3 things Dallas Mavericks still need to improve after free agency frenzy

Thing Dallas Mavericks still need to improve after free agency frenzy: 3. Perimeter Defense

Head coach Jason Kidd has preached defense from the moment he was hired last summer, and it propelled the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals. They went from the bottom ten in defensive rating in the final season under Rick Carlisle to seventh under Kidd. In the playoffs, Dallas held the Jazz to 100 or fewer points in four of the six games in the opening round, and they forced the Suns into their three lowest-scoring games of the season to reach the conference finals.

The Mavericks entered the offseason with three goals. They wanted to retain Jalen Brunson, which did not happen. Dallas was also eager to improve down low by adding size, rebounding, and rim protection. JaVale McGee and Christian Wood check that box for Dallas. Their final goal was to find another perimeter defender that could take the pressure off Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock.

Both Doe-Doe and Bullock were forced to play massive roles in the postseason because the Mavericks needed their perimeter defense. They would guard the opposition’s top scorers, and coach Kidd did not trust anyone else to get the job done.

The Dallas Mavericks are still searching for a perimeter defensive upgrade. They could hope that Josh Green or Frank Ntilikina improves enough to fill this role next season, but that is not a given. Stay tuned to see if the Mavs address it before training camp opens.