Bleacher Report’s recent grade disparages Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.

So far, the Dallas Mavericks are having a fantastic season. After a much-maligned finish to last season, the Mavericks are already considered playoff contenders. And, while it may not seem like much in today’s NBA, Dallas is on their way to winning the Southwest Division.

Throughout the offseason, Dallas faced numerous critics. No one expected the Mavericks to compete in the Western Conference, from NBA General Managers to various media outlets.

Another Dallas skeptic has emerged this time. While a “B grade” in this article isn’t too bad, the Mavericks deserve at least a B+, especially after last year’s disaster.

With a recent grade, Bleacher Report disparages Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
The most recent grade was obtained from Bleacher Report’s “NBA Report Cards: Grading Every Team’s 1st Quarter of the 2023-24 Season” article. According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, Luka Doncic’s dominance is one of the reasons Dallas is above.500.

While Doncic’s numbers are impressive, the rest of the team has fared much better than last season. Bailey mentioned Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. in his Dallas blurb but didn’t mention any role players.

Outside of Doncic, Irving, and Hardaway Jr., the Bleacher Report writer concluded the Mavericks section by saying, “The roster sort of falls off after that (at least from a statistical perspective)” about the contributors.

Analyzing Dallas from a statistical standpoint is simple. A more in-depth examination, on the other hand, would shed light on the less-publicized contributors.

For example, Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks’ new starting center, has performed above and beyond expectations. The 19-year-old power forward leads the team with 9.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. His statistics may appear modest, but his rim-running abilities and backline defense are critical to Dallas’ success.

With Lively II on the court, Dallas becomes a much better team. When Lively II is on the court, the Mavericks are more than 10 points better than when he is off.

However, the former Duke big man isn’t the team’s only standout role player. Derrick Jones Jr., Grant Williams, and Dante Exum were all acquired in the offseason and have played critical roles in the Mavericks’ success.

Jones Jr. has evolved into a valuable 3-and-D asset. The athletic winger is scoring 9.6 points per game, a career high. He’s also making 1.6 3-pointers per game, a career high, at a 37.4 percent clip. Prior to this season, Jones Jr. had never made more than 0.7 three-pointers per game.

Despite a slight decline in recent weeks, Williams is an invaluable floor-spacer for Doncic and Irving. On 5.7 attempts per game, he is shooting above 40% from downtown.

Finally, in recent weeks, Exum has been spectacular. Exum leads Dallas in plus/minus and ranks in the top 45 in the NBA, with a plus-4.6. When Exum is on the court, the Mavericks improve by an astounding 20.6 points per game.

Despite the B grade, Dallas has unquestionably outperformed expectations this year. The Doncic-Irving partnership has thrived, and the Dallas role players have performed admirably. Lively II and Exum should continue to improve. Furthermore, second-year player Jaden Hardy has plenty of time to develop.

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