3 reasons why the Dallas Mavericks will contend for the NBA Finals

1. Three-point Threat

Over the past two seasons, Dallas has become a three-point shooting team. During the 2021-2022 season, Dallas attempted the most threes with a mean average of 41.5 per game. Of those attempts, the team made 38 percent of their shots.

A season later, not much changed. This past season, Dallas attempted 41 threes a game. This time around though, the Mavs made 37.1 percent of their attempts. The leading shooters included Kyrie Irving, Jaden Hardy, and Josh Green.

This is why resigning Irving was so important for Dallas. While he is known for his ball-handling skills, he can also knock it down from long range. For his career, he has made 39.1% of his from three-point range. In 20 games with Dallas, he converted 39.2% of his long-range shots.

Williams too is another three-point addition. Last season, he converted 39.5% of his attempted threes. The season before, he knocked down 41.1% of his shots. Against Miami in the Eastern Conference finals, he knocked down 42.9% of his threes.

The team also added Seth Curry, a three-point specialist who made 40.5 percent of his shots from downtown. For his career, he is a 43.5 percent three-point shooter. Not to mention, Dallas still has Tim Hardaway Jr., who shot 38.5 percent from three last season.

While it may be too early to predict anything, Dallas is headed on the right track with new additions that bring diverse skill sets. High-quality shooting mixed with an improved defense should be the strength the Mavs need to get back to the promised land.