Dallas Mavericks: 2017-18 NBA season preview
The Dallas Mavericks are looking to turn things around after a tough 2016-17 season. They’re hoping a few new additions can get them back into the playoff picture in 2017-18.
The Dallas Mavericks got off to a rough start last season. They were 3-14 after the first two months and could never fully recover.
It didn’t help they were missing big man Dirk Nowitzki for much of that 17-game stretch. As the Mavericks’ superstar approaches his 20th season in the league, he looks to remain injury-free.
Center Andrew Bogut lasted 26 total games (21 starts) before being sent off to the bench. He was unable to coexist at the same time with Dirk on the floor. The Mavericks were 0-7 with Dirk and Bogut in the starting lineup.
Dallas’ best month of the season came in January, when they went 8-6. The team went 19-33 against the Western Conference and 14-16 against the Eastern Conference.
The addition of forward Harrison Barnes proved to be useful but the addition of veteran point guard Deron Williams proved detrimental to the progress to the team overall. Williams still averaged 6.9 assists per game, but the Mavericks lacked a point guard with a knack for scoring behind the 3-point line.
That is, until they found Yogi Ferrell. It took Ferrell two 10-day contracts before he signed a multi-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 7.
In the meantime, he went on to tie the rookie record for 3-pointers made in a game (nine) in a 108-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 3. He led all scorers with 32 points in that game.
The Mavericks didn’t finish the season in terrible shape after the All-Star Break. They went 11-15, unable to pull off a run to the playoffs.
Dallas did acquire center Nerlens Noel before the NBA Trade Deadline as well. They traded away center Andrew Bogut, forward Justin Anderson and a 2017 second round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Noel.
The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2017-18 season with a nice balance of youth and experience. If head coach Rick Carlisle can find a way to get this roster to coexist, they could find themselves back in the playoff picture.
2016-17 Vitals
33-49, 5th in Pacific Division, 11th in Western Conference
97.9 PPG (30th)/100.8 OPP PPG (4th)
105.6 Offensive Rating (30th)/108.8 Defensive Rating (15th)
Team Leaders
Scoring: Harrison Barnes, 19.2 PPG
Rebounding: Andrew Bogut 8.4 RPG
Assists: Deron Williams, 6.9 APG
Steals: Yogi Ferrell, 1.1 SPG
Blocks: Nerlens Noel, 1.1 BPG
Honors
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: Yogi Ferrell