Mark Cuban EXCLUSIVE: 'We Just Need Offense': Mavs Owner on Needs for NBA Title Contention
The Dallas Mavericks have some tough decisions to make in the next two weeks that could be a turning point in the direction of the franchise. As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the futures of Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and other current Mavericks have been questioned by many, and for good reason.
Will the Mavs be willing to pony up the cash that will be needed to retain both Brunson and Finney-Smith in the offseason? If the answer to that is 'yes,' will the Dallas front office look to offload other contracts to avoid paying the luxury tax - something owner Mark Cuban hasn't done in over a decade - for a roster that has yet to get out of the first round of the playoffs?
If it comes down to those two options, it's beginning to look like the latter is more likely. Although everyone within the organization will admit that there's still work to be done, many believe that most of that work can be done internally. The Mavs - currently fifth in the Western Conference standings with a 28-21 record - are pleased with where they sit with 33 games remaining in the regular season, especially given the injury and COVID absences that occurred early on.
"We have to continue to grow as a team," Cuban tells DallasBasketball.com when asked about what is needed for his team take the next step towards title contention. "Our defense is there. Now we need to get there offensively."
Fixing the offense might not be something that can be done easily in-house, especially since the Mavs just lost their sixth man in Tim Hardaway Jr. to a foot injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season. But overall, we can't say Cuban is wrong for feeling the way he does about his team.
Over the last 15 games, which spans all the way back to New Year's Eve, no team has been better than the Mavs record-wise (12-3), although the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns have matched that mark. Dating back to December 1, Dallas also has the fifth-best defensive rating among all other teams. And to add a little more context, the Mavs did have the best defensive rating in the league since December 1 until these last few games when they gave up 130 points to the Golden State Warriors and 112 points to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Although Dallas has been winning a lot more games lately, how can it fix an offense that still ranks just 20th in the league? Is the NBA's new Wilson ball still playing a factor in shooting percentages being down league-wide as Cuban suggested earlier in the season? Is it the new perimeter defense rules that allow opponents to play more aggressive than they’ve been able to in previous years? Does head coach Jason Kidd need to tweak his strategy despite players continuing to get open looks they can't convert on?
Maybe the answer is a little bit of all of that put together. Maybe guys will continue to adapt and be firing on all cylinders for the Mavs come playoff time. Reggie Bullock, for example, who was the team's biggest signing last summer, is shooting just under 32 percent from three-point range, but that has jumped to nearly 38 percent if you look at just the last 15 games.
Dallas has hope that it can figure things out on offense without shaking things up too much at the NBA trade deadline, and there is apparently some hope that Brunson and Finney-Smith can stick around long-term if they're not traded in the coming weeks.
For the future of the franchise, that great amount of 'hope' needs to materialize into something tangible. Because if the Mavs don't make any meaningful trades now, and the 'doomsday' scenario of both Brunson and Finney-Smith walking in free agency for nothing comes into play later in the summer, that could potentially set the Mavs back a big step in their building process instead of moving them closer to title contention.
Many important decisions loom for Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison. We'll find out very soon what direction they choose.
