4 former Dallas Mavericks thriving elsewhere, 4 struggling this season

1. Thriving: Kristaps Porzingis

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, he and Luka Doncic were supposed to take over the NBA.

Doncic had never played with a star big man before, and Porzingis' ability to stretch the floor and block shots looked like it was going to fit perfectly in Dallas. Despite the great fit on paper and high expectations from fans, Porzingis never truly fit in Dallas.

The Mavs traded him to Washington during the middle of the 2021-22 season, and he thrived in Washington and is now thriving on the Boston Celtics.

This season, Porzingis is averaging 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting a whopping 56.7 percent from the field. His scoring numbers aren't as high as they usually are, but that's because he is the third option for Boston.

Porzingis fits much better as a complimentary piece rather than a star, and Boston looks like one of the strongest teams in the NBA. This has been the best team that Porzingis has ever played for, and he could have the chance to help take the Celtics on a deep playoff run.

Porzingis has never made it past the first round of the playoffs, and this season could be the year that he finally does it.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.