Answer to Dallas Mavericks' glaring offseason question is obvious

Media day for the Dallas Mavericks is less than a week away, and fans are ecstatic for the 2024-25 season to start.

Even though the Mavs played all the way until June and made the NBA Finals last season, this offseason has seemingly dragged on for Mavs fans due to the excitement around seeing how the new-look team fares in the Western Conference.

Dallas made several moves around the edges to ensure they are among the best teams in the Western Conference again, but they are still being doubted.

The Mavericks are much better than they were last year

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus wrote a story titled "1 Word To Describe Every NBA Team's Offseason," and his word describing the Mavs was "better?". Pincus questioned if the Mavs got better or not this offseason, wondering if Naji Marshall can take over Derrick Jones Jr.'s role and asking if Klay Thompson is a "significant upgrade" over Tim Hardaway Jr.

Both of those questions will have serious implications on how Dallas does next season considering how much Jones Jr. provided for the Mavs down the stretch and Hardaway Jr.'s hot shooting that he showcased at times during his tenure in Dallas, but the answer to Pincus' main question is obvious.

Yes, the Mavs got better this offseason.

Although Marshall may not be the same defender at the point of attack and lob threat that Jones Jr. was, he still has the potential to be better than Jones Jr. was. Marshall shot a career-high 38.7 percent from three last season, and his all-around defense could end up reaching the level of Jones Jr.'s.

Jones Jr.'s wildly impressive screen navigation is going to be missed, but Marshall's strength and ability to guard bigger players is something that Jones Jr. didn't excel at.

Pincus also wondered if Thompson would be much of an upgrade over Hardaway Jr., and anyone who watched the NBA Playoffs and the second half of last season knows the answer to that question. Hardaway Jr. crumbled down the stretch and ultimately became unplayable when it was all said and done.

Dallas had been trying to trade him for multiple years, and they replaced him with one of the best shooters ever who just shot 38.7 percent from three in what many people called a "down year" for him. Thompson is a massive upgrade over Hardaway Jr. on both ends of the floor, and his championship pedigree speaks for itself.

Along with Thompson and Marshall, the Mavericks also made one of the biggest steals of the offseason by trading for Quentin Grimes. Grimes' skills are being undermined ahead of next season, and he is thrilled to be playing in Dallas.

Grimes' 3-and-D ability is going to be a great fit next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and his versatility will allow him to play in many different lineups. He has the off-ball shooting and cutting to be a great piece next to Doncicc but he also has the on-ball self-creation skills to go get his own bucket when needed.

The Pistons and Knicks didn't utilize this part of Grimes' game the best, and he is poised to have a bounce-back year in Dallas. Grimes' focus on playmaking this summer combined with his prior experience of playing point guard growing up should help him be a Swiss Army Knife who Jason Kidd can utilize in many different situations.

Another new guard who Dallas brought in to help their depth is Spencer Dinwiddie. Dallas signed Dinwiddie later in the offseason, and he should help take some of the pressure off Doncic and Irving's shoulders due to his ability to handle the ball. Dinwiddie picking up where he left off during his last tenure in Dallas would help the bench tremendously, and he has a good shot at being the first guard off the bench.

Dallas' haul of more role players combined with the continuity of many of their players from last year will put them in a great spot to compete for a title this season, and they'll quickly prove that their performance from last season was just a fraction of their potential.