11. Dallas Mavericks
Last season: 33-49, 14th in Western Conference
Notable additions: Seth Curry, Delon Wright, Boban Marjanovic
Notable subtractions: Trey Burke
It would be easy to get carried away thinking about the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. When I was first putting these rankings together, I flirted with the idea of them as a playoff team. I love Doncic, I like the potential fit of Porzingis, and Rick Carlisle has a history of getting the best out of his role players.
One look at the rest of the West, though, made it clear that the Dallas Mavericks will need absolutely everything to go right for them to succeed in the short term. They lack the depth of talent of the teams ahead of them, and there’s still plenty of variables that could land on the wrong side of the ledger.
The short and long-term health of Porzingis is the biggest and most concerning factor. Following the torn ACL he suffered last July, he has now missed 116 games during his four seasons in the NBA. Most of those have come from a variety of ailments in his left knee, quad, and ankle, a worrying trend for a seven-foot-three big man that relies on his athleticism on both ends.
The Mavericks have reportedly recognized this and, according to Forbes, have focused on “restructuring his core and balance with the intent of changing the way he moves.” They must be confident in their ability to solve his issues, as they signed the Latvian to a five-year, $158 million extension before he’d even hit the court for them.
Assuming that Porzingis does return at 100 percent, Dallas’ ceiling rises accordingly. However, there are still plenty of other question marks around the rest of the roster.
Can Luka Doncic keep up the pace from his incredible rookie season? The “sophomore slump” isn’t just a random phenomenon, it happens because teams start to figure out a talented rookie’s go-to moves. It seems like a given that Doncic will continue to develop his game and thrive, but a small step back could still be possible.
Is there enough shooting around him? Seth Curry was a good addition after shooting 45 percent from three last season, but with Jalen Brunson (34.8 3PT%), Delon Wright (25.6 3PT%) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (32.1 3PT%) rounding out the likely perimeter rotation it’s a steep decline from there.
The roster is packed with useful players, guys like Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell who know their roles and fill them very well. But is there enough star power and complimentary talent to lift this young team over the hump so early in their development?