Reinforced and Ready: Mavericks Eye Championship After Busy Offseason

With key additions and an eye on the championship, the Mavericks are poised to build on last season’s Finals run. Can they go all the way?

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2024-25 NBA season with renewed optimism and a clear sense of purpose. After an eventful offseason and a remarkable run to the NBA Finals last year, the team is poised to take the next step in their quest for a championship. With Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading the charge and a series of key additions to bolster the roster, the Mavs aim not just to replicate their success but instead be the ones hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The offseason was quiet for Dallas, despite reaching the Finals for the first time as an organization since Dirk Nowitzki guided them to their first and only championship in 2011 against the Miami Heat. The front office made significant moves, bringing in Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Spencer Dinwiddie, each adding a unique dimension to the team. If all goes according to plan, these acquisitions are designed to complement the Mavericks’ existing core, enhance their versatility, and provide the depth needed to navigate the adversity that comes with the marathon of the NBA season and the sprint of the postseason.

As media day and training camp approach, the Mavericks are in a strong position to build on their 50-32 regular season record from last year. The team’s journey to the Finals was a testament to their patience after landing in the NBA Draft lottery the previous season before emerging as one of the league’s top teams. Dallas is ready to embark on another deep playoff run with the additions made in the offseason and the lessons learned from their Finals experience.

But with great potential comes great expectations. The Mavericks are no longer the underdogs; they are a team with a target on their back, facing a highly competitive Western Conference where every game counts. The upcoming season will test their mettle, chemistry, and ability to focus on the ultimate goal: bringing an NBA championship back to Dallas.

Here are some thoughts about the Mavericks’ roster before training camp gets underway:

What’s the next step in the evolution of the Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving backcourt?

The situation is entirely different for Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving entering training camp this time. Let’s reflect on the themes entering training camp last fall. After a 5-11 record in 16 games played to end the 2022-23 season with a trip to the lottery, many questioned the viability of this pairing. If it wasn’t obvious enough that patience was needed, it should be abundantly clear to observers that this pairing works. Throughout last season, we often heard about how the 12-day international preseason—featuring stops in Abu Dhabi and Madrid—helped build a bond while emphasizing the importance of patience with chemistry. Now, they’ve had a full regular season together and a run that featured ups and downs en route to the Finals. The history shared between these two superstars is an evident strength that actually raises intriguing questions about further potential.

While a championship wasn’t the result, the run shouldn’t be overlooked. Despite being the fifth seed without a home-court advantage and facing three teams with 50 or more wins in the regular season, the Mavericks broke through the Western Conference. Along the way, Dončić and Irving logged 766 minutes together and guided Dallas to an output of 117.3 points per 100 possessions with an 8.3 net rating. These two have racked up roughly 3,345 minutes together since Irving was traded to Dallas in February 2022, including the regular season and postseason.

Entering last season, Dončić and the whole team committed to preparedness to play faster after routinely ranking near the bottom in pace among the rest of the league. He was more aggressive, attacking on the break and using throw-ahead passes. He also tightened his catch-and-shoot jumper to be a complementary fit when playing without the basketball. Additionally, he showed the ability to lock in defensively when the opposition aggressively hunted him by frequently putting him into actions.

Some nuances include the team's expanded offensive options in the half-court. They’ve already gained so many reps playing next to each other, whether out of Horns sets, double drag, or simply spacing the floor for one another out of high pick-and-roll or isolation. There will be even more options with Klay Thompson in the mix and multiple ball handlers in the rotation. Having another training camp coming off a Finals run will only help heighten that connection. This benefit was greatly evidenced last season in clutch situations. Both players needed time to get comfortable closing out games alongside each other. The two-man game late in halves was much better and put defenses into challenging predicaments, with two of the best scoring talents in basketball working off each other.

The longer Dončić and Irving play alongside each other, the more they will naturally maximize their impact and optimize their approach. With such an established familiarity, their next step will be fascinating to monitor.

Klay Thompson adds an intriguing dynamic: How will he be utilized?

While it often came with a concession of defensive impact, the Mavericks tend to produce lethal offensive results when Luka Dončić is surrounded by high-level shooting. It’s easy to understand why the front office was so eager to pursue Klay Thompson when the opportunity presented itself this summer.

When Tim Hardaway Jr.’s game clicked offensively, he overcame his defensive shortcomings, making him a legitimate swing piece for the Mavericks. It’s not a perfect measure by any means, but Dallas did go 34-15 when Hardaway made at least multiple three-pointers alongside Dončić last season. It improved to an even better 25-9 record in 34 games when Hardaway made at least three shots from beyond the arc with his Slovenian superstar teammate on the floor.

Early in the season, Hardaway appeared like a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, a goal head coach Jason Kidd publicly laid out for him in an interview with Marc Stein on 97.1 The Freak before training camp began. There was a point when Hardaway was struggling after the All-Star break that Kidd reaffirmed Hardaway’s importance to the team, saying he was necessary for the Mavericks to win a championship.

While Hardaway was traded to the Detroit Pistons in a salary cap maneuvering deal that netted Quentin Grimes, the general premise of the value a sharpshooter brings to a team with Dončić remains evident. It’s even further evidenced by how limiting it was to have multiple relatively underwhelming perimeter shooters on the floor simultaneously against the Celtics’ defense in the Finals.

That’s where Klay Thompson comes in.

While Thompson fell out of favor in Golden State’s starting lineup toward the end of the season, he finished off averaging 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He shot 43.2% from the floor while converting at a 38.7% clip from deep on 9.0 three-point attempts per game. Additionally, he made multiple three-pointers in 64 of his performances and had three or more in 51 outings.

The Mavericks often utilized Hardaway as a screener to open up the lane, whether he served as one of the screeners in double drag, set the pindown in Zoom action, back-screened or slipped in Stack pick-and-roll, or curled off a wide pindown, among many overall approaches. Indeed, those will similarly serve as the foundation of how Thompson will be deployed, but he’s undoubtedly capable of more while commanding tremendous respect in each of these sequences. While he’s not necessarily someone to frequently rely on as an isolation scorer, Thompson certainly can make a play attacking downhill or in the gap in a more capable fashion operating out of a simple pick-and-roll or when countering aggressive defense in an off-ball action compared to what Hardaway had displayed during his tenure.

There are plenty of ways Thompson, who led the NBA in points scored in off-screen actions last season, can naturally enhance how the Mavericks operate within the floor. Whether Dallas begins leveraging more corner pin-in screens, middle pindowns, double-wide pindowns, or flare screens, to name a few, it applies a lot of pressure on the defense to make split-second decisions. Those would not hold nearly as much weight if the focus weren’t on a shooter like Thompson or even Washington or Marshall involved.

Dereck Lively II’s continued development could bring a boost

It didn’t take long for Dereck Lively II to emerge as an essential contributor despite being only 19 years old in the initial months of his rookie campaign. Luka Dončić quickly began describing his rookie center as resembling a 10-year NBA veteran on the court through his “amazing” impact.

Now that Lively will have experienced an entire NBA season and a Finals run, what will his impact look like at the start of the upcoming campaign?

Dereck Lively II surpassed all expectations for a center prospect whom many evaluators initially considered raw, averaging 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 23.5 minutes per game. He quickly emerged as an influential factor in elevating the team, thanks to his rim protection, growing defensive versatility in guarding space, decision-making in the short roll, and his presence as a vertical rim threat. Despite making his postseason debut after returning from injury, Lively settled into the series seamlessly and never looked back. During his 462 postseason minutes, the Mavericks achieved a 114.5 offensive rating and a 105.4 defensive rating, resulting in a team-best 9.1 net rating. Lively joined Dončić and Irving as the only players on the team who produced a negative off-court net rating. Daniel Gafford did not register nearly the same impact in a starting role. If Lively continues to develop and emerges as the clear-cut starting center, it would significantly benefit the Mavericks.

The value of Lively picking up where he left off to end his rookie campaign coming into his sophomore campaign is something to consider. It wasn’t until later in the season that the Mavericks became more willing to diversify defensive coverages with Lively as the primary big defender. The team had often stayed in drop coverage to a degree that it became predictable, which is understandable with a young center. After being relied on to switch more in the postseason, he will be capable of much more from the jump than he was while learning the NBA. The more reps he gets in the league, the easier it is for Lively to make quicker decisions and build on the team’s approach.

Lively had already shown steady progression as his rookie season unfolded. He worked diligently to improve his finishing with both hands, focused on exploiting mismatches with a quick approach, and reminded everyone of his shooting potential by making his first NBA three-pointer in the Finals. With his work ethic, intelligence, and talent, I've learned from covering him since Summer League last year that it's wise never to bet against Lively. Will we see him step and shoot more from the perimeter? Could his usage as a dribble handoff hub be expanded? Will he be leveraged more to hunt cross-matches? All of these are important to watch.

Remember that he had an entire summer without the time-consuming process of being drafted and moving to a new city; he’s been in a familiar gym all summer, already knowing what team he’s playing for and what’s expected of him.

The Mavericks enter the season with much-improved depth at the center position. Before the addition of Daniel Gafford, the absence of a secondary rim protector on the roster meant that any game missed due to injury starkly highlighted the team’s lack of depth, exacerbating their issues with being undersized on the perimeter. In addition to Dereck Lively II’s impressive early contributions, the Mavericks were often forced to rely on Dwight Powell for significant minutes. They even had to slide Grant Williams into a small-ball center role when Maxi Kleber was unavailable. This approach proved far from ideal, significantly straining the defense. Now, with better depth and more options, the Mavericks have the potential to maintain 48 minutes of rim protection, utilizing a variety of lineup styles.

If Lively takes another leap in his development, he could position the Mavericks into exceptional territory. A rim protector who can set the tone on one end while being a threatening lane presence on the other goes a long way next to brilliant offensive talents such as Dončić, Irving, and Thompson.

Who will step into critical on-ball defensive roles?

After playing an essential role in the Mavericks’ success as the team’s top on-ball defender, often guarding the most challenging matchups, Derrick Jones Jr. is now entering the season with the LA Clippers. His defensive impact was significant, and he earned a spot as a full-time starter on the Mavericks. With his departure, there are questions about how Dallas will replace his defensive presence on the wing.

Klay Thompson brings a lot to the table. He’s one of the greatest shooters of all time, making it significantly more challenging to handle defending a team led by Dončić and Irving. All factors must be considered, including where he’s defensively at this stage.

While Thompson isn’t as quick as Jones, he can still hold his own in space. He is another wing with length who competes when guarding in space. However, at this stage of his career, many wing players who used to take on the top assignment nightly tend to be placed on weaker matchups to reduce workload. However, is that necessary with Dončić and Irving also in the lineup?

Another consideration is the value of having P.J. Washington guarding bigger wings, considering his frame and near 7-foot-3 wingspan. He can absorb contact while being able to recover and contest against many assignments. If he were to shift into Jones’ role of guarding the shiftier perimeter players, would Thompson take on those wings? Regardless, the opposition will likely prioritize attacking either Dončić or Irving by putting them into actions. The group will surely need to be prepared to switch and hold their own through the ups and downs of a season.

Perhaps another way of looking at it: Will Thompson’s offensive firepower, now added to the mix, allow Dončić or Irving to conserve more energy for the defensive end during the regular season since there’s another reliable option to run the offense through, thus reducing their workload to some degree? If so, that could result in a more well-rounded outcome for the team.

Those are all critical questions to consider, especially given that the Mavericks struggled defensively until midseason trades brought more depth with the additions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. Before the All-Star break, the team ranked 19th in defensive rating (116.2), but after these additions, they improved to 10th (111.6) as they closed out the regular season—until they rested key players for the final two games. The critical factors moving forward appear to be rim protection, overall depth, and having at least passable defensive options on the perimeter to support their superstar talents.

The Mavericks have at least a few impactful options in Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Dante Exum. All three bring perimeter size and an apparent ability to defend with physicality, even picking up opponents full-court. While head coach Jason Kidd has often utilized small-ball lineups, it remains to be seen which wing players he will trust to fill those roles for extended stretches, especially if P.J. Washington is not on the floor playing the four.

Dončić has shown to be an impressive post-defender, whether playing for the Mavericks or Slovenia. If the coaching staff is willing, he could be an intriguing candidate to guard up a position by embracing switching. He enjoys pulling the chair against post-up threats and can use his size to contain drives against bigger wings. The main concern there is overburdening him physically and foul trouble.

How will P.J. Washington handle becoming the “weak” shooter?

The way opposing teams must gameplan before facing the Mavericks’ offense has changed with Klay Thompson on the wing. Aside from the uniquely equipped Boston Celtics, the Mavericks’ postseason opponents were often content with disrespecting Derrick Jones Jr. and P.J. Washington as shooters and living with the results if they managed to convert. The thought of either Luka Dončić or Kyrie Irving having a clean lane to attack and enough room to operate in pick-and-roll with lob threats comfortably wasn’t acceptable to live with.

By swapping out Derrick Jones Jr. for Klay Thompson, the opposition has fewer options to sag off or pre-rotate against, narrowing their focus primarily to P.J. Washington. During his 29 regular season games with the Mavericks after being traded, Washington shot 31.4% from beyond the arc, but he improved that to 34.8% on 6.1 attempts per game in the postseason. With a clear understanding of how vital catch-and-shoot jumpers are to his role, it will be interesting to see how Washington’s shooting develops after having an entire offseason at his disposal to work on his shot.

One of the benefits of P.J. Washington being identified as the weakest link is the threat he poses to attack defenders that the opposition tries to hide. This was particularly evident against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he was featured early in the post, taking advantage of being guarded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There are plenty of options to do this. It’ll be up to the coaching staff to get creative.

In this role, Washington would naturally become an even more logical option to deploy as a frequent screener for someone like Dončić or Irving to leverage to hunt mismatches on switches. This will require him to be a consistent option on pick-and-pop jump shots and be a substantial threat as a short roller. Jones could leverage his athleticism well in this situation by quickly attacking downhill. Washington can play off two feet in the paint for his right-hand floater, but he has to knock down open shots. If he can consistently convert from deep as he did early in his NBA career, it would make the Mavericks a truly daunting team to contain, with shooters all across the perimeter surrounding elite creators and an explosive lob threat.

Another area that anyone playing the four has to be ready to do is to attack cross-matches aggressively. There were too many instances last season, particularly in the Finals, when the opposition was comfortable hiding the center on a wing like Jones while pre-rotating in help defense to pack the paint. The weakest link to do so will be Washington, who has to put his scoring ability to use to punish this in a more capable way than Jones proved to do. The same can be said about Naji Marshall. If this coverage can be ripped to shreds, it could maintain more possessions attacking pick-and-roll coverages instead of having to break down switches, or the Mavericks will at least be more capable of countering it when deployed.

One scenario that intrigues me is the potential of the Mavericks’ offense when alternative ball handlers bring the ball up the floor to initiate the offense. Jones and Washington did this at times last season. Still, with the addition of a shooter like Klay Thompson alongside Dončić and Irving, there are numerous creative ways to leverage their gravity and talent in early offensive sets.

Whether Washington, Marshall, Dinwiddie, or Exum handles the ball off the bench on a given play, this presents intriguing possibilities. This approach could even allow Washington to emulate Draymond Green’s role in Golden State in certain situations, serving as a dribble handoff big.

Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes bring intriguing versatility

The Mavericks' blockbuster move was the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade, but Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes shouldn’t be overlooked on the wing. Both players have attributes that could be enhanced by playing in Dallas.

Marshall was swiftly brought into the mix after Jones committed to sign with the Clippers following Paul George’s departure to the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s easy to see why he was an appealing option for the Mavericks. Nicknamed “The Knife,” Marshall brings an edge to any defense with his physical on-ball defense, whether checking a shifty guard or containing a wing. He’s a clear option to replace Derrick Jones Jr. defensively, but with more physicality than lateral quickness.

A versatile player, Naji Marshall’s offensive strength shines when attacking in advantageous situations. In early offense or when facing a defense that’s out of position, he capitalizes on late rotations and slower opponents with his fearless mindset, aggressively attacking downhill while utilizing his passing abilities.

This playmaking ability is crucial in connecting the Mavericks' superstars. Marshall moves the ball quickly around the perimeter and urgently pushes the pace in transition. He's an effective secondary playmaker in the halfcourt, executing simple pick-and-rolls and delivering drop-off passes on drives. These are all valuable attributes to have next to the reigning most blitzed player in the NBA, Luka Dončić. Marshall is a more capable creator than Jones when comparing their skill sets. When filling a bench role, this could be an intriguing complement next to Irving and Dinwiddie throughout a game, especially with a second unit that’ll likely embrace playing uptempo again.

The primary concern with Naji Marshall is his inconsistent jump shot from a season-by-season perspective on limited volume. While he showed improvement last season, shooting 38.7% from three-point range in 66 regular season games, his career percentage before that was just 28.6% on 406 attempts. If he can consistently hit catch-and-shoot jumpers as a floor spacer, it would significantly raise his ceiling with the Mavericks, especially given his other strengths, particularly as an on-ball defender. However, his skill set may be better suited for a bench role without that consistency.

The goal for Quentin Grimes is to replicate the impact that Josh Green provided off the bench by serving as a reliable shooter who can also competitively guard opponents. If the Mavericks can get even more from Grimes, it would be a significant win, especially considering he was acquired as part of a salary dump deal in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr.

On the other hand, Grimes presents another intriguing option but struggled with injuries before ultimately being traded from the New York Knicks to the Detroit Pistons. Between a wrist injury early last season followed by a bone bruise, he never found his rhythm and landed on a Pistons team at the trade deadline that wasn’t motivated to win down the stretch.

The best season of Grimes’ career was 2022-23, when he averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29.9 minutes per game. As the roster improved, he saw a sharp decline in playing time the following season with the Knicks before being traded before last year’s midseason deadline. At his best, he was a spot-up heavy player who could shoot on the move out of handoffs and off-ball screening actions while being efficient and calculated in his paint attacks. Regardless, he projects as a limited shot creator off the dribble and playmaker.

Can Spencer Dinwiddie rekindle past Dallas success?

Late in the summer, Spencer Dinwiddie’s options seemed to narrow down to signing with either the Mavericks or the Los Angeles Lakers—similar to where he was at after being waived by the Brooklyn Nets in February. As a Los Angeles native, he gave the Lakers a try to finish the 2023-24 season but ultimately exited for the Mavs.

Dinwiddie had a successful tenure with the Mavericks, involving averages of 16.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 94 games, including the regular season and postseason. He was necessary as a sixth man behind Dončić and Jalen Brunson before ultimately stepping into a more significant role to fill the void Brunson left behind and being included in the Irving trade. Dinwiddie’s best basketball has occurred while wearing a Mavericks uniform, particularly regarding efficiency. In his performances with Dallas, he shot 45.8% from the floor and 40.7% from deep on 5.8 attempts per game. Can he pick up where he left off, as he aims to rebuild the value of a veteran’s minimum contract?

Many will focus on the NBA Finals and evaluate what could have been changed for the Mavericks to potentially defeat the Boston Celtics. However, the 82-game marathon, known as the regular season, holds significant importance. Dinwiddie being back in the fold can help in this regard.

While Irving closed out the season, playing an impressive 26 consecutive games before the Mavericks rested key players with the fifth seed clinched, he had numerous lengthy absences last season due to injuries. The first instance occurred on Dec. 8 when Irving missed a layup and was on the floor, putting him in a vulnerable position as Dwight Powell pursued an offensive rebound. Powell landed on Irving, causing him to be sidelined until New Year’s Day, marking a 12-game injury absence.

Not having a player like Irving available hurts a lot on the surface. He’s a supremely talented offensive player and leader on the court. There’s far more to consider regarding the trickle effect caused by not having someone counted on to play 35.0 minutes per game as he did in his 58 performances last season.

Dante Exum stepped up significantly in Irving’s 12-game absence, averaging 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 11 outings. After helping keep the Mavericks afloat with a 6-5 record while displaying an intriguing combination of initiating, playmaking, lane penetration, and on-ball defense, he was being talked about at the time as having emerged as a possible starter even upon Irving’s return. However, averaging 29.7 minutes per game during this span took its toll on Exum, causing him to begin a lengthy absence caused by knee bursitis.

Luka Dončić shoulders such a significant burden, leading the Mavericks under normal circumstances. When Irving went down, it caused him to take on even more responsibility. In the 10 games he played without Irving available in December, Dončić averaged 38.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in 39.4 minutes per game. These lengthy stretches can ultimately haunt a superstar in a season involving a deep postseason run when injuries pile up.

When the Mavericks made their first run to the Western Conference Finals in the Dončić era, Dinwiddie’s presence in the bench unit as a third threat capable of attacking in isolation or pick-and-roll while remaining capable in spot-up situations was a helpful formula. Whether Dončić or Brunson was sidelined, Dinwiddie often stepped up to fill the void. While Exum admirably filled in for Irving last season in the previously mentioned stretch of the season, he brings a different skill set than Dinwiddie—still leaving the need to have that extra scoring threat to take on a more significant role when the situation requires.

Even when the Mavericks were healthy last season, there wasn’t a third reliable pick-and-roll or isolation threat capable of consistently scoring and making plays for teammates. While Exum or Jaden Hardy was helpful in some areas, Dinwiddie brings a necessary sense of clarity. Hardy, who was in and out of the rotation throughout the year, totaled the most pick-and-roll and isolation possessions outside of Dončić and Irving, with Tim Hardaway Jr. ranking behind him in each category.

Hardy’s role becomes more complicated with Dinwiddie’s return to Dallas. Entering his third season, he will still have to compete for playing time, and it’ll not be easy to do so behind a superstar backcourt and a depth chart that includes Dinwiddie and Exum. For the team, that’s a good problem. However, perhaps Hardy’s long-term future is something to monitor if he doesn’t establish a clear role.

Expectations will be high as Mavericks become targets

Arguably, the most challenging part about achieving a deep playoff run is to do it again the following season. There is a target on the team's back. Sometimes, complacency can become a factor. However, a significant role tends to involve players finding big contracts from other teams. The Mavericks did not lose a star player this time as they did with Brunson’s departure to the Knicks the last time they had won multiple playoff series in their Western Conference Finals run in 2022.

Many oddsmakers have the Mavericks winning at least 50 games, which certainly appears to be a fair projection. Doing so would be the first time the organization would have produced consecutive 50-win seasons since the buildup to the title season at the end of an 11-year run of meeting this mark. Nothing will come easy in the loaded Western Conference, with plenty of young teams continuing to improve and familiar foes like the Memphis Grizzlies entering the year with a clean slate and a healthy Ja Morant to lead the way.

It’s easy to say a team got better or worse in August before the games are played, but the Mavericks seem to have improved. A lot of good fortune is required to break through to the Finals since any team can fall victim to untimely injuries or a poor shooting stretch, but Dallas is in a great spot.

The 2024-25 NBA season is critical for the Mavericks to prove that last year’s Finals run wasn’t the peak of this era and establish themselves as perennial contenders. The pieces are in place; now it’s time to see if they can put it all together and bring another championship to Dallas.

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