NBA's newest rule change is helping, but also hurting Mavericks star Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks have experienced a massive resurgence, resulting in a considerable leap in the standings. From being in danger of having to go through the Play-In Tournament for a chance at the playoffs, they now hold the No. 5 seed and can even compete for the No. 4 seed.

Behind Dallas' rise is its heavily improved defense, which helped the team go 11-1 before losing to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. In its recent loss, it still managed to hold the opponent to just 104 points, but it was done in by a lackluster offense.

Still, the Mavs have registered a top-ranked defense in the past dozen games, and Luka Doncic credits the players being more active and communicative on that end of the floor as a reason for their shocking defensive resurgence. It's worth noting that other factors have also contributed to Dallas' leap, including a midseason change enforced by the league.

NBA's newest rule change is helping, but also hurting Mavericks star Luka Doncic

In mid-March, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the NBA released a memo to all organizations that there would be an increased officiating focus on offensive players who go foul-hunting, which is believed to have helped catalyze a scoring explosion across the league earlier in the 2023-24 campaign. Essentially, the change has rewarded players who practice clean defense.

It has also impacted the Mavs. Coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that while the shift in officiating focus has bolstered his squad's defense, it has made life tougher for Doncic on offense.

Fortunately, the five-time All-Star has no qualms with it. In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic (subscription required), he recognized the change, saying, "It's definitely harder. They let much more contact go, but I like it because we can play defense."

The fact that the Slovenian superstar is fine with his offense taking a hit if it means a better chance of winning for Dallas should be music to the ears of the Mavs organization and its fans. He has finally been getting the credit he deserves, and this latest development should only attract more fans.

We have always heard "defense wins championships" so often that it may already feel like a broken record. But in the past two decades, only a few teams have managed to secure the championship without a top-10 defense in the regular season. The Denver Nuggets, though, achieved the feat last season.

Doncic is likely cognizant of the need for his squad to continue getting better on that end of the floor to become a legitimate contender. So far, so good because the Mavs have seemed to turn over a new leaf on defense, while the four-time All-NBA First-Team selection and Kyrie Irving have been their usual brilliant selves, even if the former has had to adjust to the officiating change.

Some analysts already think of Dallas as a bona fide threat to take down elite contenders in the playoffs, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the squad go all the way, thanks to Doncic and a rejuvenated defense.

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