Nico Harrison’s controversial philosophy will make or break the Mavericks' season

Nico Harrison has made it clear that he believes that defense wins championships, as he has emphasized this vision countless times since trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis at last season's trade deadline, and this controversial view will undoubtedly make or break their season.

This view is considered controversial, as Doncic, despite his defensive limitations, led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, and today's NBA seems to favor teams that have an elite offensive engine, like Doncic, rather than a team that has excellent defense. Dallas will have the chance to flip the narrative on this with players like Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford locking down the paint, but the spacing that they sacrificed in place of defense can't be overlooked.

Spacing and hot 3-point shooting can be game-changers in playoff series, and Mavs fans know this well as the team shot 31.6 percent from three in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Their problem in that series had more to do with their offensive struggles rather than their defense, as most of their role players disappeared, and Harrison's defense-first and big-ball focus will be put to the test this season.

Will Mavericks' defense be enough to make them contenders?

Both trades that Harrison made at last year's trade deadline sacrificed offense for defense, as Dallas traded Quentin Grimes, a young all-around scorer and solid defender, to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin, a 3-and-D veteran, with the belief that he would become their best perimeter defender, while also sending Doncic to Los Angeles for Davis with the confidence that Davis would give them a better shot at helping them win a title than Doncic.

Time and time again over the past few months, Harrison has made moves that have prioritized defense, including extending P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, two of their defensive anchors, and his frontcourt and defense-focused approach could be what pushes them over the top, or causes them to plummet in the standings and miss the playoffs for the third time in four years.

On one hand, the Mavs' elite defense, headlined by Cooper Flagg, Davis, Lively II, Gafford, and Washington, could be what makes them one of the most unstoppable teams in the league, thanks to their size, versatility, and tenacity. Teams could end up hating the Mavericks because of their physicality, excellent rebounding, and all-around defense, and this new brand of basketball could cause them to be a nightmare matchup for any team in the NBA.

Teams could struggle to compete with Dallas' size, especially when Davis shares the floor with Lively II, Flagg, and Washington, but their new defense-first mantra could end up being their downfall.

The Mavericks sacrificed one of the best offensive players this league has ever seen when they traded Doncic, and while they acquired an all-time great defender in Davis, there could be some spacing issues because of their insistence on running double-big lineups.

Dallas will likely almost always have Lively II or Gafford on the floor with Davis, meaning that their spacing and 3-point shooting could take a step back since Gafford and Davis aren't shooters, and Lively II has only attempted two 3-pointers during the regular season, with his last attempt being 692 days ago, and the offense could end up being a concern.

Kyrie Irving is set to miss multiple months due to an ACL tear that he suffered in March, and with Davis set to be the team's offensive engine, their offense is going to look a lot different from when they had an all-world shot creator in Doncic running the show.

This isn't to say that the Mavericks can't have a stellar season and make a playoff push, as their defense is elite and they are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, but their offense-for-defense trade-off will definitely be under a magnifying glass all season long.

Harrison's love for defense could be what propels the Mavericks to their fourth NBA Finals appearance in team history, but it could also be what causes them to make some sort of midseason trade and pivot, or even worse, make the playoffs and cross their fingers during the NBA Lottery once again.