NBA Power Rankings: Re-seeding the Western Conference after a busy offseason

2. Dallas Mavericks

After making a run to the NBA Finals last season, and still managing to improve their roster this offseason, I don't think it's a hot take to consider the Dallas Mavericks as one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference this season. The big question for the Mavs is whether Klay Thompson has enough left in the tank where he will emerge as a legit third option next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. If Klay has a resurgence at this late stage of his career, the Mavs could emerge as quite the dangerous force in the Western Conference.

For the Mavs, much of their hope will fall on the team's supporting cast. For the most part, the team knows what it's going to get out of Kyrie and Luka. If the Mavs are going to do something special this season, though, that onus will fall on the shoulders of Klay, PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Dereck Lively III. If that core supporting cast can play up to their abilities, Dallas should finish as a top 3 team in the conference.

It's safe to pencil the Mavs as the second seed here after the offseason, but they could be a tad better or worse depending on how consistent their supporting cast is.