We are nearly two weeks away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA Season! Up until that date, we will be previewing all 30 NBA Teams! Today, we dive into the Dallas Mavericks! Let’s jump into it!
What happened last year?
After losing five of their last six and nine of their last 11 to cap off a disappointing 2022-23 season, the Mavericks entered 2023-24 with a poor taste in their mouths. Though it didn’t wash away too quickly, beginning 26-23 after winning eight of their first 10 games. They remained aggressive at the deadline, trading for big men P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford , which completely changed the complexion of their frontcourt. Symmetrical to 2022-23, Dallas was arguably the league’s hottest team entering the postseason, winning 16 of their final 20 games. They parlayed that hot stretch by making a run to the NBA Finals, beating the Los Angeles Clippers in six games, Oklahoma City in six and the Minnesota Timberwolves in five. They ran into the Boston Celtics buzzsaw, winning only one game (albeit by 38 points) before heading home packing!
Offseason Recap:
In the first full offseason with new ownership , the Mavericks signed sharpshooter Klay Thompson to a three-year, $50 million deal in a three-team sign-and-trade that sent Josh Green to Charlotte. They also added forward Naji Marshall to a team-friendly contract and bought low on Quentin Grimes , who dealt with a shoulder injury most of last season with New York and Detroit. Though they lost Derrick Jones Jr., arguably their best point-of-attack defender, after he signed a one-year minimum in the 2023 offseason. They didn’t have any draft season, but it was still a productive offseason for the Mavericks, retaining five of their top six scorers while rearranging deck chairs in their wing room.
Projected Starting 5:
Kyrie Irving , G – Irving may have disappointed against Boston’s herd of defenders in the NBA Finals, but he showed why he was a tantalizing guard alongside Doncic last year. If he can stay on the court, he should in for another big season.
Luka Doncic , G – Doncic led the NBA in scoring last season, averaging 33.9 points–in addition to 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists. He was also disappointing in the NBA Finals, but make no mistake about it, he’s one of the best players on planet Earth, barring none.
Klay Thompson, G/F – Thompson had an uneven season with Golden State last year, but still found a way to average 17.9 points on 38.7 percent shooting from 3-point range. That efficiency from long distance may be pedestrian, but he can still be an impactful floor spacer in this context. I am interested in seeing how Jason Kidd navigates Irving-Doncic-Thompson defensively, however.
P.J. Washington, F – Washington had arguably the worst shooting season of his career, but that didn’t stop him from being impactful. His defense took a leap upon arrival, and he had stretches offensively throughout the postseason where he shined.
Daniel Gafford, C – At one point during the postseason, Gafford had a stretch where he made 33 consecutive shots. He was the team’s best shot-blocker and arguably the team’s best rebounder when he was on the floor. His fit with Doncic and Irving as a vertical spacer is seamless.
Dereck Lively II, C – Lively could overtake Gafford as the team’s starting big this season. From the first tip of the season, he popped, averaging 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds while finishing No. 6 in Rookie of the Year voting.
Naji Marshall, F – Marshall signed a three-year, $27 million deal with Dallas this offseason. He’s one of Dallas’ best bets in replacing the defense lost by Jones and Green; he never got too much run, but he was a capable 3-and-D wing off the bench for 15-20 minutes per game.
Quentin Grimes, G – Grimes was a sneaky good addition, even though the Mavs had to fork over Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks. Grimes is a bulldog defender and averaged 9.2 points on 38.4 percent shooting from 3-point range in his first two seasons with the Knicks.
Biggest X-Factor: Klay Thompson
For the Mavericks to maintain their top-flight defense that they featured toward the end of the last season, they may need Thompson to turn back the clock defensively. Before his two knee injuries, he was widely regarded as one of the best guard defenders in the sport, which made his fit alongside Stephen Curry so seamless aside from his elite shooting. Doncic and Irving occasionally show flashes as capable defenders, but it’s not consistent–nor will it be over an 82-game season with their burden offensively. If he’s a liability defensively, it could make decisions for their closing lineups really interesting.
Season Projection:
I project Dallas to finish as the No. 5 seed in the West at 49-33.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
Comments / 0