The Dallas Mavericks are trying to put last season’s offensive mess behind them, and Dusty May has already drawn a clear line on what has to change. The new season opens with Dallas aiming to climb out of the league’s lower tier after a year that left the team searching for answers on that end of the floor.
May said the first step is cleaning up the quality of the shots Dallas takes.
“Well, our shot diet, our shot profile has to improve from the team last year. We have to generate better, more efficient looks.
And then we’ve got to figure out ways to get easier baskets. That’s transition, on the offensive glass.
We’ve just got to figure out ways to score outside of your regular offense and outside of isolation plays.”
That message cuts right to the heart of where the Mavericks fell short in 2025-26. Dallas finished 27th in offensive rating, and the rest of the numbers weren’t much prettier.
The team was 23rd in points per game, 26th in three-point percentage, and 22nd in assists per game. It also landed 24th in points off turnovers and second-chance points, a sign that too many extra opportunities went to waste.
There were a couple of bright spots buried in the frustration. The Mavericks were fifth in fast-break points and seventh in points in the paint, showing they do have the athleticism and interior tools to create efficient offense. The problem is turning those bursts into something steadier and more dependable.
That’s where May’s focus on shot selection comes in. Dallas cannot keep leaning on difficult isolation looks and expect the offense to hold up. The cleaner path runs through better ball movement, more open threes, stronger paint pressure, and points that come without grinding through a half-court possession every trip.
Injuries also shaped the story of last season. P.J.
Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Derrick Lively II all missed significant time, making it hard for the team to build any real rhythm. Kyrie Irving was the biggest absence of all, sitting out the entire season and leaving Dallas without one of the league’s most proven offensive creators.
His return should matter. Irving brings shot creation, the ability to break defenders down, and the kind of playmaking that can raise the level of the entire group. He gives the Mavericks a veteran presence who can help steady an offense that badly needs it.
Dallas also has Cooper Flagg, who will keep growing into his role as the franchise centerpiece, along with a group of young players trying to carve out space for themselves.
There’s reason for optimism on the other side of the ball, too. The Mavericks have length, size, and athleticism, and that mix gives them a chance to be a tough defensive team. If that group can force stops and turn them into transition chances, it could play directly into one of the few areas where Dallas already showed life last season.
That’s the formula May is trying to build: defense that fuels easier offense, and offense that stops wasting possessions. The Mavericks don’t need to light up the scoreboard every night, but they can’t afford another year spent near the bottom of the league’s offensive rankings.
For Dallas, the priorities are already clear - better shots, more efficient possessions, more second-chance production, and easier baskets that don’t depend on isolation. With Irving back and a healthier roster around Flagg, the Mavericks have a chance to make real progress. Whether that turns into wins is the question hanging over this team now.
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Irvings return matters because it gives Mavericks supporters something tangible to hold onto as the new season approaches. Dallas opens on October 21 against the Houston Rockets, and even with plenty still to be sorted out between now and then, the idea of Irving being back in uniform at least restores a sense of possibility around a team that badly needed one. [Read more 🡒]