Dallas Mavericks' early glaring problem comes down to 3 players

The Dallas Mavericks fell back to earth Thursday when they lost to the Houston Rockets 108-102. Dallas trailed most of the game, and they were down by 23 points at one point. Their failure to protect the rim and be aggressive cost them. The team let Houston outrebound them by 13, allowing the Rockets to reel in 50 rebounds.

Another issue has been Luka Doncic's early struggles. The Mavs' all-star's inconsistent shooting shows that the team is not at full strength. Doncic has shot above 48 percent from the field in just two games so far. Against the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves this week, he shot below 15 percent from the 3-point line. This is an issue Doncic has vowed to fix, as he has said that he is just trying to get into rhythm after missing the preseason.

However, one glaring issue has been the team's lack of offensive bench production. Against the Phoenix Suns last week, the Mavs' bench combined for nine points. Dereck Lively II was the leading scorer off the bench with five points. Lively II again was the leading bench scorer against Houston, when he had six points.

This isn't saying much, as Dallas has multiple players who can score anytime, but no one is stepping up.

Mavs still haven't found a consistent guard scorer off the bench

The issue is that Dallas has yet to find a primary sixth man. Every game this season has had a different leading man off the bench. Against the San Antonio Spurs, Lively II and Jaden Hardy combined for 26 points. Hardy knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.

Spencer Dinwiddie carried the bench load against the Jazz, as he finished with 11 points and shot 75 percent from downtown. Since then, he has yet to score above four points.

Quentin Grimes was the leading bench man against the Minnesota Timberwolves. he scored nine points and went 3-5 from the 3-point line. He also played crucial defense, finishing the game with one steal.

In the games that Dallas lost, no one off the bench scored above six points. Lively II has been the leading scorer averaging nine points per game. That's expected from him, as he has been splitting minutes with Daniel Gafford.

The three players Mavs fans expected to produce have struggled. For starters, Dinwiddie is the backup guard behind Doncic and Kyrie Irving. His numbers though have to meet expectations. Dinwiddie is averaging 4.5 points per game and shooting 26.7 percent from the 3-point line. Besides the Utah game, he has averaged 3.5 points per game in 15 minutes per game.

Like Dinwiddie, Hardy is struggling. He is averaging three points per game and shooting 33.3 percent overall. Against the Suns, Hardy had his worst game, going 0-4 from the field. The inconsistent guard has also failed to make a 3-pointer since the Spurs' game. His inconsistency could be troublesome, as the lack of a consistent role won't allow him to develop quickly.

Grimes, on the other hand, hasn't been any better. The newest Mav has been an asset on the defensive end. He has shown valuable toughness and quickness. His offensive skills, though, have failed to meet expectations. Against Minnesota, Grimes shot 60 percent overall. The problem is he has shot below 25 percent in all his other games. Grimes will need to develop his shot if he hopes to become a valuable sixth man.

So in simple terms, all three of the top guards off the bench have failed to find consistency. They all have had one dominant game, but nothing more than that. This is the Mavs' main issue. Dallas doesn't have a true scorer off the bench that they can always rely upon.

This is what separates contenders from pretenders. When the Mavs won the championship in 2011, Jason Terry was their primary scorer. He could come off the bench and drop double-digit points in the blink of an eye.

Once Dallas finds their consistent scorer off the bench, this will make things a whole lot easier. The team has plenty of options.

The question will be: which primary bench player will step up for the team? Could it be Dinwddie, Hardy, or Grimes? Or could it be someone else?

Either way, Dallas has plenty of room for improvement.

Stay tuned for the Dallas Mavericks and their quest to find consistency.