Mavericks are now better fit

By David Mullen

The most consequential date in the Dallas Mavericks 2021-22 season was not October 21, 2021, when the regular season opened in Atlanta. It was not January 19, when the Mavs beat the Toronto Raptors for their 10th win in 11 tries and solidified their standing in the NBA’s Western Conference.

The most significant day of the season was February 10. It was when the Mavericks announced that center/power forward Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick were traded to the Washington Wizards for 6-foot-5-inch guard Spencer Dinwiddie and 6-foot-10-inch forward Davis Bertans.

It’s not that Porzingis is a bad player. He’s 7-foot-3-inches, only 26 years old, was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and was a 2018 All-Star. It’s just that he is unreliable. He was averaging 19.2 points per game and 7.5 rebounds for the Mavericks in 34 games. But that means he had missed 21 games this season. He’s your date who cancels at the last minute after you’ve made dinner reservations.

His unpredictability earned Porzingis “NBA on TNT” studio commentator Charles Barkley’s least coveted nickname. Porzingis became known as “Street Clothes,” a reference to a player who is on the bench in his street clothes when his team needs him the most.

Luckily for Porzingis, Barkley’s epithet is transferable. Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis now holds that title.  

It is not that Dinwiddie and Bertans are the missing pieces to a championship. But the trade makes Dallas better. The Western Conference is loaded. The Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz are formidable teams. Being eight games over .500 has not even assured the Minnesota Timberwolves of a top six playoff spot. A team can’t have enough healthy, quality players.

Dinwiddie was a bit of a gamble. The Mavs are his fourth team since being drafted in the second round in 2015 by the Detroit Pistons. The guard was pegged as a dissenter in Washington, D.C. But he has gained bipartisan support in Dallas. With star Luka Doncic nursing a minor injury, Dinwiddie’s 36-point, seven assist effort in a win against the Sacramento Kings on March 5, was the type of game one had hoped for from Porzingis but could never count on.

He can also take the ball out of Doncic’s hands. Dinwiddie is a playmaker and not afraid to drive the lane, which allows Doncic to do what he does as well as anyone in the NBA. Shoot the basketball. Despite Porzingis’ size, he was more comfortable outside of the key, when he wasn’t on the bench in his comfortable clothing.  

If not a blockbuster trade on paper, it was a smash for the spirit of the team. February 10 was also the day that Doncic, who was 18 days short of his 23rd birthday, became a true leader. This is Luka’s team — not Luka’s and Kristaps’ team — and now gives head coach Jason Kidd one less thing to worry about.

Kidd has enough pressure on him. He is taking over for a coach that led the team to their only NBA Championship. This is Kidd’s third stint as an NBA head coach. He has owner Mark Cuban signing the checks. It may be Kidd’s last chance to prove he is as good a basketball coach as a Hall of Fame basketball player. Not having to be concerned whether his second-best player is available allows Kidd to focus on the team he has which, by the way, is very good.

With Porzingis, the Mavericks seemed as disjointed as the former All-Star’s right knee. Dinwiddie has had past injuries but appears ready for a Mavericks stretch run. Adding Dinwiddie also allows 25-year-old guard Jalen Brunson to play fewer, but higher quality, minutes. Brunson is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and Dinwiddie is locked up for two more years.

Porzingis was acquired in 2019 to complement Doncic. He headed to the Wizards with two seasons remaining on a five-year, $158 million contract. He participated in his first game with Washington on March 7, playing 21 minutes and scoring 25 points in a 10-point Wizards win. He is a valuable player, just not within the Mavericks system.

At a press conference after the trade with the Mavericks, Washington general manager Tommy Sheppard said: “Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways. He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability.”

Inside the Beltway, here’s hoping that Porzingis finds a haberdashery that specializes in big men. There is no assurance that he won’t be wearing a lot of street clothes. The Mavericks have improved their look by getting smaller. So far, adding Dinwiddie is a perfect fit.