Former Maverick reveals crippling weakness that could plague team's playoff run

On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the LA Clippers to take a 3-2 series lead. This came after losing Game 4 in thrilling fashion on Sunday, and the Mavs needed a win badly.

Luka Doncic and Derrick Jones Jr. both stepped up for the Mavs, and now they have the chance to defeat the Clippers once and for all later tonight in Game 6.

Prior to the Dallas Mavericks' 123-93 Game 5 win over the LA Clippers in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Wednesday, former Mavs guard Theo Pinson named a specific player that would put the Mavs over the edge to win the Western Conference.

Theo Pinson says Mavs need a third scorer like Spencer Dinwiddie

That player is another former Mav, guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

"I think you have to have that third guy who can make up for one of the other guys not playing well or struggling," Pinson later added.

It's clear the Mavs need a third scorer, and that could have been Dinwiddie.

In February 2024, Dinwiddie signed with the Lakers after being traded to the Raptors by the Nets. The Raptors waived Dinwiddie after the trade. The Mavs were in the hunt to sign Dinwiddie, but he ended up choosing the Lakers over the Mavs.

Dinwiddie went from averaging 12.6 points per game in 48 games with the Nets to averaging 6.8 points per game in 28 games with the Lakers.

Pinson and Dinwiddie know each other well as they were teammates with the Nets and Mavs.

On February 11, 2022, the Mavs traded Kristaps Porzingis and a 2022 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. The trade worked for the Mavs as the team finished with the fourth seed in the West as Dinwiddie averaged 15.8 points per game in 23 games.

In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Dinwiddie played an important role in the Mavs' run to the Western Conference Finals. Dinwiddie's 14.2 points per game was the third most among the Mavs. Dinwiddie also shot 42 percent from three. Dinwiddie only started in three of the 18 Playoff games.

In five games of the 2022 Playoffs, Dinwiddie scored at least 20 points. In against the Suns in the second round on the road, Dinwiddie delivered a career-high 30 Playoff points on 73 percent (11-15) from the field and 71 percent (5-7) from three in the Mavs' 123-90 win. Despite being eliminated by the Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Dinwiddie's 26 points off the bench were the second most among the Mavs.

Before the Mavs traded Dinwiddie back to the Nets in the Kyrie Irving trade in February 2023, Dinwiddie averaged the second most points on the Mavs with 17.7 points per game in 53 games before being traded.

Dinwiddie could've been a player who would give the Mavs extra scoring and play an important role off the bench with his experience at 31 years old. Pinson's entire point was talking about how Dinwiddie could have made Dallas the best team in the West, and the Mavs' lack of a third scorer could hurt them down the stretch.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving continue to heavy a huge offensive load, but their lack of a third scorer could come back to bite them in the end. We've seen players like Maxi Kleber, Jones Jr., and P.J. Washington step up at times, but Dallas needs a consistent scorer outside of Doncic and Irving, and that's exactly what Dinwiddie would have done.

Stay tuned for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs,