The Battle of the Sixth Man
In today’s NBA — each team has their primary superstar surrounded by multiple all-stars on their roster. The days where teams would just build around one star are long gone. For the Mavericks, it used to be superstar Luka Doncic and forward Kristaps Porzingis. Now, with the Mavericks lacking a true second option, the battle between the sixth man is more critical in this series.
Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie has always been a solid player — as he averaged a little over 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assist this season. A late second-round pick, Dinwiddie broke out with the Brooklyn Nets and gained a 3-year, $54 million contract when he played for the Washington Wizards.
Dinwiddie has thrived in the isolation game. In the Feb. 27 matchup where the Mavericks came storming back — Dwinwiddie took over and scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. According to NBA.com, Dinwiddie gets 4.1 points per 4.7 possessions on a 34.3% frequency.
His microwavable scoring tendencies are critical to the Mavericks’ success — as the Mavericks are still searching for that second option. Porzingis was supposed to be that option, but injuries and inconsistent play prevented Porzingis from becoming that player the Mavericks needed. Now, with Dinwiddie coming off the bench and Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson stepping up, the Mavericks have enough scoring prowess to slow down the game and play at their own pace.
On the flip side — Warriors guard Jordan Poole continued his outbreak this season by providing more than an offensive spark. The 28th pick proved that he has the capability of taking over games when it mattered. When Warriors superstar Stephen Curry came back in the first round, Poole was tasked to carry the offensive load and essentially do his best Curry impersonation — which he did.
But, a noticeable change in Poole’s production has been noticed when the series shifts to games four and five. In the Nuggets series, Poole’s numbers dropped significantly after the Nuggets assigned forward Aaron Gordon — a bigger defender — to him. Poole was unable to find his rhythm and averaged 9.5 points between games four and five while shooting 30% from the field.
The same story was told in games four, five and six in the Grizzlies series. As the series continues to drag, Poole’s production dips and the Warriors struggle. The Grizzlies had the personnel to frustrate the Warriors with their lengthy and athletic defenders, but the Warriors continued to find ways to win.
Poole has excelled in his first playoff run, but these numbers are drastically different as the series continues to shift.
Poole’s growth has been critical to the Warriors success this season — but each great player has their breakout moment. With Poole outplaying Dinwiddie in both games one and two — it’s critical that Poole continues this steak and force the Mavericks to rely on Doncic.
(Photo credit: Harry How / Getty Images)