The Dallas Mavericks have looked like an entirely different team since the trade deadline, as the Mavericks have finally found a defensive identity with the insertion of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford into Dallas’ starting lineup.
The Mavericks only have 11 games remaining this season, an unfortunate happenstance when you take into consideration that the Mavericks are just now starting to establish some continuity within their new rotation.
This begs the question of just how many wins this Mavericks team could’ve gotten if Gafford and Washington had been on the Mavericks since the start of the season, as the Mavericks are likely better than quite a few other teams in the NBA with better records than them because of Dallas’ post-trade deadline improvement.
4 Teams the Dallas Mavericks shouldn’t want to see in the Play-In Tournament
Unfortunately, we’ll never know that alternate reality, as the Mavericks are currently in the midst of a logjam in the Western Conference standings amongst seeds 6-10, as the Mavericks are desperately trying to avoid the Play-In Tournament. The Mavericks still may end up in the Play-In Tournament if their luck doesn’t pan out for them in these last 11 contests, so they’ll need to be weary of the potential opponents that they could face in the Play-In Tournament as we approach the end of the regular season.
With that being said, here are four teams the Dallas Mavericks shouldn’t want to see in the Play-In Tournament.
4. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors may be 5.5 games back from the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference standings and may not have the greatest odds to face off against the Mavericks in a play-in scenario given they are currently the tenth seed, but that shouldn’t mean that the Mavericks should underestimate the Warriors if they play them in the Play-In Tournament.
The Warriors have dealt with a lot of adversity as an organization this season, from on and off the court issues, to the tragic death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Those unfortunate events coupled with injuries keeping certain players in and out of the lineup for Golden State, have led to less-than-ideal basketball being played by the Warriors in the eyes of Golden State head coach Steve Kerr.
However, the Warriors are a top-notch organization that still maintains the core of Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green, so the Mavericks cannot take the Warriors for granted whatsoever should they matchup with them in a play-in game.
The Mavericks can impose their will on Golden State in the paint on offense because of Dallas’ size advantage, but the Warriors quick actions aren’t easy to counter on the other end, especially when you take into consideration the mismatches they could draw against Dallas’ bigs.
The Warriors have a great blend of veterans and versatile young players in their rotation, but they’ve proven more times than not that they simply haven’t played up to the level that Dallas has this season.
Dallas would likely be favorites to beat the Warriors in a play-in game simply because of the record disparity between the two squads, but Stephen Curry could vastly change the trajectory of those odds very quickly in any one-game scenario with his absurd shot-making, so Dallas is better off avoiding the Play-In Tournament in totality if they can.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are in a unique position with their roster given the immense pressure to capitalize upon LeBron James’ remaining time in the league. The Lakers currently stand at 39-32, only three games back from the Mavericks in the standings.
Many talking heads expected the Lakers to be much higher in the Western Conference standings than the ninth seed at this point in the season, as the Lakers drew lofty preseason expectations after a Western Conference Finals run last season. The Mavericks can’t disregard this Lakers team in a potential play-in game though, as the Lakers are playing some of their best basketball of the season recently despite some mid-season turmoil in Los Angeles.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have arguably had their most consistent seasons in Los Angeles since teaming up together, as James is still putting up incredible numbers in his 21st season in the league, and Davis has stayed healthy whilst playing some of the basketball of his career on both ends of the floor.
The difference of recent for Los Angeles has been the level of play from their role players, as the insertion of Rui Hachimura in the Lakers starting lineup (subscription required) has taken their offense to new heights, especially with how scorching hot D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have been from the field recently.
It’s unclear whether the Lakers will get Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent back before the end of the regular season, which haunts this Lakers team from reaching its full potential. However, the Lakers have their star power to win on any given night despite some of their current defensive and lineup limitations. The Mavericks can’t take the Lakers lightly whatsoever in a potential play-in game, even though Dallas likely has the better team surrounding their two co-stars on the other end.
2. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have suffered one of the most disappointing stories of the NBA season after Suns’ governor Matt Ishiba added Bradley Beal to a group that already featured Kevin Durant and Devin Booker last summer. The Suns are currently 42-30, as their big-three have scarcely played on the court together this season due to a myriad of injuries between the three stars.
The Suns have a pretty solid record when you take into account that most of their salary cap is divided amongst their three superstars, as the Suns’ biggest challenge this season has been formulating a blend of defense and perimeter shooting outside of their big-three.
The addition of Royce O’Neale at the trade deadline has given Phoenix a lot more strength on the wing from a defensive standpoint, as the Suns have struggled at defending the point-of-attack all season.
The biggest wild card in any Mavericks-Suns play-in game is without a doubt the performance and availability of the Suns’ big three though. The trio has flashed some insane offensive dynamism but has also put up some terrible duds together, such as was the case with last night’s loss to the Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs.
The Suns’ lack of defense and rim protection is something Dallas can look to exploit in a matchup against the Suns in a potential play-in game, as Dallas’ frontcourt has the potential to dominate against Phoenix’s both defensively and on the glass when you take into consideration that the Mavericks were able to play Jusuf Nurkic off the floor the last time they played against Phoenix.
While Phoenix may be the best matchup for the Mavericks right now, things could change drastically if their big-three decides to kick it into another gear, which they are certainly capable of despite inconsistencies from Bradley Beal all season.
Phoenix’s star power makes them an extremely dangerous opponent for the Mavericks in a win-or-go-home scenario, but there’s still one opponent that Dallas should be even more cautious to avoid having to play against in the Play-In Tournament.
The Suns-Mavs rivalry would surely continue if they play each other, but this would not be an easy game.
1. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are the most formidable foe that the Dallas Mavericks could potentially face in a play-in scenario. The Kings currently have a record of 42-29, as they are neck-and-neck with the Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in the race for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
Whilst the Kings haven’t been as dominant as last year, make no mistake that this team has the potential to cause the Mavericks issues in a win-or-go-home play-in scenario. De’Aaron Fox has been the subject of criticism from many analysts in the national media for his overall efficiency on offense taking a slight dip this year, but the 26-year-old guard is having arguably the best three-point shooting and defensive season of his career still.
When you take into consideration that the Mavericks point-of-attack defense has been spotty this season, the Kings’ elite guard play from Fox and Malik Monk could be troublesome for the Mavericks in a one-game scenario, especially if either of those players get hot from beyond the arc.
The biggest thing that the Mavericks have going for them in a play-in game versus Sacramento would be Dallas’ increased defensive prowess in their frontcourt, as the Mavericks would have a lot more strength and athleticism to throw at Domantas Sabonis compared to the two games that the Mavericks and Kings played earlier this season before the trade deadline.
It was also recently announced that Kevin Huerter will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season with a torn labrum, so the Kings wouldn’t be at full strength in a play-in game versus Dallas.
The Mavericks would still likely project as the favorite in a play-in game versus Sacramento, especially since the Mavericks would arguably have the two best players on the court in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in a matchup versus Sacramento.
The Mavericks and the Kings play two crucial back-to-back games this week, so that should give us a better understanding of how a potential play-in game between the two squads would fare.
For more on the Dallas Mavericks as they approach the playoffs, stay tuned as we’ll have you covered.
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