Yes, Luka Dončić threw in 25 first-half points to spring the Mavericks to an insurmountable lead against Orlando on Sunday night.
And yes, without him, it probably would have been a different sort of game than the 108-85 laugher the Mavericks enjoyed.
But no, he wasn’t alone on an island against the Magic. He had a couple of major helpers in Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall. And the Mavericks discovered new ways to execute one of their favorite plays.
Those are among the top takeaways from the win that pushed the Mavericks to 4-2 on the season.
Lob it or leave it: Opponents have been gearing their defense to stop the lob passes to Gafford and Dereck Lively II, which was the Mavericks’ No. 1 offensive action last season. And it’s a sound strategy. It forces the Mavericks’ playmakers – usually Kyrie Irving and Dončić – to penetrate and try to finish at the rim or find a perimeter shooter. Defenses are sticking with Gafford and Lively. “We got to look differently (at the centers) because the lob isn’t there,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We got to eat the layups and not look for the lobs because teams are bluffing and going back to the roller. We were better at that tonight. Right now, they’re going to live with Luka or Kai to be able to take the layup. The centers have to keep running their patterns and keep putting pressure on the rim.”
However . . . : That doesn’t mean the lob won’t be a part of the Mavericks’ attack. Sunday was a prime example. Marshall found a way to get the lob into the offense when he threw long-distance passes to Gafford and Lively, who flushed them on two occasions. “Early lobs will be there,” Kidd said. “But lobs in half-court (offense) are definitely not there because teams are going to live with us taking the layup. Until we make teams pay for it – they’ll make the change – but right now, they’re taking away the lob. Our quarterback, Kai or Luka, has to take the layup.” Gafford said it’s no different than going up against a zone defense or a box-and-one. “It’s just adjusting when it comes to a defense trying to take something away,” he said. “You have to figure out ways to get the ball through the hoop. And that’s what we did tonight. If you find a way to get somebody open, it opens up the floor for us because if that guy scores, they’re going to be worried about him. It’s like a domino effect.”
Gafford gets it started: The Mavericks ran their first play for the 6-10 center and he responded with a pretty jump hook that nestled into the basket. That set the tone for Gafford
and Lively to combine for 29 points and 19 rebounds in their 40 minutes of combined playing time. “I thought Gaff was good and D-Live (too),” Kidd said. “They are a big part of our team offensively and defensively. Rebounding the ball was big.” Just ask Luka. “Big time for us,” he said of the centers. “The first play we went to Gaff. We wanted to get him going early because we know he’s a monster, both of them are. We need to keep them going.”
Marshall law: The Mavericks expect the 6-7 offseason acquisition from New Orleans to be a major piece of the action off the bench. Sunday was by far his biggest impact so far. The Mavericks weren’t exactly rolling early, but Marshall had five assists in the first half to ignite the offense and push the Mavericks’ lead to 65-40 at halftime.
X: @ESefko
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