Mavericks: Grizzles expose flaw but Dallas saved by Luka Doncic’s heroics

What can the Dallas Mavericks adjust to slow down big men?

The solution is not easy. Kristaps Porzingis is 7’3, but Jonas Valanciunas and others have a significant weight advantage. The Mavericks must help him the paint in these situations. Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Luka Doncic need to crash the glass to keep the opposition’s big man off the boards.

This becomes even more important when teams are running a plethora of pick and rolls and trying to create mismatches. The Mavs need multiple players working on the glass.

Dallas may play Boban Marjanovic for stretches to make the opposition’s big man work on the other end of the floor. The 7’4 big man is one of the biggest players in the league. His skill and touch around the basket force any center to try to keep him away from the rim. Bobi could be the Mavericks’ secret weapon in the postseason.

Porzingis needs to do a better job too. He was bullied by Valanciunas on multiple occasions on Wednesday night. KP needs to stand his ground and secure those rebounds. If the opposing big man is fouling him, the Unicorn needs to sell it better to the referees. The Mavs cannot afford to give up ten offensive rebounds per game in the postseason.

It will be interesting to see how the Dallas Mavericks adjust in the playoffs. Luka Doncic gave teams another reason to not want to face Dallas on April 14, but the Mavs still have flaws. Stay tuned because the postseason races are heating up, and there is plenty of excitement on tap.