Even with some inconsistent offense this version of the Mavericks pose a threat to the league.
The Dallas Mavericks were one of the hottest teams in the league over the last two months of last year’s regular season, and took all of that momentum to an NBA Finals path. While most media outlets recognized the dominance of Luka Doncic, many were non-committal on how effective this team would be this season with new pieces like Klay Thompson added to the fold.
But early (very early) returns shows that this version of the Mavericks is still a formidable foe to the rest of the West, and that Thompson and others are quality additions to the roster. For those just tuning in this Power Rankings Watch, a series at Moneyball where we check in with the national outlets to see how they see the Mavericks and where they stack against the rest.
ESPN
Rank: 4
Last week: 6
Klay Thompson continues to be one of the NBA’s premier perimeter shooters after the amicable separation with his Splash Brother, Stephen Curry. Thompson anticipated getting a lot of good looks playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas, and he hasn’t been disappointed during the first week of the season. He shot 45.5% from 3-point range on 11 attempts per game during the Mavs’ 3-1 start, averaging 19.7 points. Thompson has stated his determination “to get rid of that notion that I’m not the same defender as I once was,” and he’s also off to a strong start on that end of the court. The Mavs have a 112.7 defensive efficiency with Thompson on the court this season (101.9 when he is off). — MacMahon
The Athletic
Rank: 3 (Tier 1: Top Contenders)
Last week: 3
The Big Question: Can the late-season defense from 2023-24 carry over for a full year?
Through 62 games last season, the Mavericks were 34-28 and allowing 117.3 points per 100 possessions, ranking 23rd in the NBA. But in the last 20 games, the Mavericks sprinted to a 16-4 finish while allowing a league-low 107.2 points per 100 possessions. Even with widespread personnel changes, Dallas is off to a solid start defensively.
NBA
Rank: 8
Last week: 7
The Mavs were 11-2 last season when Luka Dončić scored at least 40 points. This season, they’re 0-1, because he didn’t get enough help in Phoenix on Saturday.
Three takeaways
Dončić had just 12 assists over the Mavs’ first two games, with seven of them going to Klay Thompson, who, after a rough preseason, shot 11-for-22 from 3-point range. But the Mavs scored just 98 points on 91 possessions (107.7 per 100 – worse than the league average) in 41 total minutes with Dončić, Thompson and Kyrie Irving on the floor together.
Daniel Gafford continues to start at center, but Dereck Lively II has been playing more minutes, and the 20-year old tied a career high with six assists in the Mavs’ win over the Spurs on Thursday. Most of them were simple pass-backs to Dončić, but he also had a nice high-post feed to a cutting Naji Marshall. The Mavs have also used Maxi Kleber and P.J. Washington at the five.
The Mavs don’t move the ball much, which has the benefit of fewer opportunities to commit turnovers. And their 9.4 turnovers per 100 possessions is the league’s lowest rate.
The Mavs’ longest homestand of the season (five games over nine days) begins Thursday with a visit from the Rockets and includes three games against the Eastern Conference. They were just 8-7 at home vs. the East last season.
Bleacher Report
Rank: 5
Last week: 5
The Dallas Mavericks ended the week with a home loss to the Houston Rockets, but being 3-2 with their best player and perennial MVP candidate struggling to warm up is probably a good sign.
Through five games, Luka Dončić is shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from three. His assist average is down a bit, too.
But newcomer Klay Thompson looks plenty comfortable in a streamlined, floor-spacing role alongside Luka and Kyrie Irving.
And once Dončić’s shots start falling, an offense led by that trio should be a nightmare to stop.