Dusty May's offensive vision fixes one glaring Mavericks problem

The Dallas Mavericks finished dead last in an overlooked statistic a season ago: passes. The Mavericks averaged just 261.5 passes per game, becoming one of only three teams to average fewer than 270 per contest, which ultimately culminated in a bottom-10 finish in assists. Yet, according to newly tabbed Mavericks head coach Dusty May, that'll change this upcoming season.

In an interview with Mavericks Chief Communications Officer Gina Miller, May made his vision crystal clear. When asked what identity he wants to instill in the Mavericks, he didn't hesitate: "I want us to be the best passing team in the NBA."

The Dallas Mavericks have a major passing problem

As evidenced by Dallas' league-worst passing numbers, May is facing quite the uphill battle. Interestingly enough, the Mavericks haven't finished in the top 15 in passes per game since the 2021-22 season, when they ranked 15th. In fact, it's been since the 2018-19 campaign that Dallas could truly be considered a good ball-moving team, finishing fourth in the NBA in passes per game.

Of course, building an offense around a heliocentric player like Luka Doncic suppressed Dallas' overall passing numbers for quite some time (the Los Angeles Lakers, for instance, ranked 26th in passes per game in 2025-26). Still, one would've figured the Mavericks' passing numbers would improve without Doncic in tow.

However, that just wasn't the case. Dallas' passing numbers even declined as the year went on, averaging just 253.0 passes per game in April. It's an overlooked issue that desperately needs resolving.

Dusty May has proven his offensive philosophy works

Fortunately, May has the evidence to back up his bold claim.

May's reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines ranked fifth among 365 Division I basketball teams in passes per game a season ago. The Wolverines played fast and shared the ball, which led to plenty of scoring opportunities and ultimately culminated in a national championship. Moreover, it's even more impressive considering the Wolverines didn't boast a top-tier point guard, as their three best players were all bigs. Thus, Michigan was spreading the wealth without one true distributor.

Dallas, similarly to the Wolverines, doesn't have a true pass-first distributor. Kyrie Irving comes somewhat close, but the former Duke Blue Devil has always been more of a score-first player, evidenced by his career average of 5.6 assists per game.

Consequently, it's plausible to see May's vision working in Dallas. The more passes, the more assists, and, of course, the more points. Dallas doesn't need some passing maestro to make this plan work. It just needs May's vision to become a reality.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow