5 Biggest X-factors for Dallas Mavericks ahead of 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks finish their regular season later today against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and their first-round playoff matchup that begins later this week is officially set.

Dallas has the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and they will battle the Clippers in the first round for the third time in five years.

The first two matchups didn't work in Dallas' favor, but both teams are extremely different from the last two times they played and the Mavs may be catching the Clippers at the perfect time.

5 Biggest X-factors for Dallas Mavericks ahead of 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Clippers have been battling tons of injuries as of late, and the uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard's knee injury could work in the Mavs' favor. LA won't be an easy matchup by any means, but the Mavs have shown they are true contenders over the last month as they have gone 16-3 over their last 19 games with one of those losses being on Friday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving didn't play in this game, and Dallas was obviously prioritizing keeping their team healthy heading into the postseason.

Role players are an essential part of winning in the playoffs, and the Mavs will need everyone at the top of their game to take down LA.

Here are are five of the Dallas Mavericks' biggest X-factors heading into the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

5. Dante Exum

Heading into the playoffs, Dante Exum is in a bit of a slump.

In the month of April, Exum is shooting 33 percent from downtown on 2.1 attempts per game. This is significantly lower than the 49.1 percent he has shot from downtown on the entire year, and the Mavs will need him at his best for the playoff run.

Exum is crucial to what Dallas does because of his versatility, defense, and 3-point shooting off the catch, and his ability to lead the second unit or play next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is outstanding.

He has rebuilt his NBA career this season through having a massive bounce-back year, and he has had dominant stretches as both a starter and off the bench.

In the playoffs, the Mavs will likely use Exum as a primary defender on one of the LA Clippers' best guards and have him full-court press. Exum has been fantastic on defense all season long, and his importance to the squad will likely increase even more once the playoffs begin.

Exum has been extremely clutch this season, and it'll be interesting to see if he can continue his elite clutch season deep into the playoffs.

4. Derrick Jones Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks' defense took an incredible jump in the right direction after Jason Kidd elected to put Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting lineup over Josh Green. Dallas has been red hot ever since they made this move, and Jones Jr. is essential to the way they play on both ends.

This season, Jones Jr. is averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from downtown. Jones Jr.'s shooting is extremely streaky, but he always seems to be getting open looks. He will need to make the most of his opportunities in the playoffs, but he makes his biggest impact on the defensive end.

Jones Jr. can effectively guard one through four and his perimeter defense is outstanding. Dallas will likely put him on the other team's best guard and have him chase them around all game long. Jones Jr.'s defense is levels better than Green's, and he has been the best guard defender on the team all season.

Jones Jr. will become an unrestricted free agent after this season and he quickly outplayed the minimum contract that he signed with Dallas over the summer. It will be interesting to see how Jones Jr. performs in the playoffs and he is someone the Mavs will rely heavily upon.

3. Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been in an awful slump since the trade deadline, and nothing seems to be going right for him. This season for Dallas, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from downtown.

Hardaway Jr.'s struggles (subscription required) have been magnified this month as he is averaging just 8.7 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting and 26.3 percent shooting from downtown, and the Mavs will need him to turn things around quickly.

Hardaway Jr.'s shooting is something that ignites the offense when he's hot, but he brings the team down when he can't hit his shots. The Mavs have seen how much he helps their offense when he is an efficient shooter as he can be a huge spark plug off the bench and scores in bunches.

Fans shouldn't expect Hardaway Jr. to magically go back to being an efficient 3-point shooter again, but it would raise the ceiling of this team if he can. Dallas has still been winning despite Hardaway Jr.'s struggles, and him being able to cash in his open looks would make this team more deadly than they already are.

Hardaway Jr.'s shooting won't make or break this team's postseason chances, but the rest of the league could be in trouble if he's dialed in from distance.

2. P.J. Washington

The Dallas Mavericks made a massive trade at this year's deadline when they made a move for P.J. Washington of the Charlotte Hornets. Dallas' defense was looking rough before the trade deadline and Grant Williams had worn out his welcome.

It was time for a change, and Washington has been exactly what the Mavs need in their frontcourt. As a Mav, Washington is averaging 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from downtown. His 3-point shooting hasn't been as good as expected and he has gone through some rough patches, but it has been much better recently.

Washington is shooting 37.5 percent from downtown in the month of April, and he is shooting the ball with confidence. Rhythm and confidence are both keys for Washington, and his shooting is truly something that could elevate the Mavs into Finals contenders or sink them completely.

Due to his importance on the defensive end of the floor, Washington will likely be playing heavy minutes in every single game. He has to make his minutes count on both ends of the floor, and his offensive impact could come down to if he can drill open shots.

This isn't to say that Washington's offensive game is limited to just shooting, but he is someone that teams could leave open and he must show that them doing that would be a mistake.

1. Maxi Kleber

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber has had an up-and-down 2023-24 season, and the Mavs are going to need him to take his play to the next level once the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

This season for the Mavs, Kleber is averaging 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from downtown. Statistically, this has been one of the worst seasons of Kleber's career, but his impact still remains massive considering his impact on the defensive end of the floor and his overall versatility.

Kleber has the ability to switch onto guards when needed on the perimeter, and he and P.J. Washington are the only two players on the team who can effectively play small-ball five. Earlier in the year, the Mavs struggled defending bigs who can stretch the floor and Kleber's defense on shooting bigs is solid.

While the Mavs haven't been playing as much small ball recently, Kleber will still be an important piece in this playoff series against the LA Clippers. Kleber was used heavily when Dallas played the Clippers in 2020 and 2021, and he could be someone that Jason Kidd relies upon in the playoffs.

Kleber's shooting has been hit or miss this season and his success as a shooter is heavily based upon confidence. He is a completely different player when he plays with confidence and assertiveness, and he will be getting plenty of open looks when they battle the Clippers.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned.