Dallas Mavericks: 5 Burning Questions for 2021

There are still questions surrounding the Dallas Mavericks this season

The Dallas Mavericks 2020-2021 season has been a bit of a roller coaster. With COVID-19 in full effect, the team has had to make a variety of changes as they look to contend in the Western Conference.

As is currently stands, the Dallas Mavericks are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to the Western Conference. The news comes as no surprise, as it was only a matter of time before the team would find their groove. At the end of December, the team sat with a with a 1-3 record and many experts were questioning the team’s development and progress.

Now midway through January, the team sits with a 6-4 record. With the team finally starting to get back on track, there are still many unanswered questions.

Here are five burning questions the Mavs must answer:

1. How much of an effect will Porzingis have?

Dallas Mavericks fans can finally rejoice as they have their star center back. On January 13th against the Charlotte Hornets, Kristaps Porzingis made his long awaited return. In just 21 minutes, KP had 16 points to go with four rebounds.

Shooting wise, he went 6 for 16 and that is common rust for players returning. However after the game, Porzingis would suffer a left ankle sprain. While the injury does not seem to be serious, it is something to watch as Luka’s counterpart looks to get back on track. Assuming KP can find his groove, there is no telling what could happen as the team seems to be right in the middle of everything.

2. Did the James Harden trade affect Dallas?

As we all know, All-Star guard James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. With Harden out of the West, the question remains: How much of an impact does this have on the conference? Only time will tell if Victor Oladipo can bring Houston back onto the map.

As far as Dallas is concerned, the team just looks to continue its winning ways and get back to full strength. If there is one plus from the trade, it is that it opens up the MVP race for Luka Doncic. Lets just hope Houston stays at the bottom of the Southwest Division.

3. What kind of effect will COVID have?

COVID has been anything but nice to the Dallas Mavericks this season, as the team was forced to cancel January 11th’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Along with that, the team lost five players including: Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, Jalen Brunson and Josh Richardson.

Going forward, the team must learn to adjust if the situation continues to impact the team. The Dallas Mavericks must also focus on what type of impact the virus will continue to have on the team? And what are their plans to combat it?

4. Will the team make a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been mentioned in trade rumors for quite some time. Recently, the team acquired Jarrett Allen from the Brooklyn Nets. This may not be the end of their trade discussions, as the team now has a current big man problem.

Currently, the team has an overload of big men. Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee, Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen all play the power-forward or center position. With the frontcourt crowded, down players like Drummond have been thrown around as trade bait. Drummond is currently averaging a double double this season and could have a positive impact if sent to the Mavs.

The question remains: Will Dallas pull the trigger?

5. Has Luke reached his full potential this season?

Luka Doncic is currently averaging 27 points per game, to go with 8.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists. While his numbers look good on paper, many people are still questioning if Luka has peaked this season.

At first, may were questioning just how in shape Luka was and how prepared he was for the season. Even now, many experts do not even have Doncic as a top five candidate in the MVP race. The European guard continues to silence doubters though as he has averaged a double double over his last six games. The Dallas guard will continue to do his thing and only time will tell if Luka has reached his peak.

Next. Dallas Mavericks: Game postponement a blessing in disguise. dark

The Dallas Mavericks are a team with many unanswered questions and going forward the team will have more questions that will arise. The only thing left will be: how does the team respond to the antics?

Published on 01/15/2021 at 13:01 PM
Last updated at 01/15/2021 at 16:19 PM

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