3 MAVERICKS ON THIN ICE HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS

The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Playoffs after a one-year hiatus. Taking it another level after the All-Star break, the Mavs finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the league. Claiming the fifth seed in the Western Conference, Dallas is facing the LA Clippers for the third time in the playoffs in the Luka Doncic era.

Even though the vibes in Dallas are generally good right now, there is also a heightened expectation for postseason success. To ensure that Luka Doncic stays a Maverick for a long time, the team needs to show that it can win at the highest level. The 2024 NBA Playoffs will be a crucial test to demonstrate how good this team actually is. Let's take a look at three members of the franchise who are on the thinnest of ice heading into the postseason.

1. Tim Hardaway Jr.

The third-highest-paid player on the Mavericks. Tim Hardaway Jr. is playing nothing like the third best player on the team. The 32-year-old shooter is only hitting 35.3% of his threes and 40.2% of his field goal attempts in general. Combine that with his usual weak defense and you have a player who will be difficult to play in the postseason.

At his best, Hardaway Jr. can be a productive scorer off the bench. Especially at times when Doncic or Kyrie Irving is on the bench, his shot generation can be valuable. But, when the Mavericks have their full roster with everyone healthy, there really isn't much of a place for THJ. In the playoffs, Irving and Doncic will both play over 40 minutes per game and Hardaway's scoring will not be needed when they are on the court.

Supplementing Dallas' two stars should be more defensive-minded, physical players like Derrick Jones Jr, Dante Exum, and Josh Green. Unless Hardaway starts hitting his shots again, his role should be minimized, making him a potential trade candidate in the offseason.

2. Jason Kidd

It's difficult to say that Jason Kidd has done a poor job with the Mavericks. In his third season as the head coach, he just had his second 50-win season. The season in between, however, was an absolute disaster, with Dallas missing the playoffs entirely.

One conference finals appearance and one finish in the lottery makes Kidd's head coaching grade in Dallas TBD. Considering his mixed bag of a record with the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks prior to coming to Dallas, Kidd still has to prove himself that he is the right coach for this team.

When you are coaching two superstars like Doncic and Irving, your fate is connected at the hip to your stars. You will last however long your stars decide. If the Mavericks end up flaming out in the first round, Kidd can easily become the scapegoat.

In his defense, Kidd has established a baseline of defensive competence in Dallas. Given the mediocre defensive talent on this team, that should certainly be considered a success. Playoffs are a different beast, however.

Kidd is lucky to have one of the greatest playoff performers in the NBA in Luka Doncic. Yet, that could be a double-edged sword. If a coach fails despite having Doncic, they will end up receiving most of the blame.

3. GM Nico Harrison

If you have one of the best basketball players in the world in Luka Doncic and one of the best second options in the NBA in Kyrie Irving, it is up to the general manager to construct the optimal roster around them.

The Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was given that task by owner Mark Cuban three years ago.

Since then, Harrison pulled a slew of trades and free agency moves to construct a winning team around Luka Doncic. He has, however, had mixed results.

One of the greatest fumbles any front office had over the last decade in the NBA was the Mavericks' decision to let Jalen Brunson walk. After not giving him the contract extension he desired, Harrison and Dallas took the risk of unrestricted free agency with Brunson. He went on to sign with the Knicks and became an All-NBA level star.

In a panic move to salvage the Doncic era, the Mavs traded for Kyrie Irving last season. It was a disaster in 2022-23 as Dallas missed the postseason entirely. This season at the trade deadline, he continued his splurge by giving up two first-round picks to bring in Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington to bolster their frontcourt.

Throughout all of this, the Mavs moved almost their entire future draft assets while also giving up valuable role players like Dorian Finney-Smith.

More than anyone else in the organization, Nico Harrison needs these moves to work in the playoffs. Gafford and Washington, who have very limited postseason experience on their resumes have to prove that they were worth the valuable first-round picks.

Otherwise, the heat will be on this front office, which regularly botched roster construction around Doncic. A deep postseason run this year is almost a must to prove Nico Harrison is the right man for the job.

The Dallas Mavericks currently have the fourth-best odds (+800) in the Western Conference to make the NBA Finals. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook now to take advantage of these odds and don't forget to claim your $150 sign-up bonus after your first $5 bet.

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This article was originally published on sportdfw.com as 3 Mavericks on Thin Ice Heading Into the Playoffs.

2024-04-16T12:05:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd