How Do You Rebuild a Rebuilding Year?

By Taylor Maggiore

The Dallas Mavericks have shown that consistency is not their strong suit.

Offensively, the Mavericks are too unpredictable. Valuable possessions are turned over or not taken advantage of, and often times the Mavericks find themselves playing defensive basketball more than anything else.

Harrison Barnes leads the team averaging 6.6 rebounds per game, and 18.3 points per game. Between Barnes and Dennis Smith Jr., they end up pulling most of the weight on the offense.

The defense is a work in progress. The Mavericks sit in last place in the Western Conference, yet they rarely get beat by more than ten points. This is a testament to their capability. The talent is there, it’s the consistency overall that needs work. The Mavericks are able to keep up with their opponents, but the lack of seizing opportunities is the Mavericks downfall.

When the Mavericks took on the Sacramento Kings this week, the game was overall evenly matched. The Kings took only four more field goal attempts than the Mavericks, but had nine more successes. The Mavericks went 15 for 40 3-point shots, while the Kings only attempted 29 3-point shots, and made 12. The inconsistency consumes playing time.