Dallas Dominance: Mavs Poised to Rule the West Once More
Can the Dallas Mavericks win the Western Conference again you ask? Maybe is the answer, as the Mavericks proved some, if not most, people wrong last season. The Mavericks rose above the pack to represent the West in the 2024 NBA Finals, which was a fun two-month postseason run for all basketball reporters and fans.
This season is young, so we’ll see how the Mavericks’ season pans out. But the Mavericks look like they can repeat as Western Conference champions in 2025. Here’s why the Mavericks can win the West again. Read on for further details surrounding the debatable topic.
Dallas Mavericks Retain Key Players
The Dallas Mavericks’ retentions in the offseason were successful, as most of the Mavericks’ key players from the Western Conference championship run remain. In addition, Dallas acquired Klay Thompson, a veteran Shooting Guard with plenty of playoff experience as a four-time NBA champion in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
The Mavericks finished fifth in the West last season, while the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder finished with better regular season records. Of those four teams, the Clippers, Timberwolves, and Thunder arguably experienced significant personnel changes this offseason.
The Nuggets didn’t lose many key players, but they signed star Point Guard Russell Westbrook to a two-year veteran minimum contract. Westbrook, a nine-time NBA All-Star, is best known for his 11-year tenure with the Thunder.
Mavericks Stand Tall
Despite the Western Conference appearing to be wide-open, the Dallas Mavericks stand tall at the moment. The Mavericks got off to a good start with a 4-2 record before the Mavericks’ non-conference game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. The Dallas Mavericks are also tied for the second-best odds to win the Western Conference this season.
Right now Oklahoma City seems to be the biggest threat to Dallas, as they finished first in the West, and their young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren gained playoff experience. But it’s important to note that the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals.
