Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks exceeded expectations last season by reaching the playoffs and giving the Clippers a competitive six-game series. Lead by the incomparable play of Luka Doncic the Mavericks is set up for many years of playoff success. Doncic’s career trajectory is like nothing the game has ever seen.
In 2017, Doncic led Slovenia to EuroBasket Gold, in 2018 he led Real Madrid to the Euroleague Title and earned MVP. Upon entering the NBA, Doncic took the league by storm winning Rookie of the Year in 2019, and the following season he became an All-Star starter and earned All NBA First Team honors in 2020. It seems that an MVP award for Doncic in his third NBA season fits this narrative and reality that he is a generational talent capable of magic on the court.
Luka magic will continue to delight fans for many years to come with his all-around offensive versatility and great fundamentals that allow him to gain an advantage over any defender attempting to stop him. The Mavericks are a very fortunate franchise to perhaps have the two best European players in NBA history with Dirk Nowitzki and now Luka Doncic to lead the team for what could be over 40 years of Mavericks basketball.
The health of the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis will be key to determining the ceiling of this Mavericks team as they continue to attempt to get back into title contention. The offseason additions of James Johnson and Josh Richardson should make the Mavericks a better defensive team which is where they struggled last season.
The Mavericks remain one of the most exciting teams to watch and should be in the playoff mix in a loaded Western Conference.