Previewing the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022-23 NBA season

DK Nation will be going through all 30 teams ahead of the season, looking at how the roster shapes up for the 2022-23 campaign. Here we take a look at the Dallas Mavericks, who are looking to take the next step under Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd after making the Western Conference finals last season.

Dallas Mavericks 2022-23 Outlook

Key additions: Jaden Hardy, JaVale McGee, Christian Wood

Hardy was viewed as a potential steal in the draft. Despite a tough Summer League, he could become a key bench player by the end of the season. McGee brings a veteran presence to the interior, while Wood is a nice low-cost acquisition that the Mavericks can flip at the deadline as an expiring contract if things don’t work out.

Key departures: Jalen Brunson

Brunson went nuts in the Jazz series and inked a massive deal with the Knicks in free agency. The Mavericks seemed like they could’ve matched the offer but didn’t get a second chance to negotiate with Brunson. The guard’s contributions will have to be made up, and that responsibility will fall on Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Season expectations

With Hardaway Jr. coming back and Wood coming in, the Mavericks expect to be in the thick of the championship race. As long as Doncic is healthy, Dallas has a strong chance to remain competitive in any postseason series and has the perimeter shooting to take out any opponent.

Projected starting lineup

With Doncic running the show, the surrounding players can fluctuate quite naturally. Dallas seems like the combination of Spencer Dinwiddie and Reggie Bullock on the wings, with Dorian Finney-Smith playing as a smaller power forward. McGee will likely get the starting center job, and Wood will come off the bench if he doesn’t take the power forward spot over Finney-Smith.

Fantasy basketball player to watch: Spencer Dinwiddie

Dinwiddie came to the Mavericks at the trade deadline and was productive, averaging 15.8 points per game and shooting 40.4% from behind the arc. He’s likely to take on a bigger role this season with Brunson gone, so that means good things for fantasy managers looking to round out rosters. Dinwiddie should get regular minutes if he stays healthy and could be one of the more underrated pickups in fantasy basketball.