Can the Mavs Reach the NBA Finals?
“My main objective is trying to get to the finals.” That’s what Christian Wood of the Dallas Mavericks said in his first on-camera interview during the Mavs Academy Hoop Camp.
Dallas was three wins away from returning to the NBA Finals last season before losing to the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
Two New Bigs to Help Luka
One of the reasons for the defeat, aside from their inability to limit Steph Curry’s impact, was the Mavs’ lack of inside presence. In short, they didn’t have a prominent center who could take advantage of the Warriors smaller lineup.
That problem was seemingly addressed when the Mavs traded for Christian Wood leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft. Then, they added three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee into the mix as well to further bolster their frontcourt. Together, Wood and McGee are a significant upgrade to the Mavs previous lack of presence down low.
Last season, Wood averaged 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for the Houston Rockets. He shot 50% from the field and 36% from beyond the three-point line.
In short, the Mavs are hoping that Wood steps into the role they initially envisioned Kristaps Porzingis holding down for the club. Unfortunately the Doncic-Porzingis experiment didn’t last very long as the Latvian forward couldn’t seem to stay healthy for long enough stretches for them to develop chemistry.
In his final 34 games with the Mavs, Porzingis averaged 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds, but shot poorly from the three-point line (28.3%).
On the other side, McGee put up 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 74 games with the Phoenix Suns during the 2021-2022 season as a bench player. With guards like Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddle now on his side, McGee could see more lobs and easy put backs around the rim.
Can the Mavs Reach the 2023 NBA Finals?
Considering how tough the Western Conference has been during the last few seasons, that’s a difficult question to answer.
However, the Mavs’ new upgrades in Wood and McGee certainly make the team look like a legitimate contender on paper. They already have a solid backcourt led by their superstar in Luka Doncic. Add Wood at the starting center position, and the Mavs have a legitimate threat down low. And, you now have McGee coming off the bench to provide an added spark and veteran presence.
The only concerns are the same questions that surround every team with championship aspirations: Can they stay healthy? And will the new pieces gel with the existing core?
Porzingis only played 34 games due to injuries last season. Doncic missed 17 games last year and the Mavs went 8-9 in those games.
While staying healthy is a must for the Mavs, reaching the finals depends on how the players will work together to achieve that goal. If Coach Jason Kidd can find the right balance early on in terms of player rotations, it would certainly help boost the Mavs’ championship aspirations.
Having the pieces is one thing. Getting them to work together is an entirely different matter.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.