DALLAS — It has been six months since the 2022-2023 iteration of the Dallas Mavericks were mercifully put to rest. The vibes heading into the offseason were grim. Dallas went into the summer without a playoff appearance for the first time since Luka Doncic’s rookie season, and the roster had become stagnant with the return of superstar Kyrie Irving an unknown.
Six months later, there is light at the end of the tunnel as Maverick basketball returns to a newly upgraded American Airlines Center with its All-NBA backcourt intact, an infusion of fresh faces, and a realistic hope for returning to meaningful basketball.
Here is a look at what is in store for Dallas in their upcoming campaign:
Lights Out Offense
El Niño Maravilla Doncic begins his sixth year in Dallas and his first full year running the show with the Ankletaker Irving. While the intended pairing may be slightly delayed as Doncic nurses a pre-season calf strain, the two will co-lead a sizzling backcourt that looks to wreck defensive game-plans.
As marquee names like Damian Lillard have forced their way out of their NBA Cities, the rumor vultures will look to settle on the Dallas MVP candidate as the next star to want out. The issue with that narrative is that it has been externally fueled to feed the talking head news cycle. While Doncic has remained steadfast in his commitment to the organization, the Mavs need to show that their roster can return them to the postseason where Doncic does his best work.
Luka ranks 2nd all-time in playoff scoring average (32.5 PPG), trailing only his endorser Air Jordan and ahead of his championship-winning contemporaries Kevin Durant (4th), LeBron James (6th), and Steph Curry (12th). The aforementioned players had the luxury of sharing the scoring load, which is where Irving hopes to contribute his own 23.4 PPG playoff scoring average when defenses lock in on Doncic.
The best offensive Maverick team of the Doncic era was 2019-2020, when they led the league in offensive rating, the points produced per 100 possessions. The 2022-2023 iteration missed the playoffs due to their defensive shortcomings, but the offense still pulled their best rating (6th at 116.8) since the 2019 season. With a full season of Irving in the fold and the revamped spot-up shooting supplied by the arrivals of Seth Curry and Grant Williams, expect the Maverick offense to be marquee.
Youngblood ascension on the depth chart
2023 NBA Draft first-rounder Dereck Lively entered the preseason as the future of the Maverick frontcourt. He left no doubt about his positioning as he starts his rookie campaign. Dwight Powell may get the respect nod to start on opening night, but the brunt of the minutes and depth chart positioning already belong to Lively.
Youth will be served this season with Josh Green, Williams, and Lively likely joining the star backcourt in the lineup. That means there will be times of growing pains, which means the superstars will need to be patient, but getting younger, more athletic, and frankly just better will service Doncic and Irving in the long run
And it’s not like Doncic is an old man, himself. Irving may be the only starter over the age of 24 relatively soon, an amazing turnaround for a franchise that navigated away from its aging roster from the last few seasons.
Roster changes
No league can compare to the annual roster turnover of the NBA, and Dallas is one of its biggest examples.The Mavericks and the February trade deadline go together like hot wings and ranch, or like the Houston Astros and cheating. Previous deadline deals bring visions of Kristaps Porzingis, Harrison Barnes, and Nick Van Exel for the old heads that may remember.
Do they move on from the Kyrie experience by February? Highly unlikely. The Mavs are under immense pressure to deliver a championship caliber roster while Doncic remains in uniform. The likely victim of a deal to enhance the roster will be one of the younger and cheaper assets that the team has in their backcourt such as Jaden Hardy.
The former first-rounder Green was a potential option but the Mavericks made him a part of the future by signing him to an extension on Monday.
Green’s preseason showing has continued the progression shown in his breakout 2022 season. He will receive big minutes with his extension showing that Dallas believes in him and expects him to be a part of their core going forward.
So where are we?
Depending on the viewpoint, the Mavericks look hard to predict. The NBA General Manager survey has Dallas finishing 9th in the Western conference. According to NBA Analyst, Rapper, DJ, and 2000’s Mavs killer Shaquille O’Neal, the team will win it all.
One consensus is clear. The West runs through Nikola Jokic and defending champion Denver Nuggets, who return with their complete starting lineup.
They are largely in a class of their own, but the Conference does offer the opportunity for upward mobility. One can quickly point to the departure of Lillard from Portland, the continued regression of Kawhi Leonard’s knees for Los Angeles, and the absence of team defense from the Phoenix Suns as reasons for Dallas to make its case. The Suns shipped out their head coach along with Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton in the offseason, but were the landing spot for Bradley Beal, who finally left Washington a half-decade after expected. The all-offense approach for Phoenix heavily relies on two oft-injured players, and the question of who will guard Doncic and Irving remains unanswered.
Within the Southwest Division, the Memphis Grizzlies have lost Steven Adams for the season and will continue dealing with the effects of star Ja Morant’s tenuous availability. The New Orleans Hornets, the Sisyphus of the league, continue to bide time until they trade Zion Williamson away and begin their journey anew.
As teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Clippers age, the NBA pendulum returns a familiar foe into relevancy. San Antonio and human cartoon Victor Wembanyama look to be the biggest challenge in the coming years, while Houston remains in basketball mediocrity.
With a potent one-two punch, young players rising to the occasion, and a promising 19-year-old center of their own, a division win is right there for the taking for Dallas, and the chances for a deep playoff run look promising.
What do you expect out of the Mavericks in the upcoming campaign? Share your predictions with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.