The Dallas Mavericks playoff hopes are possible but not likely

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping for a playoff push this season and the moves they made this summer are definitely going to contribute to that. Will the new guys be enough to push them over the top in the stacked Western Conference, though?

Let me start this post by making it clear that I believe the Dallas Mavericks made all the right moves this summer. They added an elite playmaker in Luka Doncic. They got a rim-running center in DeAndre Jordan. They brought back Dirk. And they added some shooting help in Ryan Broekhoff.

They also made some great under-the-radar moves such as adding Jalen Brunson and Ray Spalding in the draft, as well as bringing back Yogi Ferrell and Johnathan Motley. These guys aren’t going to make a game-changing impact, but they will be solid role players once again.

With that said, the 15-man roster, along with the two-way contract players, is starting to take shape and the team looks ready to compete. However, can they compete with some of the other teams in the West? Let’s take a look at some of the major roster moves for each of the Western Conference teams so far this summer.

Houston Rockets

Lost: Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute

Gained: Maybe Carmelo Anthony, Michael Carter-Williams

Golden State Warriors

Lost: Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee

Gained: DeMarcus Cousins

Portland Trail Blazers

Lost: Ed Davis, Shabazz Napi

Gained: Seth Curry, Nik Stauskas

Oklahoma City Thunder

Lost: Carmelo Anthony

Gained: Nerlens Noel,

Utah Jazz

Lost: Jonas Jerebko

Gained: Georges Niang

New Orleans Pelicans

Lost: DeMarcus Cousins

Gained: Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton

San Antonio Spurs

Lost: Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Anderson, Danny Green, Tony Parker

Gained: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Marco Belinelli

Minnesota Timberwolves

Lost: Nemanja Bjelica

Gained: Derrick Rose

Denver Nuggets

Lost: Wilson Chandler

Gained: Isaiah Thomas

Los Angeles Clippers

Lost: DeAndre Jordan

Gained: Luc Mbah a Moute, Mike Scott

Los Angeles Lakers

Lost: Brook Lopez

Gained: LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee

Sacramento Kings

Lost: N/A

Gained: Nemanja Bjelica

Dallas Mavericks

Lost: Doug McDermott, Seth Curry, Nerlens Noel

Gained: DeAndre Jordan

Memphis Grizzlies

Lost: Tyreke Evans

Gained: Omri Casspi

Phoenix Suns

Lost: Elfrid Payton

Gained: Trevor Ariza

Clearly there are a lot of great teams in the West full of some of the best players in the entire NBA. It will take a lot of work to sneak into the top 8 teams of the Western Conference and I am just not sure that Dallas is there yet. They have gotten better in a number of ways but they are also young and inexperienced.

This inexperience is going to play an important role down the stretch of the regular season and I think the Mavs will falter just enough to keep them out of the playoffs for another year. I suspect a finish around the 9th or 10th spot for Dallas. They will look much better than last year and will be on the outskirts of the NBA Draft Lottery, which is a good thing going into this year.

As of right now, shortly after the big Kawhi Leonard trade, here is my Western Conference seeding:

1. Golden State Warriors

2.Houston Rockets

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

4. San Antonio Spurs

5. Los Angeles Lakers

6. Portland Trail Blazers

7. Utah Jazz

8. Denver Nuggets

PORTLAND, OR – JANUARY 20: Harrison Barnes #40 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 20, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

9. New Orleans Pelicans

10. Dallas Mavericks

11. Minnesota Timberwolves

12. Phoenix Suns

13. Memphis Grizzlies

14. Los Angeles Clippers

15. Sacramento Kings

The Western Conference is stacked once again this year. With so much talent throughout the conference, the standings could go in any crazy direction and I would not be surprised at all. The Golden State Warriors will continue to be considered the favorites once again, but the rest of the teams could shuffle, all the way down to the 13th spot.

This isn’t ideal, but the Mavs are in a great spot for the future. They will be able to audition DeAndre Jordan for a year and, if they like him, a long-term contract would be completely reasonable. The growth of Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. will also be something to keep an eye on.

Next: Under the radar Dallas Mavericks roster developments

If Dallas can make the proper moves this season, the sky is the limit for the team in the future. They may not be competing for a playoff spot this year, but it won’t be long before the team is right back in the conversation.