The Heartbreak On Opening Night: Mavs vs. Suns

Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

First Quarter

The Mavericks started the game slowly, with little to no motion or energy on offense. Luka Dončić, however, came out aggressive on offense, scoring the first seven points for the team and working effectively through the pick-and-roll.

I'm not sold on the plan of starting JaVale McGee over Christian Wood, as there were multiple plays on defense he didn't attempt to contest or grab the rebound against Deandre Ayton. I believe McGee would be better suited off the bench in his current role while Wood starts to strengthen the offense.

However, the combo of Dončić and McGee in the pick-and-roll was effective to start and allowed Wood to exploit more matchups playing the second rotation.

Second Quarter

Dončić was getting to his spots and finishing with ease. The Mavericks outworked the Suns the entire second quarter and had a 20-point lead at one point. The offense did a great job getting the Suns in foul trouble, specifically Ayton.

The Mavericks had good rotations on defense during the second quarter, forcing offensive players into the paint where McGee was contesting everything and fighting for the boards. Dončić made some impressive passes and displayed great decision-making when passing out of the trap/double-team. He ended the quarter with 20 points, three assists, and five rebounds.

Spencer Dinwiddie was playing better in the second quarter after starting off slow. He was unselfish with his passing and still remained efficient while looking for his shot. He ended the second quarter with 13 points while shooting 3-for-4 from the three-point line.

The score was 62-45 at halftime. The Mavericks out-rebounded the Suns 25-19 and forced them into foul trouble.

Third Quarter

The pace began to pick up, and the Suns went on a run to threaten the Mavericks' lead, getting it all the way down to one point. The Mavericks' defense allowed open shots from all over the floor and were cold on offense, committing turnovers and missing open looks. The Suns went on a 19-5 run, and the Mavericks had no answers. Dinwiddie was cooling down and found himself with four fouls in the first minutes of the quarter.

The Mavericks' big men worked hard on both ends of the boards, but the rotations without Wood or McGee on the floor were unproductive. The pick-and-roll was not as effective, and the points in the paint were too easy on the other end. Chris Paul was throwing the ball over the top of the defense, and the Mavericks did not adjust. Maxi Kleber was not effective on either end of the floor and looked lost at times on the floor.

Wood was 2-for-7 from the free-throw line, which will need to be worked on for him to remain effective. The threat of teams fouling Wood and sending him to the line because of his poor free-throw shooting is real and hopefully won't remain a weakness of his through the season. The Mavericks were 5-for-16 from the field in the third quarter and were outscored 31-19.

Fourth Quarter

Wood came out hot, scoring 16 straight points while still struggling from the free throw. Wood's aggressiveness on offense allowed the Mavericks to build the lead back while Dončić took a break. It's a good sign that Dinwiddie and Wood are keeping the offense productive regardless of who's on the floor. With multiple people willing and able to initiate the offense, it makes the defense stay honest and work even with Dončić off the floor.

In transition, I think, at times, the Mavericks were too hungry for the three-point shot. Multiple times players pulled up when they had a chance to attack the lane and draw a foul or drove to the basket and passed out to a player on the three-point line. This works when shots fall, but it is easy to leave points on the board.

The Suns went on another 7-0 run and consistently attacked Kleber in the paint. The Mavericks gave up their lead in the last two minutes of the quarter, and I was confused as to why Kleber was still on the door during clutch time.

Overall

The Mavericks had some great moments but still need to work on finishing games. Wood is an excellent pairing alongside Dončić, and the signing of McGee is looking to be worth it. Jason Kidd's rotations were confusing in the key moments, which will need to be tweaked. McGee should play more minutes than Kleber, and it would be good to see Jaden Hardy get some playtime.

There is no need to panic, but there are still some improvements to be made by the Mavericks if they want to compete for a championship.