14. Dallas Mavericks
X-Factor: Dennis Smith Jr.
Mark Cuban has not been shy on the tanking talk. His words may be tested in this loaded Western Conference.
While he may or may not start, Dennis Smith Jr. put on a show in the Summer League this offseason. He and Seth Curry will be part of the core in Dallas’ rebuild process. Curry, Smith Jr., and Wesley Matthews will fight for the two guard spots.
When you tune out the hate and disappointment of Harrison Barnes by Mavs fans and just look at the stats, his first year in Dallas was a fairly impressive one – 19.2 PPG on 46.8 FG% in 78 games is nothing to be ashamed of.
Dirk Nowitzki will is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, there’s no doubt about that. The former NBA Champion is in the twilight of his career, but can still score and provide great experience. Salah Mejri could be in the starting lineup, depending on whether disenchanted Nerlens Noel returns as a RFA.
The rest of the rotation includes Yogi Ferrell, J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dwight Powell.
This Mavericks team last season kept themselves in games with their style of play. They ranked in the top-5 in 3PA while having the second-least turnovers in the league. The problems lie on the defensive end.
Unlike some other rebuilds, this looks to be one of the longer ones in the league. It will be a few years before this team is a serious contender in the West.
Final Record: 26-56