Over the offseason, the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest roster need was guard depth after Kyrie Irving went down with a torn ACL. While the Mavericks added depth at the ball-handler position by signing D’Angelo Russell and Ryan Nembhard on draft night, the team still failed to address one of their biggest roster holes that could plague them next season: shooting.
Even though the Mavericks still have Klay Thompson under contract for the next two seasons, they still desperately need shooting and spacing within their starting unit and off the bench. Many fans have speculated that Thompson could eventually be serviceable in a reserve role, but due to Dallas’ dire need for shooting, it’s unlikely the Mavericks can afford to replace Thompson with a player who cannot space the floor within the starting unit.
The Mavericks are still just days away from tipping off training camp, and after signing Miles Kelly minutes after the second round of the NBA draft concluded, the hope is that he can step in on day one and impact the rotation. Although it sounds desperate, the Mavericks need Kelly to step up if the team doesn’t want a lack of shooting to dictate the outcome of next season.
Mavericks’ lack of shooters could severely hamper this season
After trading away Luka Doncic at the trade deadline last season, the Mavericks suffered on the offensive end when it came to playmaking and floor spacing. Not only did having a lack of creation due to Doncic’s absence kill the Mavericks, but their 3-point shooting would fall off a cliff as a team for the remainder of the regular season.
As a team, Dallas would shoot 36.4 percent from behind the arc, which gained them 15th place in the entire league. To make matters worse, that number would only fall in the months after trading away Doncic.
While the Mavericks still suffer from a lack of shooters who can reliably space the floor, there is hope that Thompson can pick up where he left off, and players like P.J. Washington can step up on the offensive end. Assuming Washington can become a reliable floor spacer and Kelly can impact the rotation just enough that he can be used on the offensive end, the Mavericks may surprise many doubters.
Even looking on the bright side, the Mavericks still run into many floor spacing problems. Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison have gone all-in on size this offseason, as well as the double-big lineups, which will only make the floor spacing that much more difficult.
Adding Russell should also help Dallas’ floor spacing capabilities, as throughout his career, Russell has always been known as a reliable shooter and offensive creator. Even when Irving does eventually return to Dallas’ lineup, Russell could play a major role off the bench, being one of Dallas’ few shooters who can make an impact.
In today’s NBA, shooting has often dictated the outcome of a team’s season, and the Mavericks may unfortunately be on the opposite end of a trend that has not been kind to those who can’t follow. The Mavericks could very quickly in the preseason find themselves in desperate need of shooting from behind the three-point line, which is a position no team wants to be in.