Any time a team makes a significant offseason move, it takes time to play well together. Sure enough, the Dallas Mavericks scuffled their way to a 5-7 record to start the year as they integrated Klay Thompson, but they’ve been a well-oiled machine since. The Mavs are 12-2 since mid-November and have marked themselves not only as one of the hottest teams in the league but as one of the few true title contenders out there. Or at least that’s what Jeff Teague thinks.
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Speaking on the Club 520 podcast, Teague said he sees Dallas’ dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as being a key reason why the Mavs could repeat last year’s run, mainly because the pair is so difficult to prepare for. Teague also pointed out that the quality supporting cast around the Mavs’ two superstars is just as big a reason why the Mavs could repeat as Western Conference champs.
“I mean they got the recipe to be a good team, make it to the Conference Finals, and go up to the Championship. Luka and Kyrie are a dynamic duo that you can’t really prepare for. Cus on any given night, them stats can be Kyrie’s he could have 45 points. Now that you said Klay is coming around, he’s finding his shot a little more. They still got other capable players. I really feel they got the recipe to get back to the championship round.”
The most obvious difference between the Warriors and the Mavs right now is Klay Thompson, who went from Golden State to Dallas in a sign-and-trade this summer. Klay has had his ups and downs in his first season away from Steph Curry, but Teague astutely noted that he’s been heating up lately.
The return to Klay’s old stomping grounds seemed to do him good, as he was 7-11 from three on his way to a season-high 29 points. Klay could be the Warriors’ undoing if these two teams meet in the playoffs, as he’s played his two best games of the season against his old team.
If the addition of Klay to Luka and Kyrie gives Dallas their own version of a Big 3 (and their combined point total of 95 on Sunday indicates that it does), Teague also believes that a reason to be bullish on the Mavs is the role players that populate the roster.
Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford give the Mavs a formidable duo down low, Spencer Dinwiddie provides quality depth in the backcourt, and PJ Washington has made a huge difference since coming over last season in a trade with the Hornets.
The Dallas Mavericks are serious contenders to get back to the NBA Finals
Sunday’s win was important for the Mavs because it showed that they can prevail even when their opponents are hot from three-point range. The Warriors drained 27 threes in the game, including seven from Curry, but Dallas wasn’t far behind with 21 of their own, which included 13 from Luka and Klay together. All in all, the 48 combined threes were an NBA record.
The win moved Dallas into a tie with the Rockets for the three-seed in the West and inched them to within a half-game of the Grizzlies for the 2-seed. The Thunder, who beat the Mavs in the NBA Cup semifinals on Tuesday, are the clear favorite to finish atop the conference.
But Luka and company beat them in the playoffs last year, and Jason Kidd’s team has to feel good about that matchup if the two teams meet again in the postseason.
