Sandler: Mavs, Stars By The Numbers
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MAVS BY THE NUMBERS
0 Mavericks forwards who rank in the NBA's top 100 in average drives-per-game.
Many people believe this is a league in which the slashing forward has a growing importance. The Mavs have that guy in Chandler Parsons, but injuries have limited his playing time and, while maybe not his production, perhaps, his type of production. He's a playmaker able to make things happen when drives. Four in the Mavs' backcourt--Williams, Harris, Felton, and Barea--rank in the top 100 in drives, but none of have a great finishing percentages around the rim, all getting buckets at a rate below 50%.
31.2% of three-point attempts converted by the opposition against the Mavs this year, third best in the NBA.
There's no doubt that an addition like Wesley Matthews has helped, but one guy doesn't convert one of the worst perimeter defenses to one of the best. It has definitely been a team-effort to turnaround last year's fourth-worst three-point defense (36.4%).
8.2 offense rebounds-per-game, worst in the NBA.
The Mavericks have some good fundamental rebounders, like Zaza Pachulia, but don't have many dynamic athletes that would lead to a higher figure on the offensive glass. They can deal with this so long as they continue rebounding defensively as well as they have, which is currently fourth best in the league.
STARS BY THE NUMBERS
1.39 goals-per-60 minutes scored by Jason Spezza, the highest rate on the Stars and 11th best in the league among those with at least five goals.
A lot of the goal-scoring attention has been placed on Seguin and Benn (as it should be, considering they rank in the league's top 5 in this department), but Spezza's second-line value has been critical to this team's success. His nine goals ranks third on the team. For what it's worth, by the
3 of the NHL's top 26-and-under point scorers play for the Stars. Benn (26 years old), Seguin (23), and Klingberg (23) are not only top-four among that age range, but in the entire NHL, too.
What's really notable about this is these players' contract statuses. Klingberg signed a seven-year deal in April of 2015, Seguin is under contract through the 2018-2019 season, while Benn, who will likely get a huge contract, is free after next season.
25 giveaways charged to Jamie Benn this season, sixth most in the NHL. Jason Spezza's given it away 24 times, which ranks eighth.
Seguin, Goligoski, Eakin, Nichuskin, Sharp, and Klingberg all have more than 15 this season according to sportingcharts.com. Giveaways have been an issue for the Stars this season. They are a young team with an offensive dynamism unlike any other in the league, so you have to take the good with the bad. With that said, if they want to make a deep playoff run, they'll need to improve this figure.
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