The Dallas Mavericks’ pick-and-roll game is easily among the best in the NBA, especially when two All-Star players, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, are powering it.
The dynamics of Dallas’ pick-and-roll go beyond just the two guards; they have rolling options in Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. The floor is spread with shooting from P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr. and Maxi Kleber.
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The other thing about the Mavs pick-and-roll is that it comes at defenses in several ways. Sometimes, it is a 1-5 pick-and-roll at the top or off the side. Another form is the double drag, followed by the Spain pick-and-rolls. These variations keep defenses guessing and scrambling while Dallas finds its way to the rim.
During the regular season, the Mavs had a points per possession of 1.02 in pick-and-rolls, including passes. In the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas’ points per possession in pick-and-rolls was 1.14.
Dončić and Irving feasted in the pick-and-roll. They got to the rim and their midrange, stepbacks and 3-point shots all series long. They found Gafford and Lively for lobs and kick outs for 3-point attempts. In particular, the Mavs have used the pick-and-roll to create more corner 3-pointers than any playoff team.
The Mavericks are 1st in the playoffs for corner 3 attempts. They're shooting 39.2%, ranking them 5th in the postseason.
The gravity of Luka and Kyrie makes their spray game legit. Be interesting if the C's still keep with having JT rotate as a help defender off the corner. pic.twitter.com/i5Bcc3XgoN
— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) June 1, 2024
The Mavs’ first basket of the conference finals was off a Dončić-Gafford high pick-and-roll with the floor spread. The Wolves were in a drop coverage, meaning Jaden McDaniels had to fight over the top of the screen with Rudy Gobert hanging in the paint. Dončić used this opportunity to keep McDaniels on his back until he went to a side-step floater.
It is not all on Dončić to create out of the pick-and-roll. Irving is just as important to Dallas’ offensive plan. He brings a different speed, forcing a different coverage.
In Game 3, Irving comes off a high ball screen from Lively. The Wolves blitz Irving with Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyle Anderson. Irving brings the ball to the sideline to stretch out the defense and hits Josh Green, who swings it to Jones in the corner for a 3-pointer.
Another option early in their offense is the double drag If the defense is at the level of the screen, it’s a dump to the roller. If the defense sags, it is either a floater in the lane or an open 3.
The beauty of Mavs’ pick-and-roll is their ability to read defenses in real time and make the correct read. Dallas did it all series long against Minnesota.
The first time the Mavs run the Spain action, Gafford sets the screen near half court for Dončić and rolls to the rim. Wolves defender Anthony Edwards fights over the top, and Gobert gets screened by Jones, which pulls Mike Conley and leaves Gafford open for the lob.
A few possessions later, the Mavs return to the Spain action. This time, Edwards goes under the Gafford screen, and Gobert gets tangled in the Jones screen. Conley bumps Gafford, taking away the lob, but now Dončić gets a clean layup.
The Wolves tried everything defensively against the Mavs’ pick-and-rolls. They switched, trapped, hedged, dropped and even played zone, and nothing worked for them.
The Mavericks are riding their pick-and-roll game to the NBA Finals, which begins Thursday night in Boston. Now comes the big test of having the same efficiency against the Boston Celtics.
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Here are a few things to expect from the Mavs’ pick-and-roll in the finals. Look for Dallas to target Al Horford whenever he is on the floor. Boston likes to play the pick-and-roll two-on-two with the other three defenders staying home on shooters. This is how they limit corner 3s, but that might allow Dončić to get floaters off easily.
How the Celtics defend the Mavericks in the pick-and-roll could determine who’s hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
(Photo of Luka Dončić: Jevone Moore / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)