Dallas Mavericks: Playing time for Jalen Brunson trending down

Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson averages just 13.7 minutes per game since Luka Doncic returned from his ankle injury. See why his playing time is down.

The Dallas Mavericks keep winning games as they make their playoff push. Luka Doncic is leading the way. He continues to mount his MVP case. Doncic has scored 25-plus in five straight games and puts up historic stat lines on a near-nightly basis.

Dwight Powell’s season-ending Achilles rupture has been a significant setback. The Mavs lost their starting center and culture-setter. Coach Carlisle has been forced to play small ball in the aftermath. Dallas was light on big men until they traded for Willie Cauley-Stein.

WCS should make his Mavericks debut on Monday or Tuesday. Until then, fans will have to wait to see how the rotation shakes out.

Today, we will examine Jalen Brunson’s minutes, and why they are trending down since Luka Doncic returned from his ankle injury.

Less time

Brunson started four straight games from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22. The 23-year-old was forced into a larger playmaking role with Luka sidelined. He had at least seven assists in every game and displayed his strong skill set.

Once Doncic returned, Brunson’s minutes have been trending down. Over the last 16 games, he is only averaging 13.6 per. The production has fallen off too. Brunson put up 5.0 points and 2.1 assists each night over that stretch while shooting 39.7 percent from the field.

The two guards have rarely shared the court this season. NBA Stats notes they played a total of 184 minutes together. Since Jan. 1, that number has decreased to 4.7 a night.

Expect Brunson to continue playing around 15 minutes per game. Coach Rick Carlisle prefers Seth Curry, Delon Wright, and Tim Hardaway. All three players get more run than Brunson. The 23-year-old likely won’t see his playing time increase unless Luka gets hurt (knock on wood that doesn’t happen).

Carlisle has J.J. Barea waiting in the wings as well. The veteran is often called on as a stop-gap when injuries hit.

The Dallas Mavericks could use Jalen Brunson as a trade chip before the deadline. It gives them another asset to help acquire an upgrade. Unless Coach Carlisle starts believing in Doncic and Brunson playing together, JB’s minutes will always be limited. The Mavs may be better off selling high on the talented 23-year-old.

They love his work ethic, though. It will be interesting to see how this plays out the rest of the way.

The Smoking Cuban has all the Dallas Mavericks trade rumors and so much more. Returning to the site regularly is a must for all supporters.