Mavericks-Hawks preview: Health returning as homestand opens

Home, sweet home.

It must feel good to be back for the Mavericks, who just wrapped up a five-game, eight-day trip. They’ll play the next four at American Airlines Center, and this homestand comes at what could eventually be identified as a key turning point of the season.

For starters, Dallas went 1-4 on the road trip, so this homestand presents an opportunity to bounce back. Take one look around the West, though, and there are 14 other teams who struggle on the road. In fact, no other team in the conference is better than one game over-.500 away from home this season, with Sacramento (yep, Sacramento) having the highest road win percentage in the conference at just 10-9.

The Mavs are 8-15 away this season but their struggles are certainly not unique; the third-place Pelicans are 9-13 on the road and the seventh-place Warriors are a jaw-dropping 5-17 as visitors. It’s not much better out East either, with only four teams having a winning record in such games.

The key to climbing the standings this year is winning the ones at home, and the Mavs have taken care of business at American Airlines Center at a terrific rate this season, boasting a 16-6 record. And considering eight of their next 11 after this homestand come on the road, these next four games are critical to maintaining favorable position in the conference standings.

Next, and perhaps more importantly, the Mavericks are beginning to get their guys back. Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green are both projected to return to action as early as tonight against Atlanta. Green has missed the team’s last 20 games with an elbow sprain, and Finney-Smith has been sidelined for 14 with an adductor strain.

The Mavs managed to go 9-5 in the 14 games that both players missed, but it came at a huge cost to the defense. During that time, Dallas ranks 28th in defensive efficiency at 119.5 points allowed per 100 possessions. Prior to Finney-Smith’s absence the Mavs ranked 16th, and prior to Green’s exit they ranked all the way up at 11th.

We know head coach Jason Kidd wants to lean on a defensive identity, but without those two and Maxi Kleber in the same timeframe it’s been a nearly impossible task. Players like Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. (who’s out with an ankle sprain) have stepped up in major ways on the defensive end the last month or so, taking on much tougher assignments and responsibilities than they normally would, but the truth is those guys are supposed to be scoring, not defending players like LeBron James or, in tonight’s case, Trae Young for 36 minutes.

With Finney-Smith and Green back, Dallas can once again boast a strong defense while still maintaining the floor spacing and shooting that has lifted its offense up to fifth-best in the NBA at 114.8 points scored per 100 possessions.

Other things to look for tonight and beyond:

• While this homestand does feature incredible talent – Trae Young, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, and likely Washington’s Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis to wrap things up – the four teams Dallas will play over the next week all currently rank in the bottom-10 in offensive efficiency. These are teams with uber-talented stars, but their supporting casts have all been a little too inconsistent. With the luxury of leaning on Finney-Smith and Green, however, the Mavs might not have to double-team, meaning everything will be just a bit tougher for everyone else up and down the roster.
• Keep an eye on Hardaway’s status over the next few games, as hopefully he won’t be out for too long. Maxi Kleber’s return hopefully isn’t too far down the pipeline, either.
• Perhaps the Mavs are coming home and getting healthy at just the right time. The Western Conference is jam-packed, but that means things can change quickly if you have a good week. We saw Dallas climb from 11th to fourth in the span of one seven-game win streak. Hopefully the Mavericks are about to make another move.

ATLANTA HAWKS (22-22) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (24-21)

When: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday.

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas.

TV: ESPN, Bally’s Sports Southwest.

Radio: 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

Twitter: @Bobbykaralla