At the trade deadline the Dallas Mavericks ended the Kristaps Prozingis marriage and split up the duo they hoped would lead them to a championship by sending him to the Washington Wizards for Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie. He has not played well since being acquired at the 2019 trade deadline from the New York Knicks, in part due to a torn ACL he suffered in 2018, so Dallas cut bait. They are left with Luka Doncic and a whole lot of role players who fit with him, the question is how far can Luka take them?
Let’s start by talking about how great of a player Doncic is. In 246 career games, Doncic has averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.8 assists on shooting splits .45/.33/.74, he has been a dominant player ever since he entered the league in 2018. Dallas knows they need to win with Doncic, it is the reason they acquired Porzingis, it is the reason that they have made a lot of the moves they have over the past few seasons. This year Doncic has been just as great, averaging 27.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, he has been playing even better as of late averaging 29 points per game in 25 games since the turn of the calendar to 2022. He has taken his game to another level in the postseason as well, averaging 33.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists on shooting splits of .49/.39./.60 in 13 career playoff games. Over their last 11 games, Dallas is 9-2, including a 19 point 4th quarter comeback against the Warriors last Sunday. The role players have also been playing outstanding basketball as of late.
Spencer Dinwiddie has been outstanding since coming over from the Wizards. He is shooting 59% from the field and 45% from 3 in 6 games since the trade, after shooting 38% and 31% in 44 games with the Wizards. He has been on the court helping Dallas close out the 2nd seeded Golden State Warriors twice this week and has been a seamless fit in Dallas. Davis Bertans has not improved like Dinwiddie, though the sample size is small, but just shooting 32% from 3 is not good enough, especially when your nickname is the ‘Latvian Laser.’ They recently signed Dorian Finney-Smith to a contract extension, Finney-Smith is a perfect 3 and D fit next to Doncic. Reggie Bullock is a player Dallas signed as a free agent this summer, and he too has been a good fit as he also is a 3 and D player. Both players are shooting above 36% from 3 on the season. Jalen Brunson is awesome, a 2nd round pick in 2018, Brunson has gotten better every season since being drafted out of Villanova. This season the 6 foot 1 guard has averaged 16.0 points and 5.3 assists per game on shooting splits of .50/.38/.81 and is lining up a big pay day this summer when he hits free agency. Tim Hardaway Jr., has not played in a game since January 25th due to a foot injury but he will provide shooting when he returns to the court. The center rotation is good with Dwight Powell starting most games and Maxi Kleber, Boban Marjanovic, and Marquese Chriss as the backup options. It is a good roster that is coached very well.
I have been a Jason Kidd critic. It did not go well when he coached the Nets or Bucks and I was skeptical but he has been really good since being hired as the Mavericks coach. Dallas was a bad defense in 2021, finishing 21st. That has flipped this year as they are top 5 in the NBA, they have a defensive rating of 107.6 and have competed at a much better level this season. They are an elite defensive team, a really good offensive team, even if the advanced data says otherwise and are a legit threat in the West. Right now their first round matchup would be against the Utah Jazz, and things can change, but I think I would pick Dallas to win that series. They would give Utah fits offensively and defensively. Utah is a team that takes a lot of threes, as they are 2nd in the NBA in 3 point attempts per game and 5th in 3 point percentage for the season, so Dallas would need to make sure they challenged 3 pointers without fouling well. I just think that Dallas is good enough roster wise to match up with the Jazz and Luka is good enough to push them over the top. Their 2nd round matchup would likely be against the Suns and the Conference Finals against (likely) the Warriors or Grizzlies. I am not sure I would pick Dallas in any of those scenarios, but they are absolutely good enough to win them. This roster is very well rounded with ball handlers, shooters, and bigs around Luka, and Luka is that good.
There are certain guys who have that ‘it’ factor, Luka Doncic has it. He has been awesome over the past few seasons and is looking as good as he has during his entire career in the present moment. They have the shooting, the ability to survive the Doncic rest minutes in the playoffs, and the defense to make a real run in the Western Conference. Now I could be wrong and they could falter in the first round but I really believe that Dallas can make a real postseason run.
Comments