The Dallas Mavericks shot 3-of-22 from three-point range in Tuesday night’s loss. The Charlotte Hornets shot 20-of-51. The final score at Spectrum Center was 117-90.
Jason Kidd was asked after the game about competing against a team generating that much three-point volume while Dallas kept trading trips to the free-throw line for looks from deep.
“You’ve got shooters out there that can make threes, and they shot 51 of them tonight,” Kidd said. “For us, the positive was we got to the free-throw line 47 times. I understand if you’re trading twos for threes, that’s not going to put you in a situation to win. But again, we didn’t shoot the three well. We created 22, made three. We have to shoot better there.”
The free-throw line kept Dallas close in the first half. The Mavericks converted 31-of-42 attempts on the night. It was not enough. The Hornets outscored Dallas by 51 points on three-pointers alone.
Jason Kidd Identifies the Dallas Mavericks’ Three-Point Volume as the Core Issue
The problem is not new. Dallas ranks 28th in the NBA in three-point attempts per game this season at 31.0, converting at 33.9%. Since the All-Star break the Mavericks have attempted just 26.3 threes per game — the fewest in the league. Charlotte has attempted 48.2 per game in that stretch, the most.
Part of the issue Tuesday was availability. Klay Thompson sat out with a right adductor contusion. Naji Marshall missed his fourth straight game with a right finger contusion. Cooper Flagg, the team’s leading scorer, has been out eight consecutive games with a left midfoot sprain. Marvin Bagley III, Tyler Smith, Moussa Cissé, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II were also out.
Brandon Williams, who led Dallas with 18 points on 4-of-10 shooting, going 10-of-11 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes, was asked the same question as Kidd about the three-point disparity.
“Other teams are shooting — they’re making more than we’re taking,” Williams said. “It’s tough mathematically. We’ve got to give ourselves a chance.”
Williams was also asked what needs to change on the offensive end.
“Kicking the ball out, finding our shooters, and then actually taking them,” Williams said. “I think that number won’t change unless we actually shoot them. So I think that’s self-explanatory.”
Williams noted the rebounding responsibility plays into it as well.
“Our bigs are dominant, but it’s on us to help them and carry out the rebounding responsibilities,” Williams said.
Dallas Mavericks’ Perimeter Shooting Needs to Improve Before the Road Trip Gets Harder
The road trip does not get easier. After Thursday’s back-to-back in Orlando, Dallas faces Boston, Toronto, Atlanta, and Memphis before returning home. Getting Thompson and Marshall back helps. Getting Flagg back helps more. But the three-point problem runs deeper than injuries.
Max Christie, who leads Dallas with 133 three-pointers this season — a career high — went 1-of-9 from deep Tuesday. Kidd was asked about the cold stretch.
“It’s just the life of a shooter,” Kidd said. “You go through these spells of hot, cold, warm. Right now we’ve got to get him going. He’s on a cold streak right now.”
P.J. Washington, back from a three-game absence with a left ankle sprain, was asked about Charlotte’s 13 offensive rebounds and how they fed the three-point problem.
“Their offensive rebounds led to a bunch of threes for them, and that’s where they got most of them from,” Washington said. “I think we’ve been terrible at it all year, and it’s something we definitely have to get better at.”
The Mavericks are 21-40 on the season with two wins in their last 16 games. The road trip continues Thursday night at the Orlando Magic.
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