As we inch towards the NBA preseason, that familiar feeling of basketball season is beginning to feel palpable again. In Dallas, it always coincides with the reprieve from the hell of summer (not to mention the slog of other sports that I don’t have the attention span for anymore). Autumn is something to look forward to in Texas. And the Mavericks have a seemingly very talented roster this year, albeit one that will require luck on the health-front in order to live up to its hype. The question is:
after such a tumultuous season last year, brought on by the franchise’s decision to move on from Luka Doncic, will the start of the season bring the same excitement and positive feelings that the last several brought with them when Doncic was still on the team? That answer is probably obvious to any Mavs fans reading this: we won’t know until we see a few games.
But the dust has settled since that trade in February, and like it or not, we still have a team to root for. Nico’s squad does look solid on paper. Their senior leader at this point is undoubtedly the veteran point guard (Irving) who is still recovering from an ACL that injury he suffered at the end of last season, but Anthony Davis is, himself, an NBA champion and elite defensive piece that could provide Dallas fans something of a remedy for their Doncic hangover (if he can stay healthy).
Here are three other reasons to feel good about the Dallas Mavericks as the NBA season nears.
Solid Front Court
While AD is the grand prize received for trading away Luka Doncic (and still capable of being an elite big man), Dallas also has other very capable bigs that they’ll need to perform very well in order to compete against the Minnesota Timberwolves of the west. Derrick Lively II and Daniel Gafford are slated as the one-two punch (whomever starts) at the 5, and while AD is presumably the starting 4, rookie Cooper Flagg will be out to prove that his hype is real. So who knows how Jason Kidd will field his starters on opening night. Because then you’ve got PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson…
Reserves
As mentioned above, Dallas is stacked from a front court positional standpoint. Having a solid bench is crucial for any team looking to make a deep push into the playoffs. The key is staying healthy, obviously, as well as hitting your stride as the playoffs approach. While the backcourt depth may be a pain-point until Kyrie returns, Nico Harrison’s grand vision of sending an elite defensive unit onto the court must prove to be their greatest strength if they are to make noise in their division. If that vision materializes the way it exists in Nico’s head, this team will prove to be more daunting (and more watchable) than they were with Luka Doncic. That’s all there is to it.
Dirk Nowitzki
Well, he still lives in Dallas. And even after all of last season’s craziness, he’s still rooting for the Mavs, apparently. Hard to argue with the greatest player in franchise history. He’ll be on television a lot more this year too as he’s working for Amazon and their basketball coverage. More Dirk is good!
Here’s hoping we have a memorable season.
