Mavericks: FiveThirtyEight projects Dallas to finish where?

The Dallas Mavericks want to be title contenders this season. They have one of the best players in the league in Luka Doncic, but his supporting cast must be better if the team is going to make a deep playoff run. The Mavs added a few rotation pieces this offseason and appear committed to building a winner around their 22-year-old superstar.

Fans know Dallas has not won a playoff series since taking home the title in 2011, but will they change that this season? New head coach Jason Kidd has the team playing with energy and upping the aggression. Will that help them take another step forward? The Hall of Fame point guard’s impact is one of the many things to watch during the 2021-2022 season.

FiveThirtyEight projected the NBA standings for this season based on their RAPTOR player ratings, which produced some surprising results.

FiveThirtyEight projects the Dallas Mavericks to finish where?

The projection model has the Mavs finishing fourth in the Western Conference with a 49-33 record. They also have the eighth-highest point differential in the NBA and were given an 85 percent chance of making the playoffs.

The model puts Dallas with an eight percent chance of making it to the NBA Finals and three percent of winning the title this year.

FiveThirtyEight had some massive surprises in their projections. The Pelicans landed with a 48-34 mark to finish fifth in the West. The biggest shock was the Lakers finishing 42-40 and ninth in the conference. Their model also has the Warriors outside the play-in tournament and winning just 37 games this season.

FiveThirtyEight’s model evolves after every game, so fans can watch it closely all season long, but there were multiple preseason surprises. There are several teams worth watching closely this year, including the Dallas Mavericks, so please tune in and enjoy the games.