Midseason Grades for Each NBA Team
B+. player. 79. . 25-19. 5th West. Dallas Mavericks
After the way that the DeAndre Jordan saga played out this summer, there were a number of people that really soured on the Dallas Mavericks heading into the 2015-16 NBA season. Expectations surrounding a team centered on an aging veteran in Dirk Nowitzki and a slew of players with questionable upside for this season were undoubtedly tempered, but they’ve surpassed those expectations in an undeniable manner through the first half of the season.
Dirk has recaptured the form of a much younger player this season while the likes of Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia have enjoyed resurgences in their careers with the Mavericks. Moreover, Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons have started to recover from slow starts and Dallas has looked like one of the more promising teams in the second tier of the Western Conference this season. While their reliance on older veterans sometimes lends itself to letdowns and the need for rest, this team has prove that they are a force when they are at their best.
Given that not much was expected from the Mavs after they failed to sign DeAndre and with the seemingly odd roster that they’d assembled, Dallas has exceeded expectations and actually been a pleasant surprise through the first half of the season.
Next: Denver Nuggets