Dallas Mavericks predicted to finish fourth in West by ESPN experts

Dallas Mavericks predicted to finish four in the Western Conference by ESPN experts

The Dallas Mavericks improved their defense and depth this offseason. Fans have seen the fruits in the team’s two preseason games thus far. Josh Richardson’s defense at the point of attack gives the Mavs a new dimension, and James Johnson plays well at both ends of the floor. The Mavericks have four promising rookies on their roster too.

Dallas finished seventh in the Western Conference last season, which put them against the heavily favored LA Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs nearly pulled the upset behind a masterful series from Luka Doncic, but the Clippers had too much firepower. Dallas’ goal is to jump into title contention this season.

ESPN’s experts predicted the 2020-2021 regular-season standings (subscription required). Let us take a look at where the Mavericks fell and why it is too low.

Dallas Mavericks predicted to finish four in the Western Conference by ESPN experts

The Mavs are projected to be 43-29 and fourth in the West. ESPN predicted seven teams to finish with a better record than Dallas this season, which is too many.

The Mavericks won 25 of 39 games with Dwight Powell healthy last season. He suffered a torn Achilles in January and missed the remainder of the year. Powell is ready to start this season. If the Mavs can win at the same pace, they would have 46 in this shortened 72-game slate.

The Lakers and Clippers deserve to be the top two teams in the Western Conference, but the Mavericks are next. The Nuggets lost key rotation pieces in free agency and did not have the cap space to replace them. The Mavs improvements were enough to jump into the top three in the conference. Expect Luka Doncic to have an unbelievable season as he leads Dallas firmly into the title picture. Do not miss it.