What is going on with the Mavs?

[RDB]

Yes, it seems that the lack of secondary playmaking is putting too much strain on Luka. I wonder who the team thought would take on that responsibility when they put the team together. Richardson and Burke? Johson? It has been pretty cringeworthy at times watching guys who are essentially spot-up shooters trying to create offense. Although if they're able to pick up that skill, so much the better, I guess. 

I agree with KL that the emphasis on threes and shots at the rim is almost certainly intentional, and analytics-driven. I think you may have a point that it is possible to take that to extremes. You can see the sense of it when instructing players to take deep shots from just outside the three-point arc, rather than just inside, for example. But you need a capability to take those midrange shots when that's all you can get, and also to add an element of unpredictability to the offense. I don't know that the shooters they have can't make those shots, but I agree that they mostly just don't take them.

Like it or not, this team was built on the basis of penetration to the rim and spot-up shooters. Making threes and getting to the bucket is what they are designed to do. That means they are dependent on high-variance shooting from game to game, and they are inevitably going to have some cold nights. It really irritated me when the Lakers were just standing around the basket smirking at our shooters, rather than coming out to defend them. I think the answer is largely going to have to be making them pay, although some mid-range capacity would be a plus. 

Maybe this version of the Mavs won't make it to the second round. But I'm not ready to say that they can't. This is a good group -- they haven't gelled yet, but I've still got some faith!

I do agree with your points.  However, if our goal is to either to get to the bucket or shoot 3’s, who besides Luka can consistently get to the bucket.