The Fan-Sided Smoking Cuban Paul Pierce predicts that LeBron James will be the “undisputed GOAT” if the Lakers win the NBA championship. The surprising defensive comeback of the Dallas Mavericks is explained by Luka Doncic. Written by Will Miller on Mar. 29, 2024 Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks | Ezra Shaw/GettyImages As the postseason draws near, the Dallas Mavericks have altered their collective defensive philosophy, as seen by their incredible 9-1 record in their previous 10 games. The Mavericks have improved their defense when head coach Jason Kidd started Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. ten games ago. With a defensive rating of 106.5 through their previous ten games, the Mavericks have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. The latest from the MavericksThe Mavericks’ defensive strategy has been quite cohesive lately, and Dallas’ big men and wings have performed admirably at closing out on shooters and switching up as the low man when positioned. In a postgame interview with TNT following Dallas’ victory over Sacramento, Mavericks star Luka Doncic discussed what has recently sparked Dallas’ defense. When it comes to postgame interviews, Doncic isn’t the most verbose guy in the world, so anything he does divulge to the media is usually quite pertinent. Doncic discussed how Dallas’ players have been communicating and listening more when it comes to defense, which is important for a club that could challenge in the future. NBA venues are notoriously noisy, but this change in Dallas’
