12-03-2020, 12:37 PM
I think the Mavs will make the playoffs this year, and fairly easily, with or without KP.
But that's as far as I'm willing to stick my neck out. They improved, for sure, but as others have said, so did many other teams. I don't think the Mavs are anywhere close to the level of "contender" for anything but a playoff spot. They MIGHT finish as high as 3rd or 4th, but they also MIGHT finish 7th or 8th and have to deal with the play-in thing.
If they finish in the top 4, I could see them winning a first round matchup, but I don't see any scenario where they go up against either LA team or Denver and advance. Would love to be wrong, but their core is still not totally assembled the way those teams' are, and what is here is still so much less experienced than it needs to be, imo.
We've got to be patient, guys. By this time next year, we'll have a full picture of what (the first version of) Luka's team looks like.
But that's as far as I'm willing to stick my neck out. They improved, for sure, but as others have said, so did many other teams. I don't think the Mavs are anywhere close to the level of "contender" for anything but a playoff spot. They MIGHT finish as high as 3rd or 4th, but they also MIGHT finish 7th or 8th and have to deal with the play-in thing.
If they finish in the top 4, I could see them winning a first round matchup, but I don't see any scenario where they go up against either LA team or Denver and advance. Would love to be wrong, but their core is still not totally assembled the way those teams' are, and what is here is still so much less experienced than it needs to be, imo.
We've got to be patient, guys. By this time next year, we'll have a full picture of what (the first version of) Luka's team looks like.