How do the Utah Jazz compare to the Dallas Mavericks?
Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks: Offense
At first glance, comparing these two teams offensively should be as simple as comparing their Offensive Ratings from 2020-21. If that’s the case, the Utah Jazz are clearly the superior offensive team. Their Offensive Rating from last season was 115.6, good for fourth in the Association, while the Mavericks ranked eighth in the same metric with a score of 114.6.
Verdict: We’re not nearly done here.
In 2019-20, the Mavericks led the entire league in offensive rating at 115.9. That same season, the Utah Jazz finished ninth at 111.8. What happened to the Dallas Mavericks offense in between seasons?
It’s not an easily answered question. Luka’s offensive production was quite similar in each season, averaging 28.8 points and 8.8 assists in 2019-20, and 27.7 points and 8.6 assists in 2020-21. Kristaps Porzingis was even more consistent, with his scoring average dropping from 20.4 to 20.1. He also missed a similar amount of time in each season, so the blame doesn’t fall on his shoulders either.
The most significant loss between the two seasons was Seth Curry. It may be that his elite floor-spacing (45.2% from deep on 5.0 three-point attempts per contest) had a larger effect on the team’s system then one may intuitively think. The Mavericks will hope that the additions of Reggie Bullock (41.0% on 6.1 attempts per game last season) and Sterling Brown (42.3%, 4.4 attempts) will offset Curry’s absent spacing in 2021-22.
There’s also a less charitable explanation for the Mavericks’ offensive drop-off: teams have figured them out. It feels like the more likely explanation. It’s not particularly hard to scout a heliocentric offense: you load up on Luka Doncic, and let his supporting cast do as much damage as they can. The Dallas Mavericks failed to add another primary shot-creator this offseason, so it’s likely to be more-of-the-same in 2021-22.
In fact, their most notable offseason change likely came in the coaching staff. Jason Kidd replaces longtime skipper Rick Carlisle, and it’s hard to feel inspired by that change. Apparently, Kidd intends to have the team shoot fewer threes this season, which seems like an odd choice for a team specifically constructed to space the floor around a singular offensive force.
The Utah Jazz have no such concerns. They’re retaining all of the major pieces that produced last season’s fourth-place offensive rating. The safe money is on their offense to roughly stagnate, which fans in Salt Lake City should be quite comfortable with. Meanwhile, even if Jason Kidd’s offensive principles are (surprisingly) sound, there should be an adjustment period as his squad learns what projects to be a significantly different offensive system.
Look for the Utah Jazz to outscore the Dallas Mavericks in 2021-22, Luka or no Luka.