DALLAS Struggles - Analysis

[BlueSan]

[So I decided I'll start writing more about this and let us first start with a couple of statistical facts I went to check for Dallas as a whole

Let us start With Chapter number 1 - HUSTLE

Hustle is an analytical category, where you measure player's contribution to the game with lots of smaller things such as setting blocks , deflections, loose balls recovered and so on...
And since to start the season off we were hearing about other teams playing tough and our need to toughen up I think this is a good place to start.
This will be a long road, as we can check many things ahead but without further ado let's just jump into it

1) DEFLECTIONS
- So players deflecting balls, let us see how many times Dallas players are actually altering ball paths. This one is a good indicator of the following few things

a) How much space a team/players are giving their opponents
b) Players concentration levels
c) Following the flow of the play
d) Proactive defense (meaning guessing passes are going to happen and snapping on them)
e) Active hands
f) Defensive tenacity = aka HUSTLE itself

So it is not just strictly about the HUSTLE but about many things and will give us some inside also in how Coach Rick wants the team to operate.

Out of 412 players eligable to be checked for this (have seen some playing time) Dallas has the following:

53. place -> James Johnson = 2,3 deflections / game
58. place -> DFS = 2,3 deflections / game
80. place -> Luka Dončič = 2,0 deflections / game
102. place -> Dwight Powell = 1,8 deflections / game
109. place -> Josh Richardson = 1,8 deflections / game

I will give you an example of a team that does this well:
CLEVELAND

1. place -> Larry Nance Jr. = 6,8 deflections / game
5. place -> Drummond = 4,8 deflections / game
25. place -> Isaac Okoro = 3,0 deflections / game
68. place -> Collin Sexton = 2,0 deflections / game
top 100 also Windler and Mcgee

Cleveland is currently 3/1 coincidence? Maybe, but deflections are definitely one of the reasons that helps a lot.

Check out Dallas Defense. From occasional ZONE DEFENSE they will try = like against the Lakers to the general way how they defend and type of players they have. All of it tells you that Dallas is not one of the better teams on deflections and the way they set up on defense and give space to opponents will further on disable that.

See you next time when we check another aspect of the game.

[JD45]

Looks interesting. What's the source data for this?

[arkuo]

You know what, I blame the green jerseys man. Somehow they'll win as much games as the last team that wore it in 1985 or 1986.

[Bob8]

You cannot change D. overnight, so struggling in D. should to be expected. Why the best offense in Nba is not working, is more important question. Kp being out is just a part of a problem, because Mavs were pretty good without KP or with bad Kp on the begging of last season. Normally the right answer is usually the simplest and with Mavs we should look how 40% usage player is doing. Sure Powell is bad and shots aren't falling, but does anyone really believe only that is a difference between lottery team and top 4 team in the West?

[Pinkyring]

This isn't complicated, everytime we have played thus far was better than us from a talent standpoint except Charlotte. Our record is what it should be, now the point margins are a concern but idk what people expect, with kp healthy we're a 6th=8th seed and without him we're a lotto team. This is a Stars league not a roleplayer one. We have too much depth we should be trying to consolidate, id give anything sans luka and kp for dipo

[Teffer10]

One of the reasons is that the Mavs have too much invested in a part-time player.
When your 2nd best player's availability is extremely limited, you will struggle.

Luka being out of shape, young team, Rick's unconditional love for Powell, no starting caliber PF, and early tough schedule combined with KP's absence is a recipe for a 1-3 start and most likely 1-4 after tonight.

We can be thankful the Clips signed Ibaka and laid an egg the night we played them or we would easily be 0-4.

[Apz]

One of the reasons is that the Mavs have too much invested in a part-time player.
When your 2nd best player's availability is extremely limited, you will struggle.

Luka being out of shape, young team, Rick's unconditional love for Powell, no starting caliber PF, and early tough schedule combined with KP's absence is a recipe for a 1-3 start and most likely 1-4 after tonight.

We can be thankful the Clips signed Ibaka and laid an egg the night we played them or we would easily be 0-4.

Missed 4 games this year, guess Butler and a bunch of other players also are part time players then?