Dusty May has quietly become the Mavericks' secret weapon

Most Dallas Mavericks fans immediately point to Cooper Flagg's superstar jump, Flagg's chemistry with Kyrie Irving, and depth as main reasons for the team's success. Dallas is 7-4 through their first 11 games, and while all of these things have played major parts in the Mavs' strong start, Dusty May is being overlooked far too much.

While Dallas' decision to part ways with Jason Kidd initially drew some backlash, May has wiped away any concerns that he wouldn't succeed at the NBA level during the first few weeks of the NBA season. In fact, he looks like one of the biggest reasons for the Mavs' success to begin the year.

Dusty May is showing signs of greatness right away

He's holding players accountable, holding everyone to the same standard, and energizing the team with his energy and team-first approach. His one and only priority has been winning, and his staff has been a breath of fresh air after Dallas won just 26 games last season.

The energy surrounding the Mavs has been completely different since May took over, and Dallas' offensive execution looks completely different from how it did last season. Irving's return obviously has helped in this area, but May's philosophy has played a role in this as well.

May is maximizing the Mavericks' strengths

The Mavericks' offense emphasizes heavy ball movement, good decision-making, and strong play in transition. Coop and Kai are at the head of the snake, but many of the role players around them have played big roles as well.

May puts a lot of trust in his big men to make the right read once they catch the ball, and this has helped unlock another level in Daniel Gafford's game. He's averaging a career-high 2.0 assists per game after averaging 1.1 last season, and the faith that May has in him has played a key role in this.

May has also done an excellent job of drawing up plays, and this is one area that Kidd struggled with. Kidd was always known as an elite players coach, but the Xs and Os didn't always follow suit.

Coach May has provided the best of both worlds, as he relates well with his players but also can draw up a play and make timely in-game adjustments when needed. Dallas' players love playing for him, and Kyrie has given him his flowers multiple times this season during press conferences.

Kyrie Irving is a huge Dusty May fan

Irving credited May for Dallas' early-season success when asked for reasons that the Mavericks have started 7-4 after Monday night's win over the Indiana Pacers, and this comes after Kyrie praised him for being "confrontational in terms of what he wants out of you," and his focus on preparation after a game earlier this season.

"Dusty’s doing a great job of confronting us when we’re not doing things right or when we’re not living up to our standards, and he knows that we're better when we're hunting," Irving said on Monday.

May isn't afraid to hold his players accountable

May makes it very clear what he wants out of his players, and if they don't live up to those standards, they sit on the bench. A clear example of this has been Max Christie, as he went from being a starter at the beginning of the season to being out of the rotation recently. Christie has struggled to knock down open shots, and while May emphasized that the team still believes in Max, he also wasn't afraid to say that other people are playing better than him before Monday's game.

Another example of this was Santi Aldama's minutes against the Pacers. The 25-year-old big man played 19 minutes in the first three quarters, but he barely touched the floor after having an animated conversation with May.

He knows what he wants from his players, and regardless of who it is, they're going to be held accountable for their play.

May's coaching has been outstanding through the first few weeks of the season, and his coaching style fits Dallas' youth perfectly. He's changing the Mavericks' culture for the better one day at a time, and the good vibes that he brings to his coaching are clearly rubbing off on his players.

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