10 Most surprising Dallas Mavericks stats of the early season

1. The Mavericks league-high plus/minus in the clutch

One of the biggest storylines of the season thus far is the Mavericks' adept performance in the clutch. Dallas leads the NBA in clutch time plus/minus, with a plus/minus of plus-5. Almost more than double the team in second place.

Additionally, Dallas is 6-0 in the clutch. When it's time to perform at the highest level, the Mavs have locked in. Six of the top 10 players who have accumulated the highest clutch plus/minus are Mavericks.

The reason this stat is so surprising is because of Dallas' struggles in the clutch in recent seasons. A season ago, the Mavericks lost the most games in the NBA in clutch time. Dallas went 26-29 in the clutch.

The Mavericks were a middle-of-the-road squad when it came to clutch plus/minus a season ago, with a plus/minus of 0.1. And in 2021-22, Dallas recorded a -0.3 in clutch time. You'd have to look all the back to the 2015-16 season to witness the Mavericks with a positive clutch plus/minus.

But, all of a sudden, the Mavericks have seemingly figured out their end-of-the-game woes. And it starts with superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Both players have been known as clutch players throughout their careers.

No longer does Dallas have to rely solely on Doncic at the end of games. Irving can take the heat off Doncic when the game matters most. And to begin the season, he certainly is.

Irving leads the league in clutch plus/minus with a plus-6 rating. His field goal percentage is seven percent higher in the clutch. Furthermore, Irving hasn't missed a free throw nor turned the ball over in clutch time.