Mavericks: Where does Dallas stand in the current Western Conference?

The NBA Summer League is officially finished and teams are now focused on roster improvements. For the Dallas Mavericks, this means replacing the production of Jalen Brunson and fixing the team’s rebounding woes.

Since the offseason began, the Mavs have traded for offensive threat Christian Wood, signed big man JaValee McGee and drafted flashy guard Jaden Hardy.

But one question still remains: Just how good did the Mavericks get in contrast to other teams in the Western Conference?

As it stands, the transaction period is still in its early stages and there is plenty of time for teams to continue building their roster. Oh and who can forget the big Kevin Durant dilemma.

However with the rosters currently in place, we must focus on what Dallas has done in contrast to other teams.

In comparison to the 10 playoffs (Yes I am counting bubble squads), I place the Mavs somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to roster adjustments/improvements.

One team that we can all agree that drastically fell off the map is the San Antonio Spurs. The Dallas’ rival is in total rebuild mode and showed just that by trading their one true star in Dejounte Murray. For Mavs’ fans this is huge because if Dallas plays right then they should own Greg Popovich’s team for the next couple of years.

Another team that took a dip this offseason was the Utah Jazz. Maybe it was because of their defeat to Luka Doncic and company? While we may never know, one thing for sure is that just like the Spurs they too are in total rebuild mode. For starters the Jazz traded away three time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Along with that, the team is currently listening to trade offers for guard Donovan Michell.

Two other teams I placed below the Mavericks include the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. To start off, Denver did not have a bad summer. They stared off by trading Will Burton for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signed DeAndre Jordan. Don’t get mean wrong, these are not bad additions, but I feel these are bare minimum acquisitions at best. Most of their season will hinge on the health of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Just like the Nuggets, the Pelicans upcoming season will rely on the health of Zion Williamson. While they have not done much this offseason, Zion’s health and production will be critical if NOLA hopes to make a run at the playoffs again.

Compared to these four teams, Dallas has done a little bit to improve their roster overall. For the Mavs they solved a portion of their rebounding issues by adding Woods and McGee to the mix. Having dominant centers on the roster is something the team has been missing, and fans can only hope the two acquisitions play a pivotal role for Dallas. While they have not solved for the absence of Jalen Brunson, Cuban and company believe his offensive production will be replaced by the scoring of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie.

In spite of that, there are still lingering issues the Mavericks must answer. Who will the team’s primary ball handler be besides Luka Doncic? Can Josh Green become the next three and D guard? What role will rookie Jaden Hardy play? Until they can answer these questions, I believe certain teams have done a bit more to improve their roster.

One team who took a big jump this offseason was the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves did the unthinkable and risked a majority of their assets by trading for Rudy Gobert. Having the defensive player on their roster gives them a double trouble down low. Along with that, they are a young team who will only continue to grow.

Another squad who took a major leap this offseason was the Los Angeles Clippers. The other LA team signed a third star this summer with the addition of John Wall. The former Wizard will provide them with a true point guard they have been missing for quite some team. Along with that, they also signed former Mav Moses Brown. In 14 games with Cleveland he doubled his points and rebounds, in contrast to his time with the Mavs.

Three final teams I have ahead of Dallas in terms of roster improvements are the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies. As far as the Warriors, they are the defending champions. Nothing else to say about them.

For Phoenix and Memphis, they did just enough by keeping their current rosters in tact. The Suns went out and resigned Deandre Ayton, while the Grizzlies got even younger by drafting guard Jake Laravia. I believe that the lost of Brunson puts Dallas just below these two teams in terms of current rosters.

With the offseason still in check, I believe there is plenty of time for Dallas to continue improving their roster. However, until they solve some of their key problems I still have a number of other teams ahead of them,