The Mavericks had one of the strangest seasons ever last year. They were coming off of an NBA Finals appearance with a bolstered roster, an MVP candidate at the helm, and a Western Conference that was theirs to lose. Riddled with injuries, they hobbled their way to the All-Star break until a shocking (to say the least) trade flipped their franchise on its head, and Luka Doncic was exchanged for Anthony Davis. They missed the playoffs after the injuries kept coming, and Dallas entered one of the more desolate summers I can remember a franchise facing. Until they won the draft lottery, and the franchise was vigorously pushed back on course.
This will be a bizarre year for the Mavericks. There will be a lot of emotion akin to seeing your ex dating a movie star after a sudden and one-sided breakup. Fans are still reeling and continue to figure out how to enjoy basketball when there is such a large hole in their fandom. On the court, the Mavericks have a strangely constructed team, with a lot of forwards and not enough guards. Despite all of the extracurriculars, Dallas thinks they can win now. And if last year is any indication, anything can truly happen.
Dallas Mavericks: Over/Under 41.5 Wins (-102/-120)
Additions: D’Angelo Russell, Cooper Flagg, Ryan Nembhard
Losses: Kyrie Irving (injury)
I am fading my intuition here. Hedging my emotion, if you will. Everything in my analytical basketball brain tells me this team will not be good. They have a point guard shortage, an Anthony Davis problem, and injury concerns that exceed the length of a CVS receipt. Which is exactly why the Mavericks not only will be good, but will dominate the league this year. They will be incredible to spite us. Nico Harrison will look like a visionary as Anthony Davis plays 75 games at an MVP level. He will grab a lot of rebounds after Dallas commits to him at center when the numbers for those lineups are undeniable. Klay Thompson will have a resurgent year, and Dereck Lively will make the jump we expected last season. Of course, this is not entirely a feelings-based take, as the Mavericks’ defense will be elite, and they have the talent to keep up with any team. 42 wins is not high enough to think about the under.
David’s Prediction: Over 41.5 wins (-102)
Whether it happens early or not, there will come a point in this season where Cooper Flagg takes the reins of this offense full-time due to how stagnant they will be. He’s going to have to do a lot of creation due to the Mavericks guard room being so limited, and therefore, I think Flagg will record at least one triple-double. Building off of that, when you entrust a rookie to have primary ball-handling responsibilities, you expect to have growing pains. It’s tough to overcome that and make the playoffs in a loaded West is just a tough ask. Finally, I expect the Warriors to be a more mature team and handle the spotlight that comes with a Christmas Day game. Lay the points in the game of the year market.
Tyler’s Prediction: Under 41.5 wins (-120)