Mavs Teaching Kids Rejection Early: VIDEO

As the "NBA Defense Week" nears its close, the Dallas Mavericks social media team approached the series with humor. NBA teams hosting basketball fans for kids is nothing new. However, few franchises post videos of players blocking children's shots, especially at a team-sanctioned event.

As parents say, you have to teach them early.

The video illustrated the fun the kids were having despite getting their shot rejected by the heavens due to the stark contrast in height. Although the Mavericks appeared elite while blocking the kids' layups, they must showcase such consistency for the 2024-25 season against legitimate competition.

The Mavs ranked 17th in blocks per game last season, although their roster was vastly different in the first half of the 2023-24 campaign.

The playoffs indicated the Mavs' potential as a legitimate shot-blocking threat. Of the 16 playoff teams, Dallas led the postseason in total blocks with 116, and no children were blocked during the proceedings.

Dallas must compete at the same high level as it did at the end of the season to land a top-three seed. In the last 15 games, the Mavericks finished the 2023-24 season with the best defensive rating in the NBA.

Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford's presence in the frontcourt play a significant role in such a drastic improvement in defense. P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Dante Exum have a say in where the Mavs finish the 2024-25 season in the defensive rankings.