The Dallas Mavericks Can't Fix Their Biggest Problem

Between the end of Game Two versus the San Antonio Spurs and Game Three in Dallas, the Mavericks will work on many problems; defensive rotations, protecting the rim, attacking the Spurs' interior defense, and freeing Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. 

However, they won't be able to fix their most troubling issue—spacing and movement without the ball.

Everyone who has played basketball, and especially point guard, understands the importance of movement and spacing. When you drive in the paint, someone else's man rotates to pick you up, and your teammate is supposed to slide into your line of sight to create a passing lane.

The Spurs put on a virtual clinic on these principles every time Tony Parker or Roger Mason took the ball to the paint. The Mavericks are so concerned with Tim Duncan sliding to the block on a Parker drive that 6'11" Erick Dampier doesn't even try to alter Parker's shot, letting him be a one man layup drill.

As a team, Dallas does not space or move well. 

In the third quarter of Game Two, the Mavericks had cut the Spurs' lead to nine and had momentum when J.J. Barea drove to the paint wildly from the left wing and fired a pass out of bounds.

This is marked down as a turnover for Barea, but Josh Howard is to blame for this because he never moved from the right wing. If Howard moved eight feet to his right, he would have had a WIDE open three in the corner, a la Michael Finley, that could cut the Spurs' lead to two possessions.

During the team's next possession, after a San Antonio basket, Barea drove the lane again, drew Duncan, and wildly fired up a shot that Duncan blocked, while Dampier, instead of cutting to the basket behind Duncan, stood and watched the 5'10" guard.

San Antonio scored again, and Dallas never recovered.

Many other plays serve as further evidence, including Ryan Hollins catching a pass out of bounds late in Game One, but knowing this now won't fix Dallas' problems. Coach Rick Carlisle and his staff have allowed or overlooked these details throughout the season (Avery Johnson did as well), and now the 2009 Mavericks are who we thought they were; a jump-shooting team that doesn't play well when they don't have time to shoot.

Jump shooting teams don't win big games.