Led by Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks will be looking to continue making strides and become a strong contender in the Western Conference.
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The Dallas Mavericks made it to the Western Conference Finals last season after a long wait of 10 years. Undoubtedly, Luka Doncic was one player that shined the most, but there were several other players from the Mavs who showed up for them last year. Jalen Brunson, who was one of their most reliable scorers left the Mavs in free agency to secure a move to the New York Knicks. The team from Dallas will definitely miss him as not only did he impact the scoring, but he also took some ball-handling load off Luka Doncic.
Despite losing Brunson, the Dallas Mavericks have a lot of positives to look forward to going into the 2022-23 season. They signed a talented big man in Christian Wood to their roster. His ability to exploit the opposition in pick and roll will definitely help boost the Mavs’ offense. Aside from Wood, the team also have a returning player in Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed out most of last season to injury. His brilliance from the three-point range and solid defensive ability will be handy for them. In today’s article, we take a look at the other players from the Dallas Mavericks, who will play a big role for them this season.
Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA. The Slovenian has been able to create a big name for himself in just 4 seasons for the Dallas Mavericks. Last season, the young prodigy averaged 28.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 8.7 APG in 65 appearances. He led the team from the front in the playoffs. With the team going 2-0 down in the series, Luka decided to take things under control. He put up some big performances to help the Mavs grab a 4-3 win in the series. Although he wasn’t able to help them past the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals, fans were once again mesmerised by what they saw from the Slovenian. Going into his fifth NBA season, he will be looking to compete for the MVP trophy. He is certainly a favourite to win the MVP award. However, with all the competition around, the Slovenian will have to be at his best from Day One if he is to win the prestigious trophy.
Christian Wood was one of the biggest moves made by the Dallas Mavericks during the offseason. The big man can stretch the floor to help create offensive fluidity for the team. Playing alongside a ball-dominant guard like Doncic, Wood will have many chances to score as the Slovenian is a fantastic facilitator of the basketball. Wood has been brilliant on the pick and roll and this could be one of the things Jason Kidd will use the most during the season. Although there are doubts about his defensive abilities, Wood’s size allows him to be a natural rim protector. If he is able to perform as per the expectations, the Mavs are going to have a stellar campaign this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie was phenomenal in his first season with the Dallas Mavericks. In his 23 appearances, the guard averaged 15.8 PPG at a stunning field goal percentage of 49.8. He was also useful for them during the playoffs and provided great help for Doncic and the other stars on the team. The franchise will be hoping to see a similar effort from him during the 2022-23 season. He is a trusted scorer and with Jalen Brunson gone, he would be the player, the Mavs will depend on to share the ball-handling responsibilities with Luka Doncic.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is one of the most important players on the Dallas Mavericks team. His ability to shoot the ball has been a big part of the team’s rise to success in recent years. The 30-year-old has improved every year he has been with the Mavs. Having been out for the last few months, Hardaway definitely got enough time to rest and recover from the injury. He will now be hoping to put his best foot forward for the Dallas Mavericks and lead the franchise to yet another deep playoff run.
Dorian Finney-Smith is another player from the Mavs who is going to be key for them next season. The forward is a stellar two-way player, who can be trusted at all times. Last season, he had some big performances in key games for the team. The team knew what he was capable of and offered him a four-year $55 million extension in February. He will be looking to justify the contract by contributing to the Mavs’ success during the season.
