The Dallas defense is very real

On his latest podcast with Jeff Van Gundy, Zach Lowe dropped a Mavs-related stat that blew my mind. The Mavericks are one of two teams that have better defensive metrics against the top half of the league’s offenses than the bottom half.

Considering where Dallas started the season, this is one of the wildest stats I’ve come across this year. Let’s take a look at what the Mavs are doing on the defensive end and whether those tactics can work in the playoffs.

The Mavs have been employing a type of matchup zone where they play man on the perimeter and employ zone principles on the back end. When the ball swings to the wing, keep your eyes locked on Dorian Finney-Smith. He practically abandons…