Dallas Mavericks: 5 reasons for optimism after a slow start

Why Dallas Mavericks fans should be optimistic: 4. Historic offense unlikely to disappear

The Mavs led the NBA in offensive rating last season. They produced a historic 115.9 points per 100 possessions. Dallas is off to a slow start and currently sits 17th at 111.3.

History suggests that trend will not continue. Since 2008, the team that led the NBA in offensive rating finished inside the top eight the following season 11 out of 12 times. The lone exception was last year’s Warriors that were decimated by injuries and saw Kevin Durant depart to Brooklyn.

Fans will point to the loss of Seth Curry as the culprit. Trading away one of the best shooters in the league hurts, but history suggests the Mavericks will rebound into a top ten offense by season’s end.

Their struggles are simple. Dallas is ninth in 3-pointers attempted and 29th in 3-point percentage. The telling stat is the Mavs create 17 wide-open threes per game, according to NBA Stats, but hit them at a league-worst 35.0 percent. They take the third most open 3-pointers but sit 19th in percentage at 34.6. If the threes start falling, the Mavericks will be an elite offense.

The Dallas Mavericks are just beginning to gel and get comfortable on the court together. Expect the shooting to rise and them to become a top ten offense.

Next: No. 3