Bleacher Report's harsh Mavericks future ranking is far from the truth

The Dallas Mavericks have made serious strides to improve their roster after losing 56 games last season. They drafted Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea, two players who look ready to make an impact during their rookie season. The Mavs also traded for Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, and Zaccharie Risacher. These are all moves that will help them next year, but also in the future.

Bleacher Report is underrating the Mavericks' future

Despite the Mavericks heavily focusing on their future and most of their core being under 30 years old, Bleacher Report doesn't believe in them. Grant Hughes power-ranked every NBA team for the next three years, and he put Dallas as the No. 23 team.

He believes that the Mavericks are going to be the ninth-worst team in the NBA over the next three years, but that is far from the case. Dallas has a much more promising future than they're getting credit for, and they could even be a playoff team next season if things go their way.

When evaluating the Mavs, Hughes thinks that they are "at least a couple of years away from real relevance, and by that time Irving may have aged out." He also believes that Kyrie Irving has to return to peak form, Dereck Lively II has to remain healthy, and Cooper Flagg has to take a massive jump and become an All-NBA player for Dallas to have a great season.

That's a lot to ask for a team that missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, but it's not impossible. They also don't need all of these things to come true to outperform a No. 23 ranking.

They have the shooting, wing depth, and stars they need to make progress as soon as next season.

Irving's recovery has gone excellently, and all of the buzz surrounding him has been overwhelmingly positive. He seems more than ready to return to the hardwood.

Dereck Lively II is a major X factor

Lively II's health is the biggest wild card, though. He has only played 98 games through three NBA seasons and only played in seven games last season.

Lively II is extremely impactful when he's on the court though, and an intentional and patient recovery process could lead to him turning a page and putting these lower-body injuries behind him. If he can do this, he could return to being one of the best rising big men in the Western Conference.

Lively II does a great job of finishing lobs, protecting the rim, and switching on defense, and when healthy, he is an elite defensive anchor. His health this season could determine his long-term fate with the team, and Mavs fans are crossing their fingers that he doesn't suffer any more serious injuries.

Cooper Flagg makes Dallas dangerous

Flagg's rise will be the biggest factor in determining how the Mavericks fare over the next few seasons, though. He's already looking like a future face of the NBA, and developing into one of the best players in the NBA would change everything for Dallas.

Flagg looked like one of the best off-ball disruptors in the NBA as a rookie, and his offensive game is coming along as well. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field last season, finishing the year off with multiple games of 45 or more points in April.

The Mavericks are in a far better spot than Bleacher Report's ranking suggests, and Flagg's star potential, Irving's skill set, and Dallas' depth should help them climb the rankings and avoid being a bottom-10 team in the NBA over the next three years. Their roster is filled with young players who have something to prove, and the Mavs could be one of the most intriguing future teams if some of these youngsters can tap into their star potential.

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