No. 7: The Dallas Mavericks
Schedule Score: 0.3
Over the course of just two short seasons, the Dallas Mavericks used smart draft and trade decisions, and took themselves from nothing but an after thought, to being a serious threat in a tough Western Conference. To top it all off, they’ve made that turnaround in just nine short years since winning a championship. The New York Knicks haven’t done that yet, and they’ve been given 47 years.
With the dangerous combo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks have a pair that could hold up against almost any duo in the league and, if they both stay in Texas, could bring another run of long-term success to the lone star state.
However, that duo is what could also spell their downfall. The Mavericks two budding young stars have only played together a handful of games, thanks to injury problems from both of them. And while those few games have been promising, they’ve never been in a pressure cooker like the playoffs before. If they can work out the chemistry though, Dallas could have a dangerous duo.