Mavericks' Reggie Bullock heating up after a slow start
The Dallas Mavericks were worried about Reggie Bullock. Luckily, the calendar turned to December.
Coach Jason Kidd pulled Bullock from the starting lineup before the Mavericks played the Warriors Nov. 29, replacing him with Tim Hardaway Jr. Part of the reason for the move was Bullock's abysmal three-point shooting.
Through November, he'd made just 27 percent of his triples. That's not great, but it's especially bad while playing alongside Luka Doncic, who draws attention from defenders like a billboard for cryptocurrency distracts Spencer Dinwiddie. Bullock was getting 3.7 wide-open threes every game (shot with defenders 6+ feet away), and he was making only 26.8 percent of them. However, this is nothing new for Bullock.
For his career, Bullock is a 38.1 percent three-point shooter. But at the beginning of the season, he's far worse. For October, he makes 29.8 percent of his three-pointers, and in November, he makes 28.1 percent.
In December, he shoots an even 40 percent on triples, and this year it's 45 percent.
Who knows why Bullock is a slow starter? Maybe it takes him time to get into form. Maybe he thrives in cold weather. Maybe he needs the spirit of Christmas to enter his heart every year and unlock his magical outside shooting touch. The only difference this year is that the Mavericks lost Jalen Brunson in the offseason, so Bullock's struggles appeared more glaring.
Even though Bullock is coming off the bench, he played starters' minutes in the Mavericks' win over the Thunder, logging nearly 32 minutes. And Hardaway has thrived as a starter as well, averaging 20.3 points in eight games and making 46.5 of his threes. In the long run, Dallas will have to decide whether Hardaway's spark alongside Doncic and the starters is more valuable than Bullock's superior defense.
Until then, Kidd's lineup switch may get credit for Bullock's revival, when the most likely cause is simply the calendar.
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