3 Dallas Mavericks that must perform better in December

The Dallas Mavericks are 11-11 to start the 2022-23 campaign. They had lost six of their last eight games before blowing out the Knicks on Saturday afternoon. That was just their second road win of the season, and the Mavs must improve if they want to get back to the playoffs.

Luka Doncic is leading the league in scoring and producing MVP-caliber numbers, but the Mavs are struggling. There are plenty of things to improve, including their defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting, and more.

Head coach Jason Kidd moved Tim Hardaway Jr. into the starting lineup four games ago, and he has since averaged 20.5 points per game while shooting 47.7 percent from 3-point range. The 30-year-old remains a key shot-maker for the Mavs, but who else needs to get back on track? Here are their three most important players.

Dallas Mavericks that must perform better in December: 3. Reggie Bullock

Bullock opened the season as a starter after helping the Mavs reach the conference finals last season. Head coach Jason Kidd prioritizes defense, and the 6’6 wing is one of the team’s best perimeter options. Bullock needs to make shots on the other end of the floor to be effective, though.

It has been an ice-cold shooting start for the veteran. He has made just 28.4 percent of his 94 3-point attempts so far this season, and Bullock is shooting 30.4 percent from the field. This furthers a career-long trend where he shoots poorly in October and November before bouncing back to be a 38-plus percent marksman for the rest of the season.

The turnaround is coming for Reggie Bullock, but the Mavericks dropped him from the starting lineup and have limited his playing until it happens.