Dallas Mavericks are a playoff team according to FiveThirtyEight

Dallas Mavericks fans are hoping for a playoff push next season. FiveThirtyEight projects the Mavs as the seventh seed in their first look at the upcoming year.

The Dallas Mavericks are expecting to make significant improvements in the 2019-2020 season. They did not land a massive fish in free agency, but the Mavs made plenty of upgrades.

Kristaps Porzingis is poised to play his first game in a Mavericks uniform. He is one of the toughest covers in the NBA. Porzingis is also an elite rim protector. He alone will give the Mavericks a significant boost in the standings.

The team added Seth Curry, Delon Wright, and Boban Marjanovic in free agency. Each plugs a necessary hole in their roster. Curry brings elite 3-point shooting. Wright is the perimeter defender the Mavs lacked last season. Boban will rebound and be a force against massive big men.

Dallas is also expecting a second-year leap from star player Luka Doncic. He had a historic rookie season. The Mavericks are hoping he takes the jump and makes the All-Star team in 2020. That alone could mean a handful of wins added to their ledger.

All the improvements have Mavs fans thinking playoffs, but the Western Conference is extremely deep. Dallas will need some fortunate health and breaks to ultimately make the postseason.

Model says Mavs a playoff team

FiveThirtyEight released their first regular season projections on July 16. They had the Mavericks finishing seventh in the Western Conference. That should give supporters a bit of extra hope after being disappointed this offseason.

FiveThirtyEight predicted the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs to miss the playoffs in the coming season. Those were a bit surprising.

The Dallas Mavericks are going to be an improved team in the 2019-2020 season. They added an All-Star big man and three talented role players. Luka Doncic should only grow during his second season as well. Fans should be excited about the future in Dallas.

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