The Dallas Mavericks are riding a bit of a heater right now-winners in five of their last seven-but make no mistake: this team still has work to do if it wants to be taken seriously in the Western Conference playoff race. Sitting at 10-17 and slotted 12th in the West, Dallas is just one game out of the Play-In Tournament. That’s not an insurmountable gap, but it’s also not a place where you can afford to stand still, especially when one glaring weakness keeps holding you back: 3-point shooting.
Through 27 games, the Mavs rank near the bottom of the league in both 3-point percentage (27th at 34.1%) and makes per game (26th at 11.6). That’s not just a stat sheet issue-it’s a real on-court problem.
The lack of perimeter shooting is shrinking the floor, making life harder for their stars, and ultimately capping their ceiling. This wasn’t addressed in the offseason, and now it’s catching up to them in real time.
The West Isn’t Forgiving-Dallas Needs to Keep Up
If the Mavericks do manage to claw their way into the postseason mix, they’re not walking into a soft matchup. We're talking about a possible Play-In showdown or first-round date with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, or even the San Antonio Spurs. These are teams that can punish defensive rotations and expose spacing issues in a seven-game series.
And while Dallas does have the star power to compete-Cooper Flagg has shown flashes, Anthony Davis brings elite two-way ability, and Kyrie Irving (if he returns healthy) can still take over a game-they need more floor spacing to make it all work. The stars can’t do it alone, not in today’s NBA where shooting is the currency of playoff success.
We saw this movie last season. Injuries piled up, the shooting dried up, and the Mavericks collapsed late.
That same flaw reared its head in the 2024 NBA Finals against Boston. Dallas shot just 31.6% from deep in that series, and outside of Luka Dončić and Irving, no one averaged more than 1.5 threes per game.
It wasn’t just a cold streak-it was a structural issue, and it cost them a title.
Who’s Hitting Shots? Not Enough People
Right now, the list of consistent shooters on this team is short: Klay Thompson, Max Christie, and Ryan Nembhard. That’s it.
Those three are the only regulars knocking down more than 36% of their threes. That’s simply not enough firepower to survive in a Western Conference that’s deeper and more dynamic than ever.
Thompson and Christie have done their part, and Nembhard’s presence in the starting five has helped open up better looks, but Dallas needs more than just three reliable perimeter threats. If the Mavs are serious about making a run, they’ll need to add another shooter-plain and simple.
Trade Deadline Looming: Time to Deal?
Fortunately, the trade market offers a potential solution. Dallas has already been active in conversations, with names like Daniel Gafford, Davis, Thompson, and D’Angelo Russell floating around in rumors. Of that group, Gafford might be the most realistic trade chip.
Gafford has been on the trade radar since last season, and while his ankle injury has slowed him down this year, there’s still value there. If he can show signs of returning to form, he could fetch a solid role player-ideally someone who can stretch the floor and hit open threes.
But the clock is ticking. The trade deadline is February 5, and the Mavericks need to decide which direction they’re heading.
Are they going to push for the postseason or pivot toward the lottery? Right now, all signs point to a playoff push, but that only works if they patch the holes in this roster-starting with the shooting.
Bottom Line: Keep the Fire Burning
The Mavericks have shown signs of life lately, but momentum only matters if you build on it. To turn this hot stretch into something sustainable, they’ll need more offensive firepower, particularly from beyond the arc.
The stars are in place. The effort is there.
But without better spacing and more consistent shooting, this team risks falling into the same trap as last season.
The Western Conference doesn’t wait for anyone. If Dallas wants to stay in the fight, they’ll need to reload-and fast.