3 reasons why Dallas Mavericks fans should be excited for the 2022-23 season

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to build on their run to the conference finals. Head coach Jason Kidd is preaching defense and chemistry as Luka Doncic and company look to bring the Mavs their second championship in franchise history. The 23-year-old superstar enters the season as the favorite to win MVP, and nobody wants to face off against Luka and the Mavs.

The NBA season tips off on Oct. 18 with a TNT doubleheader featuring the Warriors ring ceremony. Dallas opens their regular season the following night in a playoff rematch against Phoenix Suns. The Mavericks will return to the Valley of the Sun as they look to dominate one of the best teams in the West to open the new year. The Suns hope to wipe away that Game 7 loss on their home floor in one of the must-watch games of the opening week.

There are a ton of reasons why MFFLs should be excited about the new season from Josh Green’s breakout to Tim Hardaway Jr. being healthy to Jaden Hardy giving the team a rookie to be pumped to watch. Those are not why should be tuning, though. Here are three things to be excited about in every game.

Why Dallas Mavericks fans should be excited for 2022-23 season: 3. Defense

The Mavs were one of the best offensive teams in the league in the final two seasons under head coach Rick Carlisle, but they finished in the bottom half in defensive rating. Dallas had two straight first-round playoff exits, so head coach Jason Kidd emphasized defense from the moment he was hired. It helped the team go from 21st to seventh in defensive rating, and it was the key to their playoff run in 2022.

The Mavs held the Jazz to 100 or fewer points in four of the six games in the first round of the postseason before limiting the Suns to their three lowest-scoring games of the season in the conference semifinals. It was defense that helped Dallas reach new heights.

The Mavericks added JaVale McGee to improve their rebounding and rim protection, but how will Christian Wood fit in? Wood has struggled on the defensive end, and McGee will start but likely play under 20 minutes per game. Can Dallas still be a top-ten defense?

Dallas Mavericks fans should be excited about the team’s defense. Head coach Jason Kidd has been preaching it all camp, and the team will find a way to be one of the league’s best here even if it takes making some moves at the deadline. It is not flashy to watch, but their defense will help them finish in the top four in the Western Conference for the second straight year.