Dallas Mavericks underrated in Hoops Habit win predictions

The Dallas Mavericks did not accomplish their goals this offseason. They had their sights set on acquiring another All-Star level talent to pair with Luka Doncic, but Dallas was forced to pivot to adding two wings to their roster. The Mavs increased their floor spacing and improved their defense, but it was not the necessary move to vault them into title contention.

Dallas finished 42-30 last season, which was fifth in the Western Conference. They had the eighth-best record in the NBA, despite a slow start forced by injuries and COVID issues. The Mavs have a new head coach and general manager. They are looking for Luka to have his best season yet as the Mavericks look to continue climbing the standings.

Hoops Habit did their annual win predictions this week. They had the Nets and Lakers tied for the best record in the league with 55 wins and underrated the Mavericks in the process. Let us take a closer look.

Dallas Mavericks underrated in Hoops Habit win predictions

The Mavs were predicted to finish fifth in the Western Conference with 48 wins. That is a six-win improvement from last season, but the schedule returns to a full 82-game slate adding ten additional contests from the 2020-2021 campaign.

Hoops Habit believes the Mavericks will be the exact same team in the coming season. They gave Dallas zero credit for swapping Josh Richardson for Reggie Bullock or adding another capable rotation piece in Sterling Brown. Luka’s improvements alone should have the Mavs getting a few more wins. Expect Dallas to be a 50-win team this season.

Hoops Habit also predicted the Mavericks to have the ninth-best record in the NBA, which was worse than last season.

The two teams to take significant issue with finishing ahead of Dallas are the Hawks and Warriors. The Mavericks had a better record than Atlanta last season, and the Hawks have virtually the same roster with Dallas improving theirs. Hoops Habit believes the Warriors will make a ten-win improvement. Yes, Klay Thompson will be back and the Dubs improved their bench, but they are a team with plenty of injury risk. The Warriors should not be expected to finish ahead of Dallas in the regular season.

If Hoops Habit’s predictions come true, the Dallas Mavericks would face the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers waiting in round two. Think about how juicy and exciting that matchup would be. Luka Doncic versus Stephen Curry in a battle of arguably the two best point guards in the NBA. The 22-year-old looking for his first playoff series win against the best team of the decade. There would be no shortage of storylines or entertainment.

Fans will not want to miss the Dallas Mavericks this season. New head coach Jason Kidd will have them looking different as they continue to improve. Enjoy the ride, and do not forget to check back to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest on the franchise.