If we think of the top offenses in the NBA this season, Golden State should immediately jump into everyone’s mind. Posting over 115 points per game they are unstoppable. Steph Curry draining 30 footers on the regular helps cement that notion as well. We could also look at OKC with their two top seven scorers in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Since the All-Star break, though, a new and entirely unexpected squad has taken over the reins as the best offense in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks.
When you look at the Mavericks offense as a whole this season, they don’t stand out as anything remarkable. In fact, they look pretty putrid. Through their first 55 games, Dallas put up 100.8 points per game putting them 18th and in the bottom half of the league in scoring. Break down the numbers even small and Dallas’ offense looks even worse.
They were 23rd in field goal shooting, 22nd in three-point percentage, 28th in offensive rebounding, 26th in Points in the paint, and 29th in second chance points. In nearly every category, the Mavericks ranked near the bottom on the offensive side of the ball. However, since they enjoyed a 10-day layoff this All-Star Break, the Mavericks have flipped the script.
The number of points Dallas has been piling up for the past two weeks is ridiculous. They have topped 120 points four times in their past six games. They dropped 129 points on Philly; only the Clippers have scored more against the 76ers this season. Dallas also finished with 128 points in a win over Minnesota; joining the Warriors as the only two clubs to reach that total against the Timberwolves. With an average of 115.4 points per game in their past seven games, Dallas only narrowly bests the Warriors for the scoring lead since February 19, but if we take a deeper look at the stats, Rick Carlisle’s squad has been head and shoulders above the rest of the association since the All-Star break.
Before the break, Dallas owned a respectable Offensive Rating 103.3. Nothing flashy but good for 11th in the league. Post mid-season classic, though, their 114.9 rating puts them at the head of the class, a whole six points better than Golden State and nearly eight more than the Thunder. The sudden surge in efficiency has been from a combination of their increased ball movement and shooting prowess coupled with their outstanding ball security.
Dec. 1, 2015 – WESLEY MATTHEWS (23) posts up. The Portland Trailblazers hosted the Dallas Mavericks at the Moda Center on December 1, 2015. (Photo by David Blair/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire)
All season long, Dallas ranks first in the NBA with only 12.7 turnovers per game per game. Their clean play has stayed true post break with only 13.0 turnovers per game, but add in nearly five more assists per game and you start to get a hint of why the Mavericks have been on fire. Ranking 18th in assists before the break, Dallas now ranks third in both assists and assist/turnover ratio since February 19.
The biggest factor in the increased assists has been the improved shooting percentage. The more shots you drop, the more assists you tally and vice versa. Going from 43.9 to 48.2 percent shooting obviously has a direct correlation with the Mavericks’ increased assists and points.
The rate Dallas is dropping shots is incredible. While they rank third in field goal percentage, Dallas is knocking down 11.6 threes per game, good for third, and sink free throws at a league-high 83.4 percent. The versatility in their shooting is reflected with their league lead in both Effective Field Goal Percentage (54.9) and True Shooting Percentage (59.2). One undeniable reason for the 5.4 percentage point increase in both shooting metrics has been the quality of opponents or lack there of.
Since the break, the Mavericks have played a very favorable schedule. Their opponents have a combined record of 172-252 or a .405 winning percentage. Subtract the only team with a winning record, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and their opponents own a dismal .352 winning percentage.
Add to the fact that Philadelphia, Sacramento, Minnesota and Denver all own a bottom 10 defense, regarding points allowed this season, and it looks like the Mavs offensive surge has been purely a product of facing inferior defensive teams. While there is no denying the soft schedule following the break, that alone does not tell the full story of why the offense has been so prolific as of late.
Entering the season, Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons were coming off of severe leg injuries. For a couple of jump shooters known for their quickness and explosiveness, the Achilles and knee surgeries they underwent would totally sap some of their strength and endurance the first few months.
Before the break, Matthews was well on his way to the worst shooting season of his seven-year career. Making only 38.4 percent of his field goal attempts and 34.8 percent from beyond the three-point line this season, the former Blazer was hitting shots well below his career averages of 44.3 field goal and 39.3 three -point shooting entering this season.
Maybe the 10-day layoff gave the guard time to hone his mechanics or just provided enough rest for his seemingly weary legs as in the last seven games Matthews is posting shooting percentages that essentially mirror his career averages, 44.2 field goal and 38.6 three-point shooting. Averaging 14.0 points and 2.4 three-pointers per game in the last two weeks, the shooting guard is finally playing the way Dallas had hoped when they signed him to a $70M deal last summer to be the Robin to Parsons’ Batman.
Parsons, to his credit, had started to turn the corner back in late-January when he had a three-game stretch from January 20-24 where he averaged 29.0 points in nearly 40 minutes per game. Flash forward six weeks later and the small forward has been the most consistent and dependable scorer for Dallas since the break.
He has netted 20 plus points in four of the seven games and has shot an incredible 58.7 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from deep. His average of 20.9 points per game leads the Mavericks, just as he was supposed to, letting Dirk Nowitzki slide into the secondary scoring option role that suits him much better in year 18.
With the triple threat offense of Parsons, Nowitzki, and Matthews clicking, the Mavericks will continue as one of the most dangerous offenses in the Association down the stretch. While they may not hold the title of the best offense in the NBA for much longer, Dallas has at least shown they have the firepower to steal a game or two this postseason.
All advanced stats come from NBA.com unless specified otherwise.
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