Are the Dallas Mavericks contenders this new season? Franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki thinks the team is stacked and can hold their ground against contenders.
The Mavs are coming off one of their most controversial seasons in history, probably in the NBA. They traded away their franchise player in Luka Doncic who is still yet to reach his prime years. They eventually missed the playoffs after losing in the play-in. That is a massive decline from being a finalist the season before.
They are back to the drawing board although not starting from scratch. For Nowitzki, they got solid players that can bring them back to the top of standings. However, their biggest obstacle is their health.
“I think they’re pretty stacked, I’ve been saying it the last few weeks,” he told reporters during an appearance at the Foundation Tennis Event.
“To me, it all depends on health. When’s Kyrie coming back, is he gonna be 100 percent when he comes back, is AD gonna stay healthy, we know Lively missed some action over the last few years. But if they stay healthy, I think that’s a very deep team.”
Team’s core is currently made up of Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving. The first two missed games last year due to various injuries while Kyrie was not able to finish last season after tearing his ACL early in March.
Dirk Nowitzki is high on Cooper Flagg
Another player that could anchor the team’s offense is rookie Cooper Flagg, their first overall pick.
The one-time NBA champion vouches for Flagg who he thinks is versatile enough to give the Mavs more offensive threat.
“I’m not the biggest college sports watcher in general, whether that’s basketball or elite sport, but of course, I have checked out Cooper,” he said.
“I mean, the sky’s the limit, honestly. He leads the game already at that age, only 18. You know, athletic, skills, I heard his work ethic is through the roof.”
Other core members of Mavs squad are PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, and Derek Lively II. The bench will be made up of Dante Exum, Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford, and Max Christie.
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
