Mavericks' risky new experiment is already showing a fatal flaw

The Mavericks could really use this off their bench right now...

Will Miller

Dallas Mavericks, Caleb Martin / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Despite supposedly having one of the deepest benches in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks' bench production has varied through five contests, especially since the rotation has been mangled by injuries up to this point. Dallas has struggled with 3-point production and efficiency as a team, but they are struggling off their bench, especially besides Max Christie, who has been the most prolific shooter this season for the Mavericks so far.

Dallas needs shooting from their wing spots off the bench badly, and up to this point, their other two wings off the bench, in Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin, have not been able to provide this, but Martin's case is even worse, considering Marshall has at least still been an efficient slasher and finisher. Martin's appeared in four games so far with Dallas this season, attempting just three 3-pointers in 22 minutes of game action.

Martin finally connected on a shot from outside versus the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, and it looked decently fluid, but some of his attempts from the mid-range and outside have still featured the hitch on his jump shot that Mavericks fans spotted last season. Martin is still defending very well at the point of attack, but with him having a limited offensive repertoire, he has to take and make more shots from outside to stay on the floor for Dallas.

Caleb Martin's defense isn't enough to keep him on the floor

Outside of two postseason runs with the Miami Heat a few seasons ago, as well as his 2021-22 season, Martin has been relatively streaky from outside, and while he showcased solid cutting and the ability to attack off closeouts in Miami some, he hasn't showcased those aspects of his offense much in Dallas at all.

While the Mavericks and Nico Harrison played themselves into making the Quentin Grimes-Martin trade due to deciding to extend Jaden Hardy instead of Grimes before the start of the 2023-24 season, the optics of this trade haven't gotten better with Grimes off to another strong start with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Even if the 76ers ultimately lose Grimes in unrestricted free agency next season, Grimes would've been far more fulfilling offensively for this Mavericks team compared to Martin, even if he turned into a one-year rental. Martin missed time in the preseason due to an undisclosed injury, and while this, as well as the fact he hasn't played consistent minutes, can excuse his slow start to a certain extent, the Mavericks can't afford for him to be a blackhole offensively.

Martin has showed sprinkles of being able to create his own shot in the midrange and be a solid finisher in transition throughout his time in Dallas so far, but he must do more of that or be a better volume 3-point shooter if he wants to earn head coach Jason Kidd's trust, as his perimeter defense is great, but isn't at such an elite level to override his offensive deficiencies at the moment.

Will Miller

Will Miller is a senior contributor and is in his second year with The Smoking Cuban. Will has been following the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade and is currently working on getting a Bachelors in Science in Sports Journalism from the University of North Texas, as he is also covering sports for the North Texas TV station. While Will is opening up his coverage to cover other sports for UNT, basketball and the Dallas Mavericks are his true passion and he hopes to continue writing and producing Mavericks related content as his career continues. Will has very solid in-game analysis and knowledge about the intricacies of the game, and has a very broad understanding about the NBA as a whole. Going forward Will is looking to be more expansive in his coverage of the Mavericks beyond writing as well. Outside of writing about the Mavericks, Will enjoys hanging with friends, going to the gym, and watching other sports and live events.