It’s finally here, the season opener for the Dallas Mavericks.
They will tip off the season Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Atlanta.
We know you have questions. You sent us a few of them. Here, you will get an array of answers from the mavs.com experts (using that term loosely), Dwain Price, Bobby Karalla and Eddie Sefko.
As always, thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy the coverage this season that will be nonstop beginning Thursday.
QUESTION: What’s the biggest question mark that you would like to see answered as soon as possible?
Price: I want to see if the Mavs will stop with the lip service and finally start playing some in-your-face rock ‘em, sock ‘em defense. They’ve been talking about doing this seemingly since Tyson Chandler left here after the 2011 championship season. The Mavs can score 100 points just by showing up for the opening tipoff. If they can squeeze in some lockdown defense, this team will still be playing basketball in June.
Karalla: Hopefully this question won’t have to be answered anytime soon, but it’s almost inevitable that the Mavs will experience a little turbulence at some point this season. They’ll drop three out of four games, guys will get hurt, and the vibes might be too maculate. I’m interested in seeing how the improved chemistry and open lines of communication hold up when the team finds itself in a rough patch. Will Luka still trust his teammates if they shoot 25 percent for a week? Will KP continue to hunt post-ups if he’s had a bad month down there? If Luka’s free throws aren’t falling, will he continue to put his head down and go to the rim? Everything is easy when things are going great. I want to see how they respond when things get testy.
Sefko: My biggest concern is Kristaps Porzingis, but I’m not really concerned about his production. He’ll produce. But as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. KP has to prove he can stay on the court for long stretches of games. His health is better than it’s been in years. So that’s great news. But the Mavericks need a minimum of 70 games out of the slender 7-3 Porzingis. If that happens, the franchise will be ecstatic and fans will like the results. Rest assured the training staff will be keeping a close eye on everything going on with his oft-troublesome legs.
QUESTION: Luka Dončić wins the MVP. Yes or no, and why or why not?
Price: The top three candidates to win MVP are Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Knowing what I know about the folks who vote for this – because I used to vote for this – we are not exactly enamored by repeat MVP winners, although there have been some. Based on what’s happening with the Nets, I don’t think Durant will win it again. And Giannis has already been the MVP in two of the past three years. Luka is the next man up. America loves the next man up, aka the new MVP.
Karalla: If the Mavs finish as a top-4 seed in the West, the MVP is Luka’s to lose. And seeing as I’m the biggest homer in the world and we all know the Mavs are going to be a top-4 seed, it only makes sense that Luka will win the MVP this season. (But it could also go to Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, or Giannis).
Sefko: Sorry to be the killjoy here, but I’m sad to report that I don’t think the stars are lining up for Luka this year. It’s going to be hard to beat out Steph Curry, who will have the benefit of playing part of the season without Klay Thompson. That’s bad for the Warriors, but good for Curry and his stats. And that team still is good enough to end up in the top three in the Western Conference. If the Warriors end up as strong as the oddsmakers expect, challenging the Lakers, Nuggets and Jazz in the West, then it’s going to be hard to ignore the MVP-ness of Curry. And we haven’t even mentioned Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant. Both could put up monster numbers and while Luka can do the same, the Mavericks will have to surprise everybody and get into the top three in the West for him to have a chance.
QUESTION: How do you see the Western Conference breaking down? Can anybody make a run at the Lakers?
Price: A lot of folks will make a run at the Lakers, because the Lakers have an aging team, and aging teams tend to break down during the course of an 82-game season. Remember that 2003-04 Laker team with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton? We all thought they were just going to bowl over everybody. But Malone was pushing 40 at the time, and Payton was 35. The NBA is a young man’s game. If it was for old folks, MJ and Dr. J would still be playing.
Karalla: Utah is still the deepest team, Phoenix is still the reigning Western Conference champs, and there’s a chance the best player in the conference plays for the Mavericks. Even without Jamal Murray to begin the season, Denver is still loaded. I wouldn’t count out the Warriors either, depending on when Klay Thompson comes back. There’s plenty of competition out West. Whoever makes it to May the healthiest might win the throne.
Sefko: They certainly are the heavy, heavy chalk. Somebody’s going to have to prove that they can challenge them. Denver has the horses with Michael Porter, the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, when he returns to full health. Utah is going to be tough for a long, long time and Golden State is poised to rejoin the West elite after injuries have wrecked their last couple of seasons. The Mavericks will be hanging around to see if they can get hot and healthy at the right time. But barring some chaos, the Lakers are going to be playing in the NBA finals come June.
QUESTION: Who are your eight playoff teams in each conference?
Price: Western Conference—Suns, Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, Jazz, Warriors, Grizzlies, Clippers. East—Bucks, Nets, Heat, Sixers, Hawks, Celtics, Bulls, Knicks.
Karalla: Western Conference (in no particular order)—Mavericks, Lakers, Nuggets, Jazz, Suns, Warriors, Blazers, Clippers. East—Nets, Bucks, Heat, Hawks, Sixers, Celtics, Bulls, Knicks.
Sefko: Western Conference—Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Jazz, Mavericks, Suns, Clippers, Timberwolves. East—Nets, Bucks, Sixers, Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Hawks, Hornets.
QUESTION: What Maverick will have the most surprising performance this season (we’re looking for good surprises, not bad surprises)?
Price: Josh Green. Every time I saw him play last season, I wanted to see him play some more. Much more. This kid has some unique skills. All he needs is some playing time and you’ll see him flourish to the point where you’ll say: “He needs some more playing time.” Mark my words. By the time this season is over, Green will be squarely entrenched in Jason Kidd’s rotation.
Karalla: Josh Green will start the season at the very end of, or completely outside, the rotation. But by the end of the season, he’ll have claimed himself a spot while we all wonder how he wasn’t a mainstay all along. Things are going to click for him at some point this season and, whenever he cracks the rotation one way or another, it’ll give the Mavs a much-needed jolt.
Sefko: The only way Jalen Brunson is not the NBA’s sixth man of the year is if he ends up starting too many games. He’s become a terrific change of pace guard who can score from most places on the court out to 25 feet. He’s going to have a terrific season. The temptation here was to say that one of the Mavericks’ centers was going to have a surprisingly big season, either Dwight Powell, Moses Brown or Willie Cauley-Stein. But Brunson is a sure bet to have a breakout – and he’ll likely be coming off the bench most, if not all, of the time.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
@bobbykaralla
@ESefko
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