Dallas Mavs Hot Reactions: 3 Big Takeaways From Disappointing Loss to Toronto Raptors
With rookie starting center Dereck Lively II sidelined on Wednesday due to an illness, the Dallas Mavericks got pounded by the Toronto Raptors in the paint and on the boards, ultimately losing their second game of the season 127-116 and falling to 6-2.
Toronto won the rebounding battle 50-38, and it won the points-in-the-paint battle by an even wider margin, 72-40. It also didn't make the Mavs feel any better about the loss knowing that they missed 12 free throws in what ended up being an 11-point loss.
“I mean, not surprising, because obviously you guys, and me, and our team knows how important he is for us,” Luka Doncic said of missing Lively against Toronto. “It’s only his rookie season, and the ceiling for him is so high. Of course we miss him any games he’s going to miss, as you can see.”
Aside from those three obvious areas of concern, though, here are three more big takeaways from Wednesday's game that we discuss in detail on today's episode of our Mavs Step Back Podcast.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic drives on Toronto Raptors' O.G. Anunoby.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Green Let The Mavs Down, And He Must Be Better
Josh Green’s overall efficiency has been good this season, but his growth as a player isn’t where the Mavs hoped it would be. Dallas doesn’t need Green to be a star, but at the very least, he needs to be a consistent positive contributor off the bench.
Against the Raptors, Green looked lost on the floor, scoring just three points on 1-3 shooting in 18 minutes while being a team-worst -21. Box score plus/minus doesn’t always tell the whole story, but it matched the eye test with Green on Wednesday. Coming off a three-year, $41 million contract extension before the season started, Green must be better if the Mavs are going to reach their ceiling.
Raptors Elite Defensive Length Gives Luka Doncic Problems
Doncic now has a 5-4 record against the Raptors for his career, while shooting just 31 percent from deep in those games. On Wednesday, Doncic’s final stat line looked pretty good with 31 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals, but the Raptors’ defensive pressure forced him into shooting 11-26 from the field.
We would bet on Doncic having a big bounce-back game regardless of who the next opponent is, but the fact that the Mavs take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday — a team Doncic has routinely torched throughout his career — makes it even more of a must-watch game.
Will Maxi Kleber Ever Be The Player He Used To Be?
Maxi Kleber has been a key role player for the Mavs for a long time now. As a ‘home-grown’ undrafted free agent from Dirk Nowitzki’s hometown of Wurzburg, Germany, Kleber has naturally been a fan favorite, which makes his struggles over the last few years an even harder pill to swallow.
In 15 minutes off the bench against the Raptors, Kleber didn’t attempt a field goal and finished with four points and two rebounds while shooting 4-8 from the free-throw line. For the season, Kleber is averaging 3.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 25 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.
Not only is it hard to come back from a torn hamstring like he did last season, but Kleber has also been dealing with a toe dislocation for the last four games. Hopefully Kleber can get back to being a consistent, useful role player for the Mavs, but there’s also the chance that his body just won’t let him. Only time will tell.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: The Mavs should trade for Pascal Siakam, who put up a season-high 31 points on 15-25 shooting for the Raptors on Wednesday. A starting lineup of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Grant Williams and Dereck Lively would thrust the Mavs into title contention in the West. Read more on this trade scenario here.
You can watch and listen to our full conversation below, and be sure to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts! You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win future giveaways.
