Role people play better at home, as the saying goes. Is the Mavs find their variety in Game 3's Game 3 at Dallas?
Following his team's Game 2 loss in the NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said," We've got to find someone to join Luka]Dončić ] and Kyrie]Irving ] in that scoring category", and that's an understatement.
The Mavericks, who trail the series, 2- 0, also need more scoring from Irving, but the other shooters in their rotation — P. J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., Maxi Kleber and Josh Green — averaged a combined 28 points on 37.7 % shooting ( 15.8 3P % ) through the first two games of the Finals. During three previous playoff rounds, those four averaged more points per game ( 33.2 ) on higher efficiency ( 45.1 FG %, 38.1 3P % ).
During the regular season, they averaged 32.9 points per game on 46.2 % shooting ( 34.8 3P % ).
What is most fascinating about those numbers: Their production through three rounds of the playoffs — unhappy wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves — was no extremely surrounding, though their 3- point percentage improved from below average to effectively above.
Their filming during the NBA Finals has been overlooked. According to the NBA's monitoring information, that foursome missed 16 of their 18 efforts from 3-point range in the first two game of the line when no defenseman was within 4 feet of each photo. A problem should also be raised by the Mavericks ' only nine open 3s per game against those four. They averaged 13.7 open attempts per game in the regular season.
" Just one thing: Keep shooting", Dončić reminded his role players Tuesday. " We all believe in those shots. That's how we came to the Finals. That's how we played the whole season. We firmly believe in those men. Everyone believes. If you're open, just keep shooting. You're going to knock it down at some point".
They are shooting less than Boston, which is worse. Specifically, the Celtics have all but eliminated one of Dallas ' most productive shots — the corner 3- pointer. The Mavericks finished 37.5 % of their 12.2 corner 3s per game in the first three rounds of the playoffs, generating 13.8 points a night from the corners. In the first two games of this series, they are only 2 for 8 overall and play at the same locations.
In fact, the Celtics are daring Dončić and Irving to feed everyone but Washington. Because Boston wants them open, Jones, Kleber, and Green have made numerous attempts. Boston feels at ease avoiding them, blocking Dallas ' stars ' views, and taking distracting shots above the break. The Mavericks do not look confident in response, preferring Dončić's iso 3s to his drive- and- kick opportunities for others.
The Mavericks are only able to close the gap completely in Game 2 by leaving roughly 10 points per game on the table from their spot-up shooters, which is a game-opening blowout.
Can they narrow the divide? Role players play better at home, as the saying goes. Except, for those hoping Washington, Jones, Kleber and Green come to life in Dallas, there is not a ton of evidence to support that idea. In the regular season, they combined to shoot 35 % on open 3s both at home and on the road. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, they performed slightly better at home ( 40 % ) than on the road ( 38 % ), despite both showing a significant improvement over their regular-season averages.
They must be even better than the 2 for 18 clip they produced on open 3s in the series ' first two games, though, almost. Even their averages for the regular season would have resulted in a few more 3s per game. That may not sound like much, but when Dallas is a 2.5- point betting favorite at BetMGM, six points would be a heck of a swing.
" We felt in Game 2 we had opportunities we just let get away from us... but the cliché is role players play better at home, so we'll see", Kidd told reporters on Tuesday, seemingly content with his team's looks.
Jones might hold the key to the Mavericks ' offense. On open 3s during the regular season, he shot 40 % at home and 30 % on the road. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, that discrepancy increased to 50 % at home and 30 % on the road. He is down to 20 % ( 1- for- 5 ) on his open 3s in TD Garden.
Washington may be worse ( 0- for- 7 ) on open 3s in the Finals, but at least the Celtics are respecting his attempts. Make a couple at home, and Jones could draw a defender, opening lanes for Dončić and Irving.
It is all tied together. The more shooting space do the Mavericks ' players have to score. The worse everyone else shoots, the less space Dončić and Irving have to operate. This is how a team can drop to 100 points per 100 possessions vs. Boston after scoring 117 points per 100 possessions during the regular season and 115.2 % per 100 possessions in the playoffs of the Western Conference.
Ask the Celtics how much of their offense is generated by spacing, for example. Of course, it helps that every member of their rotation is a 3- point threat, and that is not changing over the course of this series.
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