While they aren’t the favorites on the Western side of the NBA Playoffs bracket, one notable league insider believes the Dallas Mavericks are a team that could end up being a serious problem over the next few weeks.
After battling for seeding over the last six months, the 82-game NBA regular season is finally over and the 2024 NBA Playoffs are set to tip off this weekend. While the Eastern Conference has some fascinating first-round matchups — including the Knicks versus the 76ers — many fans are wondering who will rise up and threaten the defending champion Nuggets out West.
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The conference includes four of the top five records on the NBA standings to end the season, and it is understandable if the Thunder and Timberwolves are seen as the biggest challengers to Denver. However, during a chat this week with Sportsnaut, NBC Sports Senior Writer Kurt Helin explained why he believes Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are the team to watch out for over the next few weeks.
“My dark horse [in the West] is Dallas. I am really high on them just because Luka’s always been a playoff monster — he’s going to be a playoff monster [again] — Kyrie Irving’s hit a couple of big shots, you know he’s going to show up in the big minutes but the real key is, since they got Gafford at the trade deadline, they put in him the starting lineup finally, and next to Derrick Jones Jr. this is a good defensive team now,” Helin said.
“Like, good enough to make a run. I think they’ve got a shot … Ultimately, I think Dallas is the team built for the longest run of the group.”
Despite starting March with a three-game losing skid, the Dallas Mavericks would finish the month with an 11-4 record that would catapult them into the fifth spot and a first-round clash with the Clippers. Doncic is also a favorite to win the NBA MVP award this year as he averaged a league-best 33.9 points per game.
Also Read: NBA playoffs predictions – Predicting who will win in it all in the 2024 postseason
