest that he's had an average campaign. However, in his last seven games, Bullock's shell-bursting performances suggest that he probably should've been getting more playing time even before Tim Hardaway Jr.'s unfortunate foot injury. Over that stretch, Bullock is averaging 17.9 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and an outstanding 49.2 percent from three-point range on 9.3 attempts per game.
Playing 31.7 minutes per game in that stretch, Bullock is showing how important he can be to a team desperate for three-point efficiency. The nine-year vet produced an impressive 69.5 effective field goal percentage in the last eight games.
Aside from individual glory, Bullock's shooting is translating to winning basketball. The Mavs are 16-5 in their last 21 games since Bullock made his return from NBA Covid Protocols on December 31. Bullock now has four 20-point performance in his last six games and has scored at least 15 points eight times since returning to the team on New Year's Eve.
"I think he's doing everything," said Jason Kidd. "We've asked him to guard. We've asked him to rebound. We're asking him to start the first play in a pick-and-roll. ... He's answered the call for us. We know he had great looks early in the season that didn't fall but I think just the belief and confidence that we have in him (has made a difference."
Bullock's superb performances are not a fluke, and a true regression to the mean from his early-season struggles was always expected, being that he's nearly a 40 percent three-point shooter for his career. Despite a slow start for various reasons, Dallas now has a legitimate shooter and adequate defender at its disposal, and the hope is that it will make a big difference as the Mavs try to win a playoff series for the first time in over a decade this season.
