Last season was a disaster for the Dallas Mavericks, as they failed to reach the Play-In Tournament despite trading for Kyrie Irving in February.
But this season, at least so far, has gone better for them, and they may be surging a bit of late.
They have won five of their last six games, including a big win on Sunday over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets when Irving made a left-handed hook shot at the buzzer to win the game.
Nick Wright said on FS1’s “First Things First” that the Mavs are rising in his mind over some other Western Conference playoff contenders and that no one would want to see them in the playoffs if they’re healthy.
“With Luka’s playoff reputation and Kyrie right now looking like, fingers crossed, he’ll be healthy for the postseason, they’re a team people don’t want to see,” Wright said.
Are the Mavs legit contenders?
“With Luka’s playoff reputation & Kyrie right now looking like, fingers crossed, he’ll be healthy for the postseason, they’re a team people don’t want to see.” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/wD1IsvYTBY
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 18, 2024
On the surface, Dallas doesn’t seem to have any shot at reaching the NBA Finals — they have a solid but not great 39-29 record and are in seventh place in the Western Conference.
But in Irving and Luka Doncic, they have one of the game’s best star duos, and both stars are deadly in crunch time.
One area in which Dallas has improved this year is offense, as they’re playing at a much faster pace and are sixth in points per game, as opposed to 16th last season.
Their defense is still a sore spot, and they do not have a legitimate third scorer, but the playoffs are all about star power, especially when it comes to stars who shine under pressure.
In that regard, the Mavs should be dangerous in the playoffs, should they make it there.
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Wizards Rookie To Miss Remainder Of NBA Season
