3 Duds, 2 studs from Mavericks' sloppy first loss against Suns

In a disappointing season road opener game Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson suffered their first loss Saturday when they fell to Phoenix Suns by a score of 114-102.

The team struggled to match the Suns' intensity from the very beginning. Dallas was down eight points at halftime, as they could not stop Phoenix from knocking down their 3-pointers. This was one of the main differences. The Mavs shot 31.7 percent from downtown.

Dallas now sits at 1-1, with their first loss coming against their rival.

3 Duds, 2 studs from Mavericks' sloppy first loss against Suns

The team will have a chance to bounce back on Monday when they face the Utah Jazz at home.

Jason Kidd will have plenty to go over with his team before this game, and there are several things that Dallas must sort out before this game.

5. Dud - P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington shot 42.1 percent overall last season and 31.4 percent from the 3-point line. His numbers were expected to improve this season, as he had been working on improving his jump shot. That however has not been the case. Washington is shooting 36.4 percent overall this season and 28.6 percent from downtown.

His shooting slump was present against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. Washington shot 20 percent from the field and made just one of his five 3-point attempts. This is a dip from Thursday when he shot 36 percent overall.

Washington had several open 3-point attempts but struggled to convert. If you recall, he struggled shooting the ball when he first arrived in Dallas last season. The Mavs' forward eventually found his groove and improved his shot.

On the defensive side, Washington did a good job fighting for shots down low. He isn't afraid to fight for loose balls. He struggled though to contain Kevin Durant, as the Suns' all-star scored 30 points. Washington was late to get his hands up, allowing Durant to knock down open jumpers.

Once Washington gets going, it will make things a lot easier for Dallas on both sides of the ball. If he can feed off the trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson this could make the Mavs' offense unstoppable.