This is how you slow Dallas’ amazing offense
Ball denial is the key.
Dallas has the league’s best offense because of the dizzying setup motion it uses to set up impossible-to-defend pick and rolls, most of which involve Dirk Nowitzki. Once the Mavericks get that motion started, there are too many options for defenses to read in an instant.
That’s why the key is doing what Eric Bledsoe does here. Rather than let Dallas freely run those options, he denies the automatic pass to Monta Ellis that’s supposed to get Dallas’ play started. The Mavericks are forced to audible to Chandler Parsons, and this (followed by a missed shot) happens.
You won’t see Bledsoe’s work registered in the box score, but he’s cutting off the head of the snake.
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