Dallas Mavericks
There could and probably will be a slew of teams vying for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Timberwolves could rally and put together a strong season behind Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pelicans are full of young talent but might still be a few years away. The Thunder are in rebuild mode but still have a formidable starting lineup.
The team that looks most likely to contend for a playoff spot, on paper, is the Dallas Mavericks.
The drafting of potential superstar Luka Doncic a year ago put the Mavericks in a position to contend if they were able to surround him with the right pieces. They dove in to the trade market and acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks to give Doncic a star running mate. In a league full of dynamic duos, Dallas may have the duo of the future on their hands.
If Porzingis is able to stay healthy, the Mavericks should at least make progress in the standings this season, if not competing for a playoff berth. That is a big if. “The Unicorn” missed the entirety of last season with a knee injury, and missed nearly half of the season before that. A long list of injuries in such a short time makes Porzingis a high risk/high reward acquisition.
The Mavericks lack depth behind their two stars. Delon Wright, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell round out the potential starting five, and the team is a Porzingis injury away from having Dorian Finney-Smith start at power forward.
The final contest between the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings will take place on March 17th. It will be the last game of a four-game homestand for Sacramento before they hit the road for their final East Coast swing.