Dallas Mavericks: What to know before NBA restarts pandemic-shortened season
Luka Doncic has arrived, but will he carry the Mavericks deep into the playoffs?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If there is one sleeper team capable of making a deep playoff run in the Western Conference, it's the Dallas Mavericks.
Luka Doncic has blossomed into one of the best players in the NBA, and if the Mavericks are going to make it interesting in the West, Doncic will need to continue dominating. Before the league came to a halt back in March, the Mavericks superstar averaged a team-high 28.7 points and 8.7 assists, to go along with 9.3 rebounds per game.
Paired with Doncic will be Kristaps Porzingis, who has averages of 19.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. Other players like Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.8 PPG), Seth Curry (12.6 PPG), and Dwight Powell (9.4 PPG) will play vital roles for the Mavericks.
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QUICK LOOK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Division: Southwest Division
Record: 40-27
Coach: Rick Carlisle
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Odds to win 2020 NBA Finals: +5000
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ROSTER
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}J.J. Barea, PG
Trey Burke, PG
Antonius Cleveland, SG
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Seth Curry, SG
Luka Doncic, SG (+2000 to win 2019-20 NBA MVP)
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tim Hardaway Jr., SG
Justin Jackson, SF
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maxi Kleber, PF
Courtney Lee, SG
Boban Marjanovic, C
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kristaps Porzingis, PF
Dwight Powell, C
Josh Reaves, SG
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deion Wright, PG
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WHAT’S NEXT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dallas will take on the Houston Rockets on July 31 at 9 p.m. ET.
The Mavericks' odds to be the eighth seed is set at +50000.
After Dallas has a tough matchup against the Rockets, who currently sit in the sixth spot in the West, the Mavericks will have favorable matchups against the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings, before facing the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Mavericks will wrap up the rest of the regular season with games against the Portland Trail Blazers and Suns. If they happen to stay put in the No. 7 spot, the Mavs will potentially have a must-see showdown with the Clippers in the first round of the postseason.