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To this point in the season, the Dallas Mavericks have struggled offensively. Although it’s only been two games, it’s still something to monitor.
Through their first two contests, their offensive rating of 96.4 is the third-worst in the entire NBA. However, there is one player on the roster who could be the spark to turn things around on that end of the floor.
Reggie Bullock was the biggest acquisition of the offseason for Dallas, but hasn’t yet found his groove.
What about Bullock could enhance the Mavericks’ offense going forward?
Starter Experience
Anytime you have a player that is the caliber of an NBA starter that comes off of the bench, it means you have real depth. Last season on the New York Knicks, Bullock was a starter and one of the better players on the roster.
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GettyReggie Bullock gets back on defense in a game against the Hornets.
Last season, he started in 64 of the 65 games that he played in and averaged 10.9 points while shooting 41.0% from the floor. A high volume shooter, he attempted 6.1 3-pointers per game.
On a Knicks team that was in the playoffs, Bullock scored the fourth-most last season with 709 total points. Additionally, he attempted the most 3-pointers per game on the team and was heavily relied on as a deep threat that could stretch the floor.
Although he’s still good enough to be a starter on many teams around the NBA, the Mavericks have the luxury of bringing Bullock off the bench as a spark plug.
However, to this point, he hasn’t looked great.
Only Up From Here
Bullock has struggled to find his groove early this season in Dallas. He’s averaged just 2.0 points per game while shooting 20.0% from beyond the arc.
With that in mind, the only way to go is up at this point.
As the season goes on, his role could certainly increase. So far this season, he’s only played 32 total minutes through two games.
Last season, Bullock got off to a slow start as well. Through his first 11 games of the 2020-21 season, he scored in double figures only twice. From there, he started finding his groove.
From games 12 through 65, Bullock averaged 11.5 points per game while shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc and 95.8% from the free throw line.
The same could happen this season, as Bullock will get more comfortable with his new team as the year goes on. In a new situation playing alongside a ball-dominant guard in Luka Doncic, there will certainly be an adjustment period.
If Bullock is able to be the player he was last season, or even close to it, the Dallas offense will look much better. As someone who has the potential to be one of the leaders of the bench unit, he has a tremendous opportunity.
It’s early in the season, but the Mavericks’ 23.0 bench points per game is tied for 27th in the NBA. If there’s anyone who is able to take the reserves to the next level on both ends of the floor, it’s Bullock.
Last season, Dallas was one of the better bench teams in the league, scoring 37.4 points per game. That is an area they’ll have to improve on if they want to have success this season, with Bullock being the key to that happening.
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