NBA Preview: Doncic is the Catalyst to Mavericks Season

The Mavericks finished last season 43-32 and suffered a first-round exit to the Clippers after six games.

All eyes will be on superstar guard Luka Doncic. The young guard has already shown he is capable of being a top 3 player in the near future after averaging almost a triple-double. His staggering numbers from last season were 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.8 APG on a 46.3 shooting percentage. After only two seasons of play, it’s safe to assume this is not his ceiling. Expect him to reach 30 PPG and average a triple-double for most of the games he plays.

Management must have a great deal of faith in the young tandem of Doncic and power forward Kristaps Porzingis after no major acquisitions in the offseason.

Kristaps Porzingis has shown to be a top 3 big man in the league when healthy. They don’t call the 7’3 power forward the Unicorn for no reason. He can do it all and is a threat from anywhere on the court and nearly averaged a double-double. His only problem comes from his health. He has had a hard time staying healthy for a full season and which will lead to extra losses for the Mavericks. Porzingis averaged 20.4 PPG and 9.5 RPG.

If the Mavericks want to make a splash in the playoffs, Tim Hardaway Jr will have to dig deep. He will need to close in on the 20 PPG mark which is almost a 5 PPG increase from last season. If he can do this, the Mavericks should avoid the first-round exit.

The Mavericks also boasts a pretty reliable bench. Although they do not have any stars that other top tier teams boast on the bench, they all play well together and keep them in the game when Doncic and Porzingis are resting. Perhaps why they didn’t make a splash in the free agency or the trade market.

Some key players off the bench include the likes of Trey Burke, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Jalen Brunson, and Willie Cauley-Stein. When combined, these guys become a threat off the bench and provide minute relief that will keep everyone’s legs fresh down the stretch.

The Mavericks were absolute road warriors last season. Their record on the road was 23-14 as opposed to 20-18 at home. This presents an obvious problem. They need to get better on their own turf.

That being said, lines of +4.0 or more will have value when the Mavericks are on the road, especially against other mid-tier teams.

The best value when betting on the Mavericks will come from prop bets on Luka Doncic. That prop bet is whether or not he gets the triple-double. Against mid-tier and bottom tier teams, this prop will always have value.

When betting on the spread or Moneyline, it is wise to only do so against mid-tier and bottom tier teams. When facing top tier teams, you will have to play it by ear depending on who they play and other variables because they do have that upset ability.

I predict this team will finish 43-39 in the regular season due to strict competition in the west and lack of offseason moves.

Expect the Mavericks to slot into a 7th seed at best and have the possibility of missing the playoffs if Kristaps Porzingis misses a lot of games over health.

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