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Dallas Mavericks Expectations in 2016

By Reid Hanson

Dec 30, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; From left to right, Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) and guard Devin Harris (34) and guard J.J. Barea (5) and forward Chandler Parsons (25) laugh on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; From left to right, Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) and guard Devin Harris (34) and guard J.J. Barea (5) and forward Chandler Parsons (25) laugh on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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What are the expectations for the Dallas Mavericks as we begin 2016? We take a look…

The Dallas Mavericks, currently 2nd in the Southwest Division, have had surprisingly strong start to the 2015-16 NBA season. Slated by many as a fringe playoff team at best, and a lottery team by many, the Dallas Mavericks have found a way to overcome injuries and start the season strong.

If the playoffs began today, the Dallas Mavericks would own the 5th seed in the Western Conference. Not too shabby for a team that began the season slotted anywhere between #16-#21 on most power rankings. With such a strong start, have the expectations changed?

Only a few days into 2016, things have changed for the Mavs. NBA.com’s John Schumann has moved the Mavs up to #13 – holding them there even after their two-game losing streak over the weekend.

ESPN’s Marc Stein, who gave the Dallas Mavericks the worst preseason power ranking of 21, has moved the Mavs all the way up to #11.  Cbssports.com’s Matt Moore joins the Stein-Wagon and also has the Mavs up at #11. And Si.com’s Jeremy Woo has the Dallas Mavericks at a very respectable #12.

It’s safe to say, the early season success has caused the Mavs to rise in the hearts and minds of just about everyone who’s been paying attention this season. But with that success, comes increased expectations.

If you remember, the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to struggle early in the season. They had three starting players (Chandler Parsons, Deron Williams, and Wesley Matthews) and one important role player (JaVale McGee) coming back from major surgery. All four would be on minute restrictions and two of those four wouldn’t even be able to start the season on time. This type of hurdle would be difficult for the Golden State Warriors to overcome, surely it would set the Mavericks back quite a bit, right?

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The 37-year old Dirk Nowitzki was supposed to hold it down until everyone would regain form – optimistically not until November or December. You see, the Mavs were supposed to start poorly. Even though they upgraded or maintained at four of five positions in the offseason, the predicted slow start would have to be overcome. That’s why the Marc Stein predicted their playoff streak would end (and why I felt like a homer saying they were a legit eight seed).

But the Dallas Mavericks didn’t stubble out of the gate as expected. Rick Carlisle was an absolute wizard dealing with new players (three of which are starters), his injuries, and minute restrictions. Now, nearly armed with a fully healthy roster, the Dallas Mavericks are positioned to make some noise.

With Golden State, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City holding a strong lead in the first three playoff spots, the Mavs realistically could move up to the fourth seed by playoff time. They could also realistically drop down a few slots as well. Heck, they could improve as team and still drop considering the talent they’re facing in the west.

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The Dallas Mavericks are difficult for so many people to get a read on because they are good at so much but aren’t great an any one single thing.

They aren’t a top offense, nor are they a strong defense. They aren’t an old team, nor are they young. They don’t have a strong scoring differential, and when all is said and done, they probably don’t even have a single All-Star .

Yet, they are still a good team that finds ways to win.

The Dallas Mavericks have a strong, talented roster and a top-3 coaching staff. They play strong situation defense, grab a ton of boards, own a deep bench, and have platoons of players who play regular minutes and are able to cover for nearly any injury. They aren’t the joke that DeAndre Jordan left them to become.

My expectations for the Dallas Mavericks in 2016?

The Mavs will go to the playoffs as the five seed. They will avoid a first round matchup with the Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder and will likely face the Clippers in a playoff foul-fest. They will win the first round in seven and get swept in the second round to the Spurs.

Next: The Mavericks Depth Will Be Tested

The Mavs won’t have an All-Star but will have built a roster worth returning for the first time in years. JaVale McGee and Dwight Powell will be big down the stretch and play key roles in 2016 and beyond.

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