Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks stopped a three-game losing streak with a 114-108 win over the Miami Heat last night. During the game, Doncic was furious at Josh Green for missing a defensive rotation and allowing a weak-side layup that Doncic was not in position to contest.
Luka is FURIOUS with Josh’s lack of effort here on defense pic.twitter.com/r3wK4xe2Rc
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) March 8, 2024
It’s a little hard to see what Doncic was mad at in this possession. Green was covering Jimmy Butler during the possession as the Heat got an easy transition layup through a half-court pass that landed with an open Caleb Martin. Kyrie Irving spotted the play and was trying to get the attention of his teammates to contest. If anything, Doncic should be held accountable as he was the closest to contesting Martin if he had spotted him even half a second before the pass.
The Mavericks had rough moments in the game, overturning a 15-point deficit to pull the victory off in the second half. Doncic put up his fifth-consecutive 30-point triple-double, ending the night with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Green had a quiet night off the bench, putting up two points, two rebounds, two assists, and two stocks.
Defensive miscommunications dropped the Mavericks to the worst defense in the NBA over the last six games, with tonight being a strong showing for a struggling team. They need to rediscover their post-trade deadline form once again, but that requires sacrifice and commitment from everyone on the roster.
Kyrie Irving Told Mavericks Fans To Not Worry After Their Recent Skid
After the Mavericks had lost to the Indiana Pacers to drop to 1-4 in five games, Kyrie Irving sent out a positive message to the fans in Dallas, reassuring them of what the team can achieve.
“We’re going to be okay, that’s for everybody that’s watching at home. We’re going to be okay. We gotta trust that we’ll be able to put the work in necessary to get us these wins. We’ve shown it before.”
This statement was followed up with a shock loss to the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid, but this win over a surging Heat roster was much-needed. The team’s defensive principles looked a lot more clear, with strong defensive effort from most of the players, especially during the second quarter.
Josh Green averages modest numbers but is one of their most active on-ball defenders, though his complete lack of screen navigation ability often makes him a liability. His spot in the rotation isn’t secure, as the re-emergence of Dante Exum could lead to Green losing some minutes due to the similar role both play.
Exum is a solid defensive option and seems to tie the Mavs’ offense as a connector between Doncic and Kyrie. But these rotational changes can only be implemented by Jason Kidd, who needs to find the recipe that can ensure another miraculous postseason run from Dallas as we saw in 2022.
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