The Mavericks spent last season staring at one of their cleanest fixable flaws: the 3-point line. Dallas connected on just 34.4% of its threes, a number that left it 26th in the NBA. So Dusty May made a move aimed straight at that weakness, bringing in Rob Fodor as an assistant coach and shooting coach earlier this month.
Fodor arrives with a reputation that travels well. He spent the past 10 years as Miami’s shooting and player development coach under Erik Spoelstra after becoming the first full-time shooting coach in franchise history, and his work helped the Heat post the seven highest single-season 3-point totals in team history. That kind of production is hard to ignore.
He is one of seven assistants on May’s staff, alongside lead assistant Willie Green, Garrett Temple, Joe Boylan, Drew Williamson, Mody Maor and Sam Hershberger. Nate Mitchell will also work as an assistant while coaching the Texas Legends.
The best evidence for why Dallas is betting on Fodor is the kind of player development Miami got from him. Duncan Robinson is the headliner.
After going undrafted out of Michigan in 2018 and joining Miami’s Summer League team, Robinson had become a Heat record-holder by 2019-20 with 270 made 3-pointers and a 44.6% mark from deep. Robinson has called Fodor a "mad scientist," and the result has made him one of the league’s top 3-and-D style role players.
Max Strus followed a similar route. Another undrafted player, Strus shot 33.8% from 3-point range in his first season with Miami and is now at 37% for his career from deep.
Fodor’s background goes well beyond South Florida. He has worked as a personal shooting instructor for Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Jim Jackson and Mike James, and his coaching stops include Norway, Germany, Spain, Singapore and Slovenia. He also served as an assistant with the Seattle Storm in 2015 before Miami brought him in a year later.
His approach centers on what he calls limiting inertia breaks. In his view, the jump shot should stay as one continuous motion, because every pause drains power and efficiency. He also stresses teaching players why a shot works or breaks down, giving them the ability to correct themselves in the gym without needing a coach on every rep.
Dallas has plenty of candidates for that kind of cleanup work. Cooper Flagg shot around 34% from 3-point range as a rookie, and his trainer has already talked about an offseason focused on improving that number.
Naji Marshall made only 29.1% of his threes last season after shooting 38.7% in his final year in New Orleans. P.J.
Washington dipped to 32.5% after hitting 38.1% the year before. Max Christie shot 40.4%, but his second half trailed off noticeably.
Each of those cases gives Fodor a clear starting point, which is exactly the sort of challenge he has spent two decades taking on. The Mavericks also added Tarik Biberović, who shot 41.9% from 3-point range in the EuroLeague last season, giving Fodor at least one player whose shot already looks ready-made.
Coaching hires usually do not turn heads. This one does, because Dallas went after one of its most obvious issues and brought in a coach with a proven track record of fixing shooters. If Fodor’s Miami work carries over, the Mavericks could look a lot different from deep.
In Other News...
Mavericks Camp Suddenly Has One Big Santi Aldama Question
Training camp has already brought a fresh layer of uncertainty for the Mavericks, and it starts with Santi Aldama. The big man has been limited as he works his way back from an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in March, leaving Dallas to manage his involvement day by day while the medical staff controls how much he can do on the floor.
Dusty May has been careful not to force the issue, but he has made clear what Aldama could add once hes fully available: a versatile center who can help stretch defenses and open up lineup options. That kind of fit matters for a team also sorting out roles around Daniel Gafford, rookie Morez Johnson Jr. and the rest of camp, which is why Aldamas status has quickly become one of the more important things to watch as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Bring Back Dwight Powell And Now A Tough Call Awaits
Dwight Powell is officially back in Dallas, adding another familiar veteran presence to a roster that already looks full on paper. The Mavericks have been working to keep him in the fold, and league sources say the commitment to bring him back comes with the expectation that the front office will keep looking for ways to make it work.
For now, the issue is less about Powells fit than the mechanics of fitting him in. Dallas already has a crowded standard-contract situation, so the next move will have to come from somewhere else on the roster, and that leaves the Mavericks weighing a decision they would probably rather avoid this late in the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Rookies Already Face Two Very Different Early Tests
One rookie is easing back into the mix while another is already in the middle of a long adjustment project. Morez Johnson Jr., the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has been limited in practice because of left calf soreness, though he is close to returning to full participation. For a Mavericks team trying to sort out roles and rhythm early, his availability matters, especially with the club pushing a faster pace this season.
Sergio De Larrea, taken No. 25, has taken a different path so far. The guard has been leaning on veteran Santi Aldama and assistant coach Willie Green as he learns how NBA defenses are treating him and works to sharpen the finer points of his game, all while adjusting to a tempo that fits with his EuroLeague background. The two rookies are facing very different early tests, but both are part of the same larger question for Dallas: how quickly can this class start looking ready? [Read more 🡒]