The unreliability of 2 Mavericks makes trade deadline upgrades inevitable

After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 132-91 in blowout fashion, the Dallas Mavericks have positioned themselves for a potential NBA Cup playoff spot. The team is currently second in the West Group C bracket with a game tonight against the Denver Nuggets.

If Dallas can defeat the Nuggets, they move to 2-1 in the group stage. Their last game will be against the Memphis Grizzles on December 3rd.

Despite the Mavs winning three straight, they will have a tough matchup against the Nuggets as they will be without superstar Luka Doncic. Doncic is expected to miss at least a week with a sprained right wrist that he injured in the win against New Orleans.

With Doncic’s injury, this will not only clear up more time for reserves like Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy, but it will give the team a better understanding of what moves to make as the trade deadline approaches.

Both Hardy and Dinwiddie have had their ups and downs during the start of the season. While Hardy has proven to be the better of the two over the past 15 games, Dinwiddie has still proven to be a reliable veteran off the bench at times this year.

Against Oklahoma City last Sunday, the two guards combined for 23 points off the bench. Not only did Hardy prove to be a key piece off the bench, but he also showed his ability to be trusted in the Mavericks’ nine-man rotation.

Despite the recent development from Hardy, the Mavericks need to upgrade his role by making a trade this offseason if they want to be serious about winning a championship.

In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Dan Favale suggested that the Mavericks had to upgrade Hardy and the Dinwiddie role by switching to another ball handler who can also play on the wing. With the team’s defensive issues and 3-point struggles, this move makes sense.

It’s no secret that one of the Mavericks’ biggest needs is to acquire another wing that they can plug and play off the bench. While Hardy and Dinwiddie have played well throughout the season, the Mavericks need stability and consistency off the bench that they can find with a wing.

By no means does the team have to trade both Hardy and Dinwiddie to achieve this goal, but upgrading the Mavs’ bench minutes should be at the top of the team’s list of needs.

Through 15 games, the Mavericks rank top-10 in both offense and defense, but fans have seen the Mavs’ clutch struggles time and time again to know the Mavericks need to upgrade with defensive depth.

Acquiring a wing would not only give the team defensive depth, but it could give the team another shooter from behind the arc.

This season, the Mavericks are ninth in the Western Conference with a 3 point percentage. Not only is this number disappointing, but it should be a sign to the front office that they need to upgrade with more consistent snaps.

Buying into a middle wing could give the Mavericks the flexibility they need to make another deep playoff run in April.