NBA: Re-seeding the Western Conference after the Free Agency
By Jacob Doole
12. Dallas Mavericks
Last season: 24-58, 13th
Notable ins: Luka Doncic, DeAndre Jordan, Jalen Brunson
Notable outs: Seth Curry, Doug McDermott, Nerlens Noel, Yogi Ferrell
The Dallas Mavericks only made two big moves this offseason, but that could be enough to vault them up the standings after a lean couple of years.
It all started on draft night, as they acquired the rights to Luka Doncic from the Atlanta Hawks. In my mind, and the minds of many, Doncic was the highest upside, most NBA-ready and all-around best prospect in the draft. If that proves to be even close to true, the Mavs hit a home run with the trade.
Doncic is a pick-and-roll savant, and should fit seamlessly with fellow new Maverick DeAndre Jordan. Jordan was one-third of the Clippers “Lob City” core, and the recipient of countless pick-and-roll passes from Chris Paul.
Last season, he scored 1.25 points per possession in the pick-and-roll, just barely outside the top ten in the league (min. 2 possessions per game). He and Doncic should form a formidable partnership right away, and Jordan’s presence should make Doncic’s NBA transition a little easier.
Rick Carlisle’s offensive system is built for dual playmakers, which will allow Dennis Smith Jr. to thrive alongside Doncic. Harrison Barnes will have less pressure to create his own shot, and Dirk Nowitzki can transition into a spark-plug role off the bench.
Wesley Matthews and J.J. Barea are still more-than-serviceable role players, and while the Mavericks may lack the depth of some teams, their top seven players should be enough to help them hang around the edge of the playoffs race.