Mavs Face Gauntlet to Begin 2024-25 Season

The Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 schedule was unveiled on Thursday, revealing a tough stretch to open the season for Luka Doncic and company. The Mavs will enjoy significant home-court advantage early on, with four of their first five games at the American Airlines Center, but the schedule quickly turns road-heavy in November.

Looking at the October and November slate, Dallas faces a gauntlet of playoff-caliber teams. Out of their 16 games in these two months, 11 are against teams that made the playoffs in the previous season, including matchups with Phoenix (twice), Denver (twice), Minnesota, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Indiana, New York, Orlando, and Miami.

The Mavericks start the season with a five-game homestand from October 24 to November 8, hosting San Antonio, Utah, Houston, Orlando, Indiana, Chicago, and Phoenix. This stretch could be crucial for building early momentum.

However, the challenge intensifies in mid-November with a tough road stretch. From November 10 to November 25, the Mavs play seven out of nine games on the road, including back-to-back away games against Western Conference powerhouses Denver and Golden State.

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The Mavericks' strength of schedule appears particularly daunting in these opening months. According to league data, Dallas faces the third-toughest slate among 2024 playoff teams during October and November, with an opponent winning percentage of .526.

With this challenging early schedule now set, the Mavericks will need to hit the ground running to position themselves as contenders in the competitive Western Conference. The team's performance in these opening months could set the tone for their entire 2024-25 campaign.