The start of the last season wasn’t great for Dallas. Luka Doncic looked to be out of shape, the team couldn’t hit a three pointer and their offense was only average after being a top 10 unit in the previous two seasons. Due to all these factors, at the end of 2021, Dallas had a subpar record of 16-18.
The surprisingly positive news was that their defense was good. They had the #8 best defense in the league and managed to shut down Phoenix’s offense (86 and 90 points) in the last two games of their playoff series.
Once Doncic looked like a legit MVP contender again and the team started consistently hitting their good looks on the perimeter, the Mavs turned into a very good squad. They upset Utah in the first round of the playoffs even though Doncic missed some games, while after losing the first two games of the series against Phoenix, Dallas bounced back and upset the Suns with a shocking 33-points win on the road in G7.
2022/23 Outlook:
Luka Doncic is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA MVP award this season and that could indeed become reality if he plays at the same level that he played in last year’s second half of the season. Dallas lost Jalen Brunson to the Knicks in free agency but they really didn’t sign anyone to replace him in the backcourt.
The Mavs will however have Tim Hardaway Jr back from the injury he suffered in February. The difference between Brunson and Hardaway Jr is clear as while THJ is a spot up shooter, Brunson was an all around player who scored effectively near the basket. Spencer Dinwiddie should however give the team a solid ball handler coming off the bench.
Dallas’ biggest offseason signing was getting Christian Wood from the Rockets. He is a versatile frontcourt player on offense with a good post up game and decent outside shooting as well (high 30’s on 3pts% over the last three seasons), something that will be key for a Mavs team who likes to put 5 shooters together on the court. He is however a subpar defender at the Center position, so it’s going to be interesting to see how Jason Kidd will use him through the season.
Dallas finished last season being a top 10 unit in both offense and defense. They should achieve that again this season as long as Doncic has another MVP level year and Kidd finds the right balance on defense for his frontcourt unit.