Not All Bad for the Mavs

By Will Salter

Rebuilding has its price, and the Dallas Mavericks are still paying it. For the second straight season the Mavericks have failed to advance to the NBA Playoffs, finishing 13th in their conference. While overall this may seem bad for the Mavericks, they shouldn’t overlook their smaller successes. The fact of the matter is that the Mavericks are really good when it comes to 3-pointers.

Just take a look at the statistics. Thirty-four percent of the Mavericks’ points scored this season came via 3-pointers. This puts them in third place overall in the league. In all, the Mavericks were able to score 857 3-pointers, which is the fifth most in the NBA.

This statistic should not be surprising considering that in 2011, the Mavericks tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers in a playoff game. What is surprising though is the fact that no one is talking about how the Mavericks are still on top when it comes to them.

Back in December, the Mavericks scored 22 3-pointers in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans which put them in third place in the NBA for most scored in a single game this season.

Three of those 3-points were made by Mavericks’ veteran Dirk Nowitzki.

In fact, Nowitzk may be the reason that the Mavericks are so good in terms of 3-pointers. He leads the team this season, making 129 3-pointers. That is nearly 40 more than Denis Smith Jr. who is in second place. When you compare his 3-point percentage with the rest of the NBAs, Nowitzki is a top 20 player making nearly 42 percent of them. He even leads the league in most 3-pointers made from mid-range.

In a lackluster season characterized by rebuilding, the Mavericks should be proud of their performance in terms of making 3-pointers. They certainly do not need to “build” anything in that area.