The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs and then last season, they lost to Los Angeles again in the first round of the playoffs.
Not only are the Mavericks looking to avoid the Clippers entirely in the first round of the playoffs this season, but they are looking to finally prove that they are a real threat in the Western Conference.
Luka Doncic is one of the best pure talents in the entire league at only 22-years-old, but who else around him is going to be able to step up and take on a lot of the scoring load?
Tim Hardaway Jr. certainly seems like a guy that can be a primary scoring weapon for this team given his three-point shooting abilities, but Kristaps Porzingis is the guy that needs to step up for this team.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Top Way-Too-Early Breakout Performers Of 2021-22 Season
Since coming to the Mavericks, the former All-Star big man has averaged 20.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and has shot 35.9% from three-point range, but he has been a very inconsistent player for them and tends to disappear in big games.
The 2021-22 season is Porzingis’ third season playing with Dallas and this is going to be a big year for him not only to prove himself to the Mavericks but the rest of the league as well.
There was a lot of trade chatter in the offseason about Dallas possibly looking to move on from Kristaps Porzingis and while they ultimately decided to hold onto him, they could once again look to trade him at the trade deadline if he is not performing to the standard they would like.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Top Way-Too-Early Breakout Performers Of 2021-22 Season
The Houston Rockets are rivals of the Dallas Mavericks, but could they be a team that shows interest in Kristaps Porzingis sometime this season?
It is definitely unlikely that Houston would want to target an injury-prone big man, especially when they have a good thing going already in their rebuilding process, but let’s take a look at a trade scenario put together by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz that sends Porzingis to Houston.
