The Dallas Mavericks turned some heads last year, after making it all the way to the 2024 NBA Finals. Although a return to the NBA Finals after 13 years was celebrated, the Mavericks had to deal with a huge obstacle in the form of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics’ starting five proved to be the Mavericks’ kryptonite, as all the guys on the floor contributed their fair share of points to take away the championship from Dallas.
Heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Mavs made some offseason moves, highlighted by the signing of Klay Thompson. While Thompson should be another star in Dallas, it’s hard to see him address the team’s major weakness during their Finals run, which is defense.
Luka Doncic‘s willingness to defend at the perimeter
At the 2024 NBA Finals, the Mavericks were pretty close to winning the franchise’s second championship banner. However, their championship hopes were dashed away, thanks to a well-balanced Celtics squad. The Celtics would defeat the Mavericks in five games to earn the franchise’s 18th banner to lead all NBA teams.
One of the biggest weaknesses the Celtics exposed against the Mavs was catching Luka Doncic on defense. In several plays during the series, Luka struggled to keep in step as a defender, as he was often spotted getting blown by. If that wasn’t enough, the Mavericks superstar would also fail to rotate whenever the Celtics were running their plays. This often led to buckets, as the Celtics’ starting five often capitalized after breaking down the Mavericks defense.
Moving into the 2024-2025 season, there’s no question that Doncic and the Mavericks will be hungrier to get the championship. However, it remains to be seen whether Luka has put in the work to adjust defensively. In addition to this, Doncic’s willingness to close out shooters on a nightly basis should be a big question mark in the Mavericks’ championship bid. To address the issue, it’s either Luka improves defensively or has help defenders consistently ready on their toes.
Speaking of other defenders, the Mavericks did suffer a huge loss during the offseason with the departure of Derrick Jones Jr. He signed with the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason after being an important piece for the team last season, anchoring the perimeter defense. Jones did a tremendous job in locking down opposing wings. His impact played a huge role in helping the Mavericks go all the way to the 2024 NBA Finals.
In response to Jones’ departure, the Mavericks signed up Naji Marshall and Jazian Gortman and acquired Quentin Grimes from a trade in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. But more importantly, the Mavericks probably can’t wait to parade Thompson, who was their biggest signing during the offseason. Although it seems that the Mavericks have stepped up offensively, the same story cannot be said on the defensive end.
Thompson and Grimes should provide more shooting for the Mavericks. However, it’s worth noting that Thompson isn’t the same star as he was back in the Warriors dynasty. Injuries and age have slowed him down, leading to cold shooting nights and an inability to guard or close out elite wings. With an already questionable Luka at the perimeter, starting Thompson in lieu of Jones’ place could potentially open a can of worms for the Mavericks defensively.
On the other hand, Marshall should be the biggest acquisition defensively. He showed flashes for the New Orleans Pelicans, but the four-year NBA veteran has yet to shoulder more than 23.3 minutes on a consistent basis. As a result, the Mavericks are counting on his breakout season. Gortman also showed positive signs on both ends of the floor during the NBA preseason but has yet to prove it at the NBA level.
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Otherwise, the team may have to rely on PJ Washington to shoulder the load defensively at the perimeter if things don’t pan out. Another option is to make some moves before the trade deadline.
More pressure on rim protectors
While the Mavericks seemed to have made some roster moves in the offseason, it seems that defense will be a concern for this star-studded squad. With the roster upgrading offensively, it seems that there will be more pressure on Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford to hold the fort at the rim.
Lively and Gafford were what the doctor ordered when the Mavericks needed rim protection last season. With their impact, the Mavericks successfully made it all the way to the Finals. But now with the absence of a primary defender in Jones, more opposing perimeter players will be able to penetrate the defense, especially when Luka, Irving, or Thompson get slow defensively.
After a spectacular season last year, there’s more pressure on Lively and Gafford to replicate the same impact. With the Mavericks parading a roster with lesser proven perimeter defenders, well-balanced teams like the Celtics should theoretically reassert their mastery over the Mavs.