Roles are important in just about every walk of life.
For instance, there can only be one lead actor, or star, in Hollywood productions. But there can be a whole bunch of supporting actors.
The Mavericks have proven to be the NBA equivalent of the Star Wars when it comes to best supporting actor to Luka Dončić.
In the movie, it could have been Han Solo or Princess Leia or Chewie or even Darth Vader spiking the plotline headlined by Luke Skywalker.
Lately for the Mavericks, it could be Reggie Bullock or Trey Burke or even somebody as under-the-radar as Theo Pinson.
They’ve all been asked to do more lately. And they’ve all responded with performances worthy of an award nomination.
Most impressively has been Bullock, who has averaged 18.8 points and shot 49 percent in the past six games since Tim Hardaway Jr. went down with a broken bone in his foot.
Try imagining where the Mavericks might be if Bullock doesn’t respond to this opportunity.
“He started at the beginning of the season, he’s started now,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s doing everything. We’re asking him to guard, to rebound. He’s answered the call for us.”
Which begs the question whether Bullock could be a starter down the line when the Mavericks get healthy (healthier?).
“We’ll get healthy, look at a couple more combinations and see who brings the teacher an apple to be able to get the start,” Kidd joked.
Bullock also had nine rebounds against the Hawks.
“Coach talked about it, with some of our bigs out, and moving me or Doe (Dorian Finney-Smith) down to the four, us rebounding is big and it helps us play a lot faster, too,” Bullock said.
Bullock is playing like a starter, which he predominantly has been the last four seasons. Having an abundance of players who deserve to start means a team has a lot of talent.
Like Burke, who came off the bench on Sunday against Atlanta when Luka and Jalen Brunson both got in foul trouble.
The veteran had played a grand total of 31 minutes in the previous 10 games, but came up with 15 key minutes against the Hawks, when he contributed seven points.
“Everybody was telling me to stay ready,” Burke said. “That’s the nature of this league. Sometimes if you’re not in the rotation, you got to find ways to stay mentally engaged and involved.
“I think I was a little jittery (early against Atlanta). I missed a couple shots I felt like I could have made. But overall, we held it down until they (the starting backcourt) came back.”
And then there is Pinson, who hasn’t played a single second in 10 of the last 15 games.
But he’s proof that not all key support players fill up the stat sheet.
Fans can’t help but notice that Pinson is usually the first Maverick off the bench when a momentum-shifting play happens. He is always talking and always cheering on his teammates.
There’s a reason why he was the Maverick that was chosen to be miked up during a recent telecast on Bally Sports Southwest.
“Theo’s been our MVP since he joined the team,” Kidd said. “His spirit . . . he doesn’t play a lot, but he’s into the game. And we didn’t have that. And that’s been a big part of our success internally. We needed someone to talk and he’s doing it for 60 minutes because he’s talking in the locker room before the game and talking after.
“He’s our MVP. We understand Luka on the court is our MVP. But our spirit and our soul with Theo has been off the charts and we’re lucky to have him.”
The players knew it, too, when Pinson was signed to, at first, two 10-day contracts, then a two-way deal.
“Theo’s bench presence has been known throughout the league for a couple years now,” Brunson said. “Whether he’s in the game or on the bench, his energy is top-notch. I remember back in high school. He was the same person. He’s never changed. He truly embodies being a teammate. It gives everyone energy.”
Which has made him worthy of whatever kind of best-supporting actor award goes out within the Mavericks.
Twitter: @ESefko
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