Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN has revealed their NBA season win-loss record predictions for 2023–2024. Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic worked out to get in better shape, and the team had a great off-season, yet ESPN predicted Dallas to finish ninth in the Western Conference with a 43-39 record. According to ESPN, the West would finish 1–10.

1. Denver Nuggets: 53-29

2. Phoenix Suns: 51-31

3. Golden State Warriors: 47-35

4. Sacramento Kings: 47-35

5. Los Angeles Lakers: 46-36

6. LA Clippers: 45-37

7. Oklahoma City Thunder: 45-37

8. Memphis Grizzlies: 44-38

9. Dallas Mavericks: 43-39

10. Minnesota Timberwolves: 43-39

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to finish 44-38 in 2023–34, which is an improvement over their 38–44 record in 2022–23. With the exception of the Clippers being sixth in the Western Conference, I concur with these forecasts.

Grant Williams’ acquisition by the Mavericks indicates that the team is at last making progress.

I concur that the Mavericks should have finished in the play-in group for a number of reasons, chief among them being consistency. Dallas almost won eighty percent of its games in the 2021–2022 season once the new year began. Although having an absurd winning streak isn’t a strategy, there were numerous occasions during the previous NBA trade deadline when supporters believed the Mavericks would make the move. Fundamentally, the Mavericks’ roster had a lot of gaps at the end of the season, so even with a complete revamp, it might take more than one offseason to return to contender level.

Doncic is the Dallas Mavericks’ best chance to refute articles like this one. He is the drink’s stirring straw. The Mavericks travel as far as Luka desires. Even if it may feel unfair to expect more from Luka at times, making incremental improvements is important. This upcoming season, Dallas should be able to avoid the play-in tournament if Doncic plays 72 games and his physical conditioning improves.

Despite Dallas’s low expectations, all eyes will be on the Mavericks for 28 games, regardless of the season’s outcome—the team is placed seventh in terms of the most national TV games for the 2023–24 season.