The 2019 offseason was a doozie for many Dallas Mavericks fans, but this team could be slept on right now. The season is creeping upon us, and the NBA pre-season is starting in less than two months. It will be here before you know it. Many analysts and online communities are writing the Mavericks out of the playoffs in the 2019 season. Below, there could be a few x-factors for the Mavericks in the 2019 season to help with a playoff push.
The X-Factors for the Dallas Mavericks in 2019
Delon Wright
The Mavericks will need to utilize all of the depth they can at the point guard position. The offense, of course, will run through Luka Doncic. Doncic is more of a forward, but he can handle the ball. But who will get the most minutes at the actual point guard position? Newly acquired Delon Wright could be the option. Wright is a tall and athletic player that can play both ends of the floor. Wright just finished up his rookie contract and hit restricted free agency this summer. The Mavericks liked Wright well enough to send a couple of second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies for the former University of Utah player.
After being sent to Memphis in the Marc Gasol trade from the Toronto Raptors, Wright got all of the minutes the Grizzlies could offer. The Mavericks had their eye caught by him, as Wright put up two triple-doubles in back to back games against them in April. Size and defensive potential are how Wright will help the Mavericks. In his short career, there hasn’t been much of a chance for Wright to get extra minutes. But his ‘Per 36 Minute’ statistic is exceptional for such a small sample size. The stat that stands out the most is the 1.8 steals per game for his career. The Mavericks caught a 27-year old that can do it all for the team.
A Great Young Core Under 25 Years-Old
Shout out to Zach Kram of The Ringer and Will Cain of ESPN for including Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in their top rankings for the best young core in the NBA. With a 21 year veteran, all-time great in Dirk Nowitzki leaving the Mavericks, it’s nice to have a few backups. The Mavericks now have two new Europeans that have all the potential in the world. Both are under 25 years of age and have shown premium level potential. Doncic is going into his second year as the franchise player. Winning rookie of the year was only a sliver of what Doncic can accomplish in his young but potentially stout career.
Porzingis is the big question for the Maverick’s future. He is coming off a nearly two-year absence from the court. The Latvian big man was also included in the ranking of the top core under 25 list. The above seven-foot towering big man should get plenty of minutes, but expect him to miss a few games here and there. Teams of the NBA have adopted a load management system that influences organizations to rest individual players between games to help a playoff push or championship run–especially coming off of one of the most gruesome injuries a basketball player could have. There is still a high probability of Porzingis averaging over 20 points per game and becoming an x-factor for the Mavericks.
Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson is going to turn a lot of heads this upcoming season. The young floor general proved himself last season with the Mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle and his pick-and-roll offense. Fans can fully expect to see Brunson in the starting lineup here and there, but primarily off the bench. Practicing with team USA in the FIBA World Cup is not only going to keep Brunson fresh but will also continue to allow him to work on his game with select team head coach Jeff Van Gundy. There is a high probability that Brunson will be the third or fourth-leading scorer for the Mavericks in the coming season. Brunson is also one of my sleepers for the most improved player of the year award in 2019.
The Mavericks find themselves in an always improving western conference. Literally, every single team made moves to improve their roster this summer. Teams that are pushing for a playoff spot but are not a championship contender are the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks will have plenty of competition, but these x-factors could provide great use for the team this coming season.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
