The Dallas Mavericks just ripped out nearly a quarter of their entire three-point shooting volume from last season, straight up gone. I’m talking about 202 made threes from Klay Thompson, a massive chunk of the 899 the squad put up in 2025-26, just evaporated after his buyout this week. That’s a huge hole to fill, and it’s making everyone wonder who in the heck is going to step up for Dallas this season.
Who Steps Up When the Shot Volume Dries Up?
So, the big question hanging over the American Airlines Center is obvious: who on this roster is gonna deliver those extra makes? They even did a survey on it, and the results are pretty wild for the middle of summer. It’s a three-way split between Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, and “someone else” on the roster, with only 10% of the vote going to Cooper Flagg. Let’s talk about Flagg first, ’cause he’s the real X factor. Last season, dude shot 17 times a game, with 3.5 from beyond the arc. But get this: he only hit a bleak 29.5% from deep. Yikes! They’re thinking his shot volume might go up by 1-3 shots a game, maybe one more attempt from three-point range. Honestly, that sounds kinda hard to pull off, and that low percentage is a serious concern.
Kyrie’s the Gunner, But Can Christie Keep Up?
Now, Kyrie Irving. He’s probably the safest bet to take on that shooting load. He didn’t even play last season, but back in 2024-25, he was chucking up 7.2 threes per game. With Klay leaving just under eight three-point attempts per game on the table, Kyrie being a willing gunner is gonna be absolutely massive for alleviating Dallas’ three-point shooting concerns. Then there’s Max Christie. He’s a good candidate to boost his shooting volume, but he’s already taking six threes a game for Dallas. To really make a difference there, he might need to play a bit more minutes. Honestly, the article says there’s no one else they see who really *should* be taking more threes. This whole situation could definitely get weird, you know?
But here’s the kicker: if Dallas actually *does* become a better three-point shooting team despite all this, they might just blow past their over/under, which FanDuel has set at 32.5. That’s the real challenge and something to watch for as the season kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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