Did the Dallas Mavericks improve this offseason despite losing Jalen Brunson?

The Dallas Mavericks had an up and down 2021-2022 season. Things started slowly as Luka Doncic played his way into shape and the team meshed under new head coach Jason Kidd. They were 17-18 as the calendar flipped to 2022 and were viewed as one of the biggest early disappointers by most. Then, Dallas went on a tear to finish fourth in the West before winning two playoff series to reach the conference finals.

By the end, everyone viewed the season as a success. Nobody predicted the Mavs would be one of the last four teams standing, but Doncic gives them a chance to win every night. The 23-year-old is not satisfied, and the expectations will increase next season after their conference finals run.

The Mavs entered the offseason on a high note, but the work was far from done. They wanted to improve their roster around Luka, re-sign Jalen Brunson, and maintain the flexibility to acquire a star after their 2023 first-round pick heads to New York from the original Kristaps Porzingis trade. Things did not go as planned, but did the Mavericks improve their roster?

Did the Dallas Mavericks improve this offseason despite losing Jalen Brunson?

The Mavs got to work early as they traded four players that were outside their playoff rotation and their 2022 first-round pick to the Rockets for Christian Wood. Dallas drafted Jaden Hardy, used the majority of their mid-level exception to sign JaVale McGee, and brought back Frank Ntilikina and Theo Pinson.

Losing Jalen Brunson to the Knicks was the main talking point, and rightfully so. Brunson blossomed from a second-round pick into the team’s second-best player in the last four years, which made losing him for nothing sting even more.

Despite Brunson signing elsewhere, did the Dallas Mavericks improve their roster this summer?

Losing Jalen Brunson hurts Dallas Mavericks: Not finding replacement makes it worse

Fans know the Brunson story by now. The front office failed to sign him to an extension last summer, and it came back to bite them as JB blossomed into an unquestioned starter and the team’s second-most consistent player. Mavericks fans were sad to see him go, but the Knicks offer was just too good to pass up.

Losing a free agent because some other team is willing to overpay is understandable, but beyond the blown opportunity, Dallas did not add another ball-handler to replace Brunson. The Mavs traded fourth-string point guard Trey Burke to the Rockets in the Christian Wood deal, so they are going to ride with just Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie at the point guard spot.

The Mavericks desperately need another ball-handler and playmaker. They cannot enter the season with just two, especially when head coach Jason Kidd has Doncic and Dinwiddie both penciled into the starting five. Dallas will stagger the minutes, but if one misses time, the Mavericks have no backup ball-handler.

Jalen Brunson was the team’s second-best player last season. After losing him for nothing, fans immediately assume the Mavericks got worse this summer but did they?

Dallas Mavericks improved their depth and upgraded their rotation this offseason

The Mavs cleared the backend of their roster this offseason and used it to upgrade their playoff rotation. In their run to the conference finals, head coach Jason Kidd played seven players in all 18 games and ran a nine-person rotation. Luka Doncic and Frank Ntilikina missed time with injury or they would have likely played in every postseason game.

Of the nine people in the Mavs playoff rotation, they still have eight with Jalen Brunson being the only departure. It is a massive loss as JB averaged 34.9 minutes per game in the postseason, and he scored over 21 points each night.

The Mavericks added Christian Wood, JaVale McGee, and Jaden Hardy so far this summer. Tim Hardaway Jr. will also be returning from injury. Assuming Wood, McGee, and THJ are all part of the team’s playoff rotation, they are a much deeper team this year.

Looking at The Atheltic's player tiers (subscription required), Brunson ranked in tier 4A, which was players 41 to 59. That is a significant loss, and JB was joined in that tier by Dorian Finney-Smith as the Mavericks' second and third-best players. Spencer Dinwiddie and Maxi Kleber both appeared in tier 5A to give the 2023 Mavericks four players in the top 125.

Looking further, Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. were both on the list in 2022 before dropping off, including Wood bypassing tier 5 and residing in tier 4B. Assuming, Wood and THJ are healthy and return to form playing off Luka, the Mavericks could have six players on the list by the end of the season.

Dallas Mavericks fixed holes but remain a flawed team

The Mavs had to play small in the playoffs last season, which hurt them on the glass and protecting the rim. They were outrebounded 811 to 657 in their 18 postseason contests, and the Mavericks gave up too many easy looks at the rim. Adding Christian Wood and JaVale McGee should solve their rebounding woes, and they have more rim protection on the roster.

General manager Nico Harrison fixed holes in the roster, but the departure of Jalen Brunson created new ones. The Mavs do not have enough ball-handlers or playmakers right now. They still have an open roster, but the free agent market has all but dried up. Harrison and the front office will have to make a trade if they want to fix another flaw.

Dallas overused Maxi Kleber in the playoffs last season, so Wood should take some of his playing time and the minutes played by the departed Jalen Brunson are wide open.

Can Wood play the five on defense for the Mavericks in the postseason? Dallas reached the conference finals on the back of their defense last season, and Wood is not known for his chops on that end of the floor. The team’s postseason fate may rest in his hands unless upgrades are made before the trade deadline.

Did the Dallas Mavericks improve this offseason? Why the answer could change quickly

Losing Jalen Brunson hurt, but the Mavericks have more depth for the 2022-2023 season. Dwight Powell and Davis Bertans can be replaced in the rotation with Christian Wood and JaVale McGee. Nobody is going to argue that Powell and Bertans are better players, so the front office clearly upgraded the frontcourt.

Right now, Tim Hardaway Jr. is replacing Jalen Brunson. That is a significant downgrade in the eyes of most, but fans are quick to forget that it was THJ averaging 17 points per game in the 2021 playoffs. He was the team’s second-leading scorer with Brunson scoring just eight a night and virtually dropping out of the rotation in Game 7 against the Clippers.

Determining if the Mavs improved this offseason comes down to how you weigh out depth versus top-end talent. Brunson was unquestionably a better player last season than Wood and Hardaway Jr., but the team playoff rotation is more stout. McGee will outperform Dwight Powell. Wood and THJ should more than cover for Brunson’s scoring, and having two players makes Kidd’s rotation deeper.

The Dallas Mavericks are going to keep improving this roster. They will add another playmaker and ball-handler before the trade deadline in February. Dallas could also improve the rotation by adding a 3-and-D wing that can spell Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock in the postseason.

Those pieces would make the Mavs an unquestionably better team, despite losing Jalen Brunson this offseason. Fans should be optimistic heading into the 2022-2023 season. Yes, the Western Conference is loaded with talent, but Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are ready for that challenge. They just proved they can compete with the league’s best, and things should only be better in the coming year, so do not miss it.