Mavericks’ longtime 3-point shooting problem is already haunting them again

The Dallas Mavericks ranked 26th in team 3-point percentage last season at 34.4 percent, and if things continue as they did on Wednesday night in their season debut versus the Houston Rockets, this is a problem that is going to continue to plague them this season as well. Dallas shot just 11-for-37 from outside, while the Rockets shot 16-for-36 from outside in both teams' regular-season debuts.

While Dallas' offense looked clunky overall in the first half, this discrepancy in 3-point shooting percentage was effectively the difference in the game, as was Dallas' lack of perimeter defense. Newcomer Marcus Sasser was the lone bright spot in terms of outside shooting for Dallas, as he went 4-for-5 from distance and looked very polished both on and off the ball, but everyone else struggled to convert consistently.

Dallas shot terribly from outside versus Houston

The Mavericks don't have to be one of the most high-volume 3-point shooting teams in the league, as their personnel bodes better for attacking the rim and rim-running, but if they continue to be one of the least effective teams outside from a percentage standpoint, they are going to have a rough go at things this season.

There was a lot of fanfare and noise regarding Dallas' shooting upgrades this offseason, as Sasser, Santi Aldama, and Tarik Biberovic were all viewed as strong 3-point shooting additions. However, how big of a role Biberovic will have is questionable due to his lack of defense, and Aldama is injured at the start of the season.

It must be noted that this is only one game, and the Rockets do play solid perimeter defense. The Mavericks certainly have room to prove that this is just a one-game case, as their personnel suggests they should be better from outside this season, even if they don't project as an elite shooting team from beyond the arc.

This shooting issue can't persist if the Mavericks have playoff aspirations

Where Dallas suffered most from a shooting perspective was undoubtedly the shooting guard spot, as Zaccharie Risacher and Max Christie went a combined 1-for-11 from downtown. While these youngsters need a little bit of a leash to develop and get their reps up from a shooting perspective, such an abysmal line is simply not going to cut it, and they need to be more confident stepping into their shots going forward.

Of course, 3-point shooting percentages being atrocious can be minimized down to fate and luck of the draw, but it also has a great deal to do with confidence and believing in oneself. There's no question that some of Dallas' players possess the confidence to be an effective shooter more often than not, as Christie proved last season, and Irving is one of the best off-dribble 3-point creators of all time.

However, the rest of the roster needs to prove their worth if this team wants to be legitimate whatsoever. If the Mavericks want to sniff the Play-In Tournament or NBA Playoffs, they must be more consistent from outside, especially when they are in a hostile environment on the road. While they have 81 more games to prove this showing was a fluke, there's no denying fans' concerns regarding a lack of adequate outside shooting carrying over from last season were validated in game one.

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