22 teams will go to Orlando, and only one will remain as champion. After many months with the parking brake on, the NBA engine will start, and the race against time that will start later this month will have different traction speeds. Some teams come with more options to claim the title, and others will not even enter the fight for Larry O’Brien, the most precious treasure for a basketball player. And we, preparing ourselves for what is about to arrive, have decided to make a series of articles on the 10 franchises that can go the most in the return to competition. And today, it is the turn of the Dallas Mavericks, who comes to have fun, and if he can, to give more than a scare to the big favorites.
HOW HAS YOUR REGULAR SEASON BEEN
Always in the fight for the playoffs. Their season has been remarkable, with games where they have shown that this team has a bright immediate future, but that its present should not be lost sight of either, with one of the most recognized and highest quality duos in the entire NBA. They have reached the Orlando bubble as 7th place, with a balance of 40 wins and 27 losses, well above the eighth place and therefore a fixture in the Playoffs this season.
To better appreciate those 67 games they played we have to think about the role of their two stars: Luka Doncic, who in the first months of competition fought for the MVP and K. Porzingis, who in the absence of the Slovenian due to injury took a big step forward in the toughest and most difficult games of his franchise. A team without great reinforcements, but with great chemistry and companionship.
With Doncic at the controls of the ship, Dallas worked very well to have shooters who were unopposedThey won’t stop plugging. Hardaway and Seth Curry, who at various points in the season have doubted whether the team player was his brother. Both have been very regular and constant in the Regular Season, but in the Playoffs they are expected to take a step forward as soon as possible, since they will not have much margin for error.
His coach, Carlisle, has been very clear from the beginning what to play, and it is that if you have Doncic in the team it is easier. The game at the Staples Center against the Angeles Lakers has been one of the most important of the season, as Doncic’s exhibition showed that this team can beat any favorite in the Western Conference or the Eastern Conference. The start of the season was much more complete than the past few months, where various injuries from Doncic and Powell’s serious injury left the franchise naked in several very important aspects of the game. Despite this, they achieved a huge margin with the 8th classified and thus close a season of remarkable high, where in all probability, they were going to face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
In this section there is no doubt. The player who has taken the reins of the Dallas is nothing more and nothing less than Luka Doncic, who will try to continue with the rhyme and the level that allowed him to fight for the MVP until his ankle injury. He arrives in Orlando with extra motivation and with numbers that do not seem at all from a player who is playing his second season in the best league in the world: 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists. On the brink of triple-double and numbers reminiscent of historical players. If he manages to raise his level in the Playoffs, we will be facing a player who has experience and a staff that contributes to other sectors of the track destined to make history.
This season the Slovenian has contested the All-Stars as a starter for Team LeBron, not bad for less than 2 seasons in the NBA. He has also smashed several records and has shown that he has no “respect” for the best players in the league. The great example of the above argument is the triple in the face of LeBron and look at a Staples who could not believe what the Slovenian was doing on the court of the best team in the Western Conference.
Despite establishing himself as one of the best players of the season, the ’77’ is not alone. He has by his side as a great partner Porzingis, who if he maintains the level with which he reached the break, Dallas has a lot to say in the bubble. Two players who understand each other without speaking, just a glance is enough to know where to put the ball to the Latvian or the new trick that Doncic is going to invent. In addition, one of the strengths of these Mavs is their ease of finding the released shooter, since much of the squad has a very good hand.
HOW LOW WILL THEY BE IN ORLANDO
The Texas franchise has come to Orlando with several significant losses, especially at the center position. Very sensitive losses for a very limited team in terms of staff. The injuries confirmed before the bubble were those of Powell (a serious injury) and Brunson (shoulder operation). Both players that Carlisle used in the usual way. The center was a great ally of Doncic, who sees how he loses life insurance in the area and a great intimidator for his powerful jump.
To the two mentioned, two other players joined who will not be in Orlando for different reasons. Veteran shooting guard Courtney Lee is left out of the season finale due to injury, while the center and last reinforcement of the team Willie Cauley-Stein decided not to travel since he will be a father in July. We will see how the coach adapts to a truly short squad.
EDITOR’S PERSONAL FORECAST
A very strange championship final awaits us, but just as valid. I am not going to lie, Dallas is not among the favorites to win goldBut, everything can happen after 3 months of inactivity. How Doncic will work under pressure is very important to know the options of these Dallas, who know that the Clippers, Top 3 favorites to win the competition, will surely be measured. A team that the Slovenian is not particularly good at, and who will have a chance to redeem himself.
If the franchise plays launched and as its fans are used to, we can be facing one of the great surprises without a doubt. The casualties are significant, but the hard core, except for Powell, remains intact. In my opinion, if Dallas can hurt the favorites, Orlando is the perfect time to do it. They are going to need one of their great allies, triple. In the first game of preparation against Lakers they already put on record what they are capable of beyond 6.75. The Dallas have earned the right to dream, and it’s not for nothing, Luka Doncic is a lot Luka Doncic. Season 2010/2011 2.0?
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