The Dallas Mavericks have had a rocky start to the 2024-2025 NBA season. With a 5-6 record and four losses in their last six games, they find themselves in the 11th spot in the Western Conference. This includes narrow back-to-back losses to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets before falling to the Warriors last night. These recent setbacks have sparked discussions among fans about the team’s current struggles and the areas that need immediate attention to get back on track.
1. Klay’s Shooting Has Gone Cold
Klay Thompson’s recent shooting slump is an unexpected setback for the Dallas Mavericks, contributing significantly to their recent struggles. Over the last few games, his performance from beyond the arc has been uncharacteristically poor: he managed just 1-7 against the Phoenix Suns, followed by 1-6 against the Denver Nuggets, and only 1-5 in a game against the Orlando Magic. Overall, during this recent stretch, he’s hit only 10 out of 33 three-point attempts, which equates to a disappointing 30.3% accuracy—an alarming drop-off compared to his usual shooting standards.
What’s particularly concerning is that many of these misses have come on open looks. In theory, those should be some of the easiest shots to make for a sharpshooter like Klay, which raises questions about his confidence or mechanics. When Klay has the space and still can’t connect, it disrupts the team’s flow and momentum, leaving fans wondering if he’s in a mental slump as much as a shooting one. On top of that, there’s the matter of shot selection; occasionally, he’s been seen taking rushed or forced shots, particularly early in the shot clock, which doesn’t help his rhythm or the team’s offensive cohesion.
This slump has a ripple effect on the Mavericks’ entire game plan. As one of the team’s most reliable perimeter shooters, Klay’s threat from outside is supposed to stretch the defense, creating more space for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to operate. But with Klay unable to knock down open threes, defenders are less inclined to stick to him tightly, allowing them to pack the paint or provide extra coverage on Doncic and Irving. This change in defensive pressure is stalling the Mavericks’ offense and making every scoring opportunity harder to come by.
For the Mavericks to bounce back, Klay’s shooting woes need a quick resolution. Whether it’s a matter of adjusting his shot mechanics, finding better looks within the offense, or simply working through a confidence issue, the Mavericks can’t afford for their star shooter to stay in this slump. His ability to hit open shots is crucial for Dallas, and rediscovering his form could be the key to turning their season around.
2. The Overall Spacing Isn’t There
The Mavericks’ spacing has been rough lately, and the numbers don’t lie. Over the past two weeks, they’ve been sitting in the bottom eight in the league for three-point shooting, managing just 33.7% as a team from deep. It’s not just Klay struggling out there—other key players are missing the mark too, and it’s killing the team’s spacing.
Take Spencer Dinwiddie, for example. He’s been shooting just 26.7% from three on three attempts per game. For a guy who’s supposed to be a reliable threat from beyond the arc, that’s way off the mark. PJ Washington hasn’t been any better; with 2.5 attempts a game, he’s only connecting at 14.3%—not exactly what you want from a floor spacer. Meanwhile, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes aren’t helping much either, shooting 30.8% and 33.3% respectively. These percentages just don’t cut it for a team that relies heavily on spacing to open up the floor for stars like Luka and Kyrie.
With so many players shooting cold, defenses aren’t respecting the Mavericks’ outside game, which lets them clog the lane and double-team Doncic and Irving more freely. The Mavericks’ offense depends on those open threes to keep the court spread, but with these low numbers, defenses are staying home, and it’s making life miserable for their playmakers.
If the Mavs want to turn things around, they need their shooters to find their rhythm, fast. A few hot games could shift defenses back out to the perimeter, giving Luka and Kyrie the space they need to operate. Until then, it’s going to be an uphill battle for this offense to find its flow.
3. Lack Of Defensive Presence
The Mavericks’ defense has been shaky, especially in the paint. Right now, they’re giving up 51.6 points per game in the paint, ranking 19th in the league—just shy of the bottom 10. Opposing teams are finding it a little too easy to score inside, and it’s putting extra pressure on Dallas to keep up offensively.
On top of that, their defensive rating has slipped slightly, now sitting at 112.4. While they still hold a respectable spot within the top 12 defenses in the league over the last few games, this slight decline is noticeable. It’s like their defense is just starting to soften, and other teams are exploiting it, particularly by driving to the hoop and getting good looks up close.
The problem with this lack of interior defense is that it makes the Mavericks more predictable. When opponents know they can get inside without too much trouble, they’ll attack relentlessly, forcing Dallas to either foul or let easy points slide. This can also tire out the Mavericks’ defenders, as they’re constantly having to scramble back to protect the rim, leading to breakdowns that can spread to other areas of their game.
4. Stagnant Offense
The Mavericks’ offense has hit a wall, and the numbers make it clear: 39.6% of their made field goals are unassisted. That means they’re relying heavily on tough, isolation shots—a style of play that very few teams can sustain successfully. Right now, the Mavericks are putting a lot of weight on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to create magic one-on-one, but with their shooters struggling from deep, this approach is starting to look like a dead end.
Last season, this iso-heavy style actually worked wonders for them, taking them all the way to the NBA Finals. Luka and Kai could break down defenses on their own, and their shooters were able to knock down open looks when the defense collapsed. But this year? With those terrible three-point percentages, it’s a different story. Defenses aren’t respecting their shooters, which means Luka and Kyrie are facing more doubles, and those open shots aren’t falling, making it nearly impossible to keep up offensively.
When shooters can’t hit their open threes, it clogs up the offense and forces Doncic and Irving into tough situations. The lack of movement off the ball and limited playmaking options mean that defenses know exactly what’s coming, making the Mavericks’ offense predictable and easy to defend. Without those open threes, they’re stuck trying to score through contested shots and heavy defensive pressure, which isn’t sustainable.
For the Mavs to snap out of this offensive funk, they need to mix up their play style and get their shooters hitting from beyond the arc. If they can start knocking down open shots, it’ll stretch defenses and give Luka and Kyrie the space they need to get back to their dominant ways.
5. Bad Clutch Displays
When it comes to clutch time, the Mavericks have been falling apart lately. In four of their last six games, they found themselves in close, crunch-time situations—only to lose all four. During these moments, they’re bottom-3 in defensive rating and only rank 18th in offensive rating. That’s a recipe for disaster when games are on the line.
The shooting tells the story: they’re hitting just 25% from three in the clutch, while opponents are torching them with a 57.1% average. Those numbers are brutal. When every possession counts, they’re just not able to match their opponents, either on offense or defense. Poor shot selection, rushed threes, and defensive breakdowns are costing them when it matters most.
It’s frustrating because the Mavericks have the talent to close out games with players like Luka and Kyrie. But if they’re not executing in the final minutes, all that talent goes to waste. Their inability to step up in clutch moments is starting to weigh on them, as close games slip through their fingers, impacting both their confidence and their record.
To turn this around, they need to stay composed and get better looks in crunch time. And on defense, they’ve got to lock in, keep opponents from getting high-percentage shots, and tighten up their rotations. Right now, they’re letting games slip away, and in a competitive Western Conference, every clutch moment counts.
