With Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving in their ranks, one might believe that the Mavericks lose a lot of balls. This is not the case, and in fact it is quite the opposite! After Saturday's match against the Thunder, marked by this incredible 30-0 series, Jason Kidd's players only lost 11.3 balls per match. It's not much, and they could even beat the NBA record in this area held by the Blazers since 2021 with 11.1 lost balls on average. A statistic recorded since 1973.
In their last ten matches, Doncic and his teammates even lost less than 10 per match! The paradox is that Kidd asks his players to play fast, and yet there is very little waste. The paradox is also that Dallas has one of the players who loses the most balls with Doncic losing 3.8 balls on average. This is more than a third of his total training.
Valuable accuracy in close matches
“We have Luka and Kyrie, and they are two quarterbacks with the ball. When you can have rhythm and keep this average below 10, it’s pretty good” admits Kidd. “It gives you the opportunity to have a few extra possessions. »
This may be the secret to the Mavericks' success this season as they combine the lowest turnover average while posting the 7th most efficient offense with 117.3 points scored per 100 possessions. An accuracy in the game which is expressed in the close ends of the match with a record of 8 victories for 2 defeats.
“Currently, it seems that we lose the most balls in the first half” notes the Mavericks coach. “Then we realize it’s important to get shots in the second half. Having players like Luka and Kyrie running the game, it really helps to maintain control and give confidence to their teammates.”
After 19 matches, the Mavericks are 3rd in ratio passes/turnovers, and number 1 in lost balls/possessions ratio with 11.7 lost balls per 100 possessions. The Jazz are dead last with 17.5% of lost balls. This is also the Mavericks' next opponent.
