Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have a legit chance at contending in the Western Conference and potentially winning a title because they could very well end up having the league MVP. Not only is Luka Doncic good, but he is a once in a generation type talent who will make the Dallas Mavericks championship contenders for the next couple of decades.
The 21-year old Slovenian is arguably the best player in the league under the age of 24 and took the NBA world by storm last season with his play for the Mavericks. Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and shot 46.3% from the floor, 31.6% from three-point range, solidifying himself as one of the favorites to win the 2020-21 NBA MVP.
With Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis running things for the Dallas Mavericks, this organization has two, unbelievable young talents that they can build around for years to come. They intended to do so this offseason by trading for Josh Richardson on the wing, as well as re-signing Trey Burke, who had a fantastic run after signing a contract to join the Mavs in the NBA bubble since backup point guard, Jalen Brunson, was injured.
All offseason long, the Mavericks were eerily quiet and they are a team to watch moving forward because they are planning something. There has been some chatter amongst league sources that the Mavericks could be planning to pursue another All-Star talent to pair with Doncic and Porzingis and if they do so, the Dallas Mavericks could end up fighting with the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 1 seed in the West at the end of the year.
The one word that comes to mind when thinking about the Mavericks over the course of the 2020-21 NBA season is: Exciting. This team is going to be very exciting to watch, mainly because of how good Luka Doncic is and how good he can still be. There is a reason he is one of the front-runners to win the MVP this upcoming season and he could be one of the main reasons why Dallas hoists a banner over the next few years.
There is no doubt in my mind that Luka Doncic will win an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks and if he keeps playing at the high-level he is playing at and Kristaps Porzingis can stay on the court, then this team has a chance to be special. The Mavericks have the defensive players to game plan against teams, but the biggest question will be their secondary-scoring.
Josh Richardson and Tim Hardaway Jr. are great role players and complementary fits, but neither guy is good enough to step up and be the third great player for a championship contender. If the Mavericks organization is able to trade for an All-Star talent near or at the trade deadline this season, they will solidify themselves as one of the team’s to beat in the West now and for years to come.
In order for the Dallas Mavericks to contend for a championship this year, Luka Doncic will have to continue to elevate his play. If he does so and wins the league MVP award this season, look out for the Mavericks come playoff time.
