After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons for the first time since the ’90s, the Dallas Mavericks were the 7-seed in the Western Conference and took on the Los Angeles Clippers, one of the favorites to win the championship, in the first round. The Mavs gave them everything they had, but after a knee injury kept Kristaps Porzingis sidelined and Luka Doncic dealing with a sprained ankle, Dallas did not have enough firepower to keep with LA and lost the series 4-2.
While it was unfortunate to see the Mavericks eliminated in the first round, they took a big step as a team last year and Luka Doncic evolved into one of the best players in the entire league. After winning the Rookie of the Year award for the 2018-19 season, Doncic came back this year and was one of the league’s most improved players, averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and shooting 46.3% from the floor.
Luka Doncic earned All-NBA First-Team Honors last season and is one of the favorites to win the 2020-21 NBA MVP award. The duo of Luka and Porzingis has been one of the league’s most dominant duos when they are both on the court and healthy, but this season, they will need to get production from some of their other role players if they are going to not only make the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference but if they are going to have any shot at making a deep playoff run.
The Dallas Mavericks were pretty aggressive this offseason as they brought in Josh Richardson to bolster their defense on the wing, trading away sharpshooter Seth Curry in the process, and also signed Trey Burke, Wesley Iwundu and Willie-Cauley Stein in free agency. Rookies Josh Green and Tyrell Terry will also provide some depth in the backcourt and on the wing this year for Dallas.
Last year, when this team was at full strength, they were one of the best scoring teams in the NBA, ranking third in points per game and 2nd in three-pointers made per game, but with the departure of one of the best three-point shooters in the game and with questions regarding Porzingis’ health, can the Dallas Mavericks be a legit threat in the Western Conference?
We will learn early on in the season what the Mavs are about this season and here are 4 of the top questions regarding the Dallas Mavericks entering the 2020-21 NBA season.
