The Luka Doncic era has reigned in, and this starting lineup is most certainly built around him now. Last year’s first round draft pick, Dennis Smith Jr, is starting at point guard, and Wesley Matthews lines up next to them. Minutes will bounce around with Smith Jr because of the lack of trust in the Smith late in games. Doncic can move around and play numerous positions, but at full health the Mavs line him and Harrison Barnes up at the forward positions. The depth here is pretty limited, so the Mavs will be rolling these names out for heavy minutes. Over the offseason, DeAndre Jordan was a priority signing again, yet this time they were successful signing him. Jordan rounds out a pretty good starting five, and one that should remain rather consistent throughout the season.
Preseason Analysis: Mavs Make Big Moves to Improve
Dallas is still transitioning into youthful team, although Dirk Nowitzki returned on a one year deal, and they still have Wesley Matthews who has not bounced back since that nasty Achilles injury a few seasons ago. The deadweight on this Dallas team is astonishing, and the likeliness of rotations is going to be a bit unclear. They made massive additions this season, getting DeAndre Jordan this time around. Dallas has lacked a clearcut center, and we don’t have to dance around with the Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Salah Mejri debacle anymore. Jordan will be the starting center in Dallas.
Jordan provides some help for a team that was bottom ten in rebounding the last two seasons. He also gives them some rim protection, which they also struggled from. Don’t expect Jordan’s numbers to drop or go up this year, he is a limited option, but still brings strong production on the glass. The big question is where they will play Luka Doncic. Dallas was fortunate enough to land what is a promising young overseas player. He can stretch and play the three, but is currently listed as a shooting guard. If that is the case, Wesley Matthews will play the three, while Harrison Barnes plays the four. Dallas has a backcourt built for the future, at least so they hope. Dennis Smith Jr is heading into his second year, and flashed a lot of potential as a scorer. His defense needs work, but overall Dallas is going to be a bit better defensively. Smith Jr had some minutes issues last season, but with only J.J. Barea backing him up, 30+ minutes on average should be there. Barea does continue to provide cheap fantasy production off the bench, and is always a terrific fill-in when Dallas has injured guards.
