Many people believe the Dallas Mavericks are one of the “new hopes” of the NBA. But, they still have to prove they can play atop the Western Conference with the big boys – and they have to prove they can go and take it – by not letting LA run roughshod. I think we can all agree the Mavericks are getting better and, perhaps, can win the NBA championship – of course it is possible for Luka and company.

They are currently tied up at 2 games apiece in the playoffs.
What should we expect, and what could we expect?

They have a solid combination of scorers who can pound teams quickly, before opposing defenses are completely set up, Dallas is sitting at 3rd in the NBA at 116 ppg. They have a very efficient style that is a lot of fun to watch.

It’s scary to think about how nasty the Mavs can be, if all on the same page. Especially as Luka Doncic is still just 21 years old – and I don’t think he has come close to moving into his prime yet, he is only getting better. His numbers have been remarkably dynamic over the last 2 seasons, so it’s hard to imagine he is just going to fade away anytime soon. The rock will be in his hands, a lot – and good things always happen, when that happens. I fully expect Luka to be the impressive offensive player he always has been.

Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks in scoring in last seasons journey with 21ppg, as well as assists per game at 6.0 – but they finished at just 33-49. Which was rough, they had been a steady 50-55 win team since 2000 – with 12 seasons winning 50 or more games since then, but recently had started to slip. Luka is and always will be a very tough cover, his shooting and skills on the court are without question, the soul of this team.

Kristaps Porzingis – the deadly PF – still needs to improve his post up game down low, in my opinion. This will put him even that much tougher to defend, with his size and shooting skills – but it would also put Porzingis in a better position to use his 7-3 length and get more rebounds.
His 9.5 rpg is solid, but could be a 12-13/game player.

Another area that he can improve in, is his passing – he plays it safe, always looking to just making the safe play – he doesnt punch when in the corner. I don’t want risky – but someone who fights back with a couple haymakers when shoved in the corner. Porzingis rarely takes any risks with his passing, he seems to be preoccupied with making the “right” decision. The 7-3 Latvian rarely drives and kicks out – I would expect that to keep improving with Luka and Hardaway lurking around the arc, knocking it down from downtown.

But, overall, Porzingis has been stellar over his 4 year career. He has really shown what he can do in Dallas – and he is showing it off, and has had 3+ turnovers in a game only 9 times this season – but has also had 3+ assists in just 15 games this season as well.

One of the biggest questions for the Mavs will be – is Tim Hardaway getting around the 15 shots/game that he was getting over the last 2 seasons timeframe. Something is going to have to give being that he is surrounded by so many other scoring options in Dallas, and there are more important things to do for the team. His scoring ability is underrated – but they have some big time players just like VegasTopDogs has big time handicapping experts.

This season, he has been getting up an average of 12.6 shots /game, and when he is putting up 16 or more shots /game – the Mavs have not been winning – his ball movement is more important to their winning ways. When Tim gets 16 shots up, the Mavs are just 5-9, when he gets 4+ assists the Mavs are 9-4.

The most interesting member of Dallas will likely be the veteran Hardaway – with Luka and Porzingis as far bigger scoring options. The 27 year old SG was dropped into the scoring option 3 spot for this team – as his numbers had been trending upward over the 2016-2018 seasons, going from 14 to 18ppg since 2016. But with Doncic scoring at a 29ppg clip, and Porzingis getting his 19 /game – Tim getting his scoring chances can be inconsistent.

The Dallas Mavericks have made the end of the season, and the upcoming NBA playoffs very exciting. Regardless of whether the Mavericks win it all during this weird NBA season, they have a fun talented team to watch – and there are even better days ahead in Dallas – without question. If they dont prevail in the playoffs vs the Clippers or Lakers – it’s perfectly understandable. As fun and exciting as Dallas look on paper, it takes a lot to win it all – many forget that many great teams have been beaten in the NBA playoffs with even better teams. If the Mavs lose, you can’t pin it on Luka or Porzingis – but if the Mavericks win it all – it would be pretty amazing.