Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks last made the Western Conference Finals in 2022. In 2022, a young Luka Doncic willed his team to the Western Conference Finals only to go up against a buzzsaw of a team in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors dismantled the Mavericks 4-1 and then went on the win the Championship against the Boston Celtics.
In 2022 international borders reopened and people started traveling with a vengeance (after being indoors throughout the pandemic months), Twitter was purchased, and Lionel Messi cemented himself as soccer's best winning the 2022 World Cup. Luka and the Mavericks sure would like to channel that Messi magic as they look to revisit the WCF this season.
Luka's star shines bright, but he'll be in the crosshairs of NBA pundits is he isn't able to find success in the playoffs. The Mavs are currently trailing the Clippers 1-3 in the first round of the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets last made the Western Conference Finals in 2023. They then went on to win the NBA Championship. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and co are a wagon. This team is about as complete as one could be and the brilliance that is Nikola "Joker" Jokic is borderline unfathomable. They are clearly the team to beat this year again and lead the Lakers in the first round 3-1.
The Nuggets are looking to repeat this year and they're making the case that they should easily be the favorites. The Nuggets are a problem.