Even after Dallas avoided what could’ve been a knockout punch this summer (hint: Deron Williams) and instead netted some decent talent, I did not expect them to make noise in the West this year. Dirk Nowitzki was going to be out for an early chunk of the season. They had lost a handful of veteran leaders. And they were coming off yet another summer where they failed to land any big names. Mark Cuban‘s philosophy felt like it was in a tailspin, a forever cycle of Plan Bs that weren’t quite good enough. Instead, they’re 4-1 and have perhaps the most exciting offense in the league (outside of Miami, who really shouldn’t even count they are so good). Those that know me might ordinarily say this is just another excuse to write about O.J. Mayo. But for once, it’s truly warranted: the Mavericks must be considered one of the league’s biggest surprises through the season’s first eight days.
Last season, Dallas wasn’t even an average scoring team, and they were even worse when the Big German didn’t suit up. Naturally, we all figured it was doomsday in the Big D when it was reported Nowitzki would miss six weeks. New pickups like Darren Collison, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and Mayo were all considered solid players – at best – but no one (I certainly didn’t) felt they could lead a playoff team in an impossibly deep Western Conference. Yet Rick Carlisle found a way to release the shackles.
How are they doing it? Back when Dirk first got hurt, we called it – our own Andrew Greif wrote this at the time: “Carlisle’s uptempo style of play, at its best, can minimize size or skill deficiencies by playing fast — and without Dirk, the Mavs can play even faster. Like an undersized team playing no-huddle football, playing efficiently with speed can buoy Dallas in the interim by shaving off opponents’ advantages.” It’s funny because that’s EXACTLY what’s happened. The Mavs still struggle on the glass, sporting a rebound rate that’s tied for No. 21 in the NBA. Monday against Portland, they were murdered on the offensive glass, getting out-rebounded 23-2. This is more than a trend, too. They were also in the bottom half of the league last year in overall rebound rate. But they’ve made up for their lack of size and defensive problems by pushing the ball more often than they ever have over the past four years.
Collison and Mayo, in particular, look like new players. Both were reduced to bench roles with their former teams, and both were stuck in environments that didn’t suit their talents. Collison plays much better in space, and while he isn’t very physical, his blinding speed allows him to make up for some of his disadvantages. He didn’t have that in Indiana because of their rugged personnel. He has that now, and while this isn’t a fact, just off the eye test I’d say he’s pushing the pace more often than any other lead guard in the league. Collison is also shooting eye-opening percentages all over the court (56/57/81), and sports the fourth-lowest turnover rate among all point guards this season (5.7).
Then there’s Mayo, who has the most specific set of skills of anyone outside of Bryan Mills. He has good vision, but consistently tries to fit passes in where they shouldn’t be. He cannot go by people off the dribble, nor is he someone who can run an offense. He’s small, has just a 6-6 wingspan and can’t finish around the rim because he’s not an explosive athlete. You might say he’s limited. But then again, Mayo’s so good at what he does well that he makes up for it. His deadliness as a shooter was masked at times in Memphis because they turned him into a secondary option, the guy to go stand in a corner and wait for a bailout pass. He’s not a set shooter. With Dallas, he’s much more involved, which helps since he’s more of a rhythm shooter and needs to be used accordingly.
Mayo’s scored 84 points in the last three games, and leads the league by a wide margin in triples made (21 of them, on nearly 64 percent shooting). Last night against Toronto, he faced double-teams all over the court, something he hasn’t seen since the early months of his rookie season.
Then there’s Kaman, who’s shooting over 70 percent from the floor and is second on the team at 18 points a night. His inside scoring, as well as his ability to step out and make a few shots outside of the paint, is helping to keep the team’s balance in half-court sets. He’s really their only inside scorer, and while his importance is mitigated because the team gets so many of its open looks off fast breaks, Kaman gives them something the Mavs haven’t had over the last few years.
Combine those three with players like Vince Carter, Jae Crowder and Brandan Wright, and there might not be a single player in Dallas’ rotation that isn’t playing above their head. I’m not convinced they can keep it up. Their league-best 49 percent three-point shooting will have to come back to Earth at some point, and three of their four wins came at home against predicted lottery teams. But if they can stay afloat for now, they could become even more potent once Nowitzki returns.
With an offensive efficiency of 111, third in the NBA behind Miami and New York, and a scoring average of 108.4 points a night, second behind the Heat, Dallas can become an NBA anomaly if they keep this up without Dirk. They have no superstar. They don’t even have an All-Star right now. Mayo is their leading scorer, and he’s so respected that no one (not one team) gave him a longterm offer this summer. Just six months ago, Collison was backing up George Hill of all people. Before a sprained MCL sidelined Shawn Marion – who many thought had fallen off – he was averaging his most rebounds since leaving Phoenix (I guess someone has to grab them, right?). Even Vince Carter, left for dead this summer, is going above and beyond the call of duty, giving us bursts of Half-Man/Half-Amazing one minute, and shocking effort the next.
This barrage of incredible shooting probably can’t last. It’s still early in the season, and Charlotte, of all teams, is sixth in the league in scoring so you know there’s a little “early season randomness” going on. But let’s ride it out while it lasts. I know they’ll do the same in Dallas.
Will their superior offensive production continue all season?
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