Breaking down how the Mavericks can have a perfect season next year

How can the Mavericks accomplish a perfect season?

Unlike most teams in the NBA, Dallas has a player capable of shouldering a heavy load while also consistently performing at a high level. That player is Luka Doncic. Having Doncic alone makes Dallas a contender.

However, basketball is a team game. And last season's roster certainly lacked depth, secondary options, and quality defenders. The 2022-23 version of the Mavs had a centerpiece in Doncic but only a few worthwhile contributors.

After discounting Kyrie Irving, who only appeared in 20 games in Dallas, the Mavs only had two other players who recorded a positive Box Plus/Minus (BPM). Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood - neither of whom will suit up for Dallas this season.

In order for the Mavericks to complete their perfect season, Doncic needs help. Luckily for Doncic, reinforcements have arrived.

To accomplish a perfect season, the Mavs must remain healthy, take offensive pressure off Doncic, and vastly improve rebounding and defense.

Injuries are a part of the game, and when they happen, they can be crippling for an organization. Luckily for Dallas, the roster doesn't have many injury-prone players outside of Irving.

Since his sophomore season in the NBA, Doncic has had the highest or second-highest usage rate in the league every season.

Although Doncic has proved he is worthy of handling such a heavy workload, some additional help would be useful to keep the four-time All-Star healthy and well rested throughout the season and into the playoffs.

The addition of Irving will surely take some pressure off Doncic. The Slovenian star has yet to play with another player of Irving's caliber and has yet to even share the court with a player who was named an All-Star in the same season as Doncic.

Moreover, Josh Green must take his game to another level, which is plausible because he has done so every season. If Green continues to improve, the Mavs offense will take yet another step forward.

Green averaged 9.1 points per game while shooting 53.7% from the floor and 40.2% from three. However, Green didn't shoot nearly enough. If he looks to initiate the offense and put up around ten to twelve shots per game, the Mavs offense would take that step forward.

As for the rest of the squad, Seth Curry, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, and Maxi Kleber must provide Doncic and Irving with the requisite spacing to create plays and score efficiently.

The offense only needs a few tweaks, but the defense must undergo a total makeover. Dallas went from fielding a top 10 unit in 2021-22 to a bottom 10 unit in 2022-23. With a similar roster, what changed?

Not much personnel-wise. Dorian Finney-Smith was traded halfway through the season and Kleber only played in 37 games after surgery, but the Mavs lacked aggression and the scheme changed from the year prior. Dallas was destroyed on the interior and the lack of rebounding was evident as well.

Adding Grant Williams will spark the defense and his defensive intensity should be felt throughout the rest of the roster. If the aforementioned Lively II and Prosper can contribute on the defensive end, the unit may once again look like it did a year prior.

Finally, if Dallas can become a league-average rebounding team, that'd be considered a win. Dallas has some quality rebounders but lacks a dominant interior presence. Either Holmes, Lively II, or both must step up to alleviate the Mavs' rebounding woes.