Mavericks are making a convincing playoff case with key reinforcements still missing

Considering that the Dallas Mavericks were heavily doubted during the offseason, they're off to an excellent start. Dallas has gone 4-3 since losing by 18 points to the Houston Rockets on opening night, including victories over the Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder last week.

The Mavericks have been hard to beat without a full roster

While it's hard to be excited about a loss, they nearly beat the San Antonio Spurs, the defending Western Conference champions, on Wednesday night. The Mavericks lost by one point, showing they can hang with one of the best teams despite not having their full roster healthy. They've shown they can compete with playoff teams through eight games, and their ceiling will rise once their reinforcements return to the lineup.

Dallas' hot start, despite having multiple key players out of the lineup, should be one of fans' biggest reasons for optimism. Dereck Lively II, Santi Aldama, and Tarik Biberovic haven't played yet this season, and each player will bring valuable skills that the team needs as the season continues.

Santi Aldama will give Dallas shooting and offensive versatility

Aldama is the closest to returning of the Mavericks' only three players on the 15-man roster who haven't played yet this season, as he's listed as probable for Dallas' game against the Utah Jazz on Friday night. His shooting, offensive versatility, and size give the Mavericks' frontcourt an intriguing new layer, as none of their current bigs can consistently make open shots.

Dallas' frontcourt will be much more balanced with Aldama in the lineup, as Dusty May can use him as a small-ball center or a power forward in a jumbo lineup. His return hasn't received the excitement it deserves, as he averaged a career-high 14.0 points per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field last season, and he could play a massive role, considering that Dusty May needs more shooting around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Dereck Lively II's return can't come soon enough

While Aldama's return is looming, the same can't be said about Lively right now. May said that he's making good progress amid his recovery from foot surgery that he had last December, but he's not close to returning just yet.

D-Live may still have a long road ahead of him before taking the court, but the Mavs will be getting a high-flying, two-way center when he does. Lively's rim protection, ability to switch on defense, and passing out of the short roll at 7-foot-1 are impressive, and Dallas' center room will be stacked once he returns.

May will have Lively, Daniel Gafford, and Morez Johnson Jr. as his bigs, giving him the ability to have 48 minutes of high-energy defense and finishing at the center position. Lively is easily one of the Mavs' most exciting young players, and when he's on the court, not many young big men are as impactful on defense.

He makes opponents think twice before attacking the rim and trying to finish, as his athleticism and 7-foot-7 wingspan are menacing when he's lurking off the ball.

Tarik Biberovic has the makings of the sharpshooter Dallas needs

Biberovic is the biggest variable of Dallas' three injured players, but he has the potential to be a key rotational piece as well.

The 25-year-old rookie shot 48.9 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game in 25 games for Fenerbahce in the BSL last season, and his effortless shooting from long range will be a welcome sight in Dallas. The Mavs need more efficient shooting, and if Biberovic can bring a spark off the bench, fans should feel much better about their 3-point shooting moving forward.

He still has work to do as a defender, but Dallas will be in a much better spot if he can be a threat from beyond the arc and space the floor. They need more spacing, and they've been missing a high-volume 3-point shooter over the first two weeks of the season.

The Mavericks have proven that they have the makings of a playoff team, especially due to the play of their superstar duo and the versatility around it, and their three players who are out of the lineup will make the team even tougher to beat. The start of the season has been strong, but just wait until the two 7-footers and Biberovic are playing.

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