New starting lineup turned Mavericks into serious contenders

With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as their backcourt, offense wasn't a problem for the Mavericks. Their defense was. That's when Mavericks coach Jason Kidd moved Derrick Jones Jr. and center Daniel Gafford into the starting lineup, alongside P.J. Washington, giving Dallas more athleticism and shot-blocking.

The difference has been huge. Before the new lineup, Dallas had a defensive rating of 117.3, which ranked 23rd in the NBA. Since then, the defensive rating is down to 106.5, the best mark in the NBA in that stretch. Their 14-2 record is also the best in the league since March 7. One of those two losses came to Oklahoma City, with Doncic sitting out.

It's not just Gafford and Jones joining the lineup, either. A week before this hot stretch began, Dante Exum returned from injury, and he's been slowly playing more minutes. He's also shooting 50 percent from three-point range, including a shot that sent Sunday's game to overtime against Houston, where Dallas pulled out a 147-136 win.

Suddenly, the Mavericks have a squad of long, athletic defenders around Doncic and Irving. The Mavericks were giving up 52.7 points in the paint before Gafford and Jones became starters. Since then, it's down to 44.4.

Doncic and Irving are so explosive that the Mavericks can beat anyone if one or both get hot. With Dallas finally playing serious defense, it may get a lot of chances to do that in the postseason.