Dallas Mavericks' realistic ceiling and floor for the 2024-25 season

When the Dallas Mavericks fell to the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals in five games, it brought an end to one of the best seasons in Mavericks history. The 2023-24 season was filled with fun and exciting moments that Mavs fans will never forget for years to come.

When the Finals concluded, the team had to get right back to work to put a strong roster together around the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. In free agency, the Mavs completed a sign-and-trade to acquire Golden State Warriors legend Klay Thompson. The Mavs traded Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes. They also signed Naji Marshall from the New Orleans Pelicans and brought back fan favorite Spencer Dinwiddie.

With the roster complete, the shift now focuses on how good the Mavericks can be again. The Mavericks will be defending their Western Conference title, and have a target on their back in the conference. There's an old saying "the higher the expectation, the greater disappointment."

Dallas Mavericks' realistic ceiling and floor for the 2024-25 season

The Western Conference is a competitive conference with times like the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks have shown before they are capable of beating those teams. All four teams will be grinding extremely hard to fight for home-court advantage in the West.

Obviously, the pressure is on Dallas' new big three. However, the team will still need the rest of the guys to take big strides this season.

One advantage that the Mavericks have over the Nuggets, Thunder and Timberwolves is they are so eager and hungry to dominate the West after losing the Finals. The team needs to show that making the 2024 Finals wasn't a fluke.

Projections for where the Mavericks will finish in the West were released a while back, and the Mavs have been ignored. But, how good can the Mavericks be in the regular season, and how poorly can they finish in the regular season?