The 2021-22 Dallas Mavericks in Review
June 1st, 2022
By Alan Lu
The Dallas Mavericks had won 42 games in the regular season last year under then head coach Rick Carlisle, but they ended up losing to the Clippers again in the first round in the 2021 playoffs. The Mavericks felt that they had to make a change after the season’s end. They fired Donn Nelson, mutually parted ways with Rick Carlisle, and they changed out some coaches and front office personnel and shuffled things around for this season.
The Mavericks hired Nico Harrison to be their top executive, and Jason Kidd to be their head coach. They were able to play significantly better this year, and while they surprisingly traded away Kristaps Porzingis in a midseason deadline deal, newly acquired Spencer Dinwiddie was able to add some much needed scoring punch and playmaking skills, and Davis Bertans also gave the Mavs a tall, floor spacer off the bench. Luka Doncic played tremendously, and the Mavericks were able to win 52 games in the regular season and get to the 2022 Western Conference Finals before losing to the Warriors in 5 games.
Key Players:
(Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic, via AZCentral)
Luka Dončić
2021-22 (DAL): 28.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 46 FG%, 35 3PT%, 74 FT%, 57 TS%, 25.1 PER, 7.6 WS
Luka Dončić had a terrific season, as he excelled in all facets of the game, and was a triple-double threat on a consistent basis. He was one of the league leaders in scoring and assists, led his team to win 52 games in the regular season, and helped his team get to the Western Conference Finals this year.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 4.5 stars (5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Dallas Mavericks
(Photo: Rick Bowmer/Associated Press, via Bloomberg.com)
Jalen Brunson
2021-22 (DAL): 16.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.9 RPG, 50 FG%, 37 3PT%, 84 FT%, 58 TS%, 17.1 PER, 7.5 WS
Brunson had a very good season, as he thrived as a scorer and playmaker this year, and he really stepped up in Doncic’s absence to keep it competitive in the first round in order to help the Mavericks defeat the Utah Jazz in the playoffs. He’s shown that he can play at an All-Star caliber level, and the Mavericks will probably look to re-sign him in the offseason.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Dallas Mavericks
Side note: Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the offseason.
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(Photo: Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
Spencer Dinwiddie
2021-22 (WAS/DAL): 13.7 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.2 RPG, 42 FG%, 34 3PT%, 77 FT%, 54 TS%, 15.1 PER, 4.1 WS
Dinwiddie was healthy for most of the year, and he played significantly better compared to his injury-plagued season last year. He was inconsistent with his outside shot, but he provided scoring, playmaking skills, and versatility to his team this season.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Tim Hardaway Jr.
2021-22 (DAL): 14.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 39 FG%, 34 3PT%, 76 FT%, 52 TS%, 12.7 PER, 2.0 WS
Hardaway provided scoring and improved defense for his team, but he didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well this season, and he ended up only playing 42 games before getting hurt and missing the rest of the year due to injury.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Dorian Finney-Smith
2021-22 (DAL): 11.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 47 FG%, 40 3PT%, 67 FT%, 60 TS%, 12.5 PER, 6.6 WS
Dorian Finney-Smith thrived at playing a 3 and D role on the team, and he turned in some very good games in the playoffs this year.
2022 Season Grade: B+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Dallas Mavericks
Maxi Kleber
2021-22 (DAL): 7.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 BPG, 40 FG%, 33 3PT%, 71 FT%, 54 TS%, 11.0 PER, 3.0 WS
He is a tall, skilled big man that can space the floor and defend in games. He excelled as a rebounder and defender on the court, but he didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well this past season.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Reggie Bullock
2021-22 (DAL): 8.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 40 FG%, 36 3PT%, 83 FT%, 56 TS%, 9.2 PER, 3.2 WS
He is a 3 and D role player on the Dallas Mavericks. His shooting percentages were down this year, but he provided shooting and defense to his team this year.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the Dallas Mavericks
Dwight Powell
2021-22 (DAL): 8.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 67 FG%, 35 3PT%, 70 FT%, 73 TS%, 18.1 PER, 8.2 WS
He did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball within the touches he received on offense, but he will need to improve his rebounding for next season.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Other Notable Players:
Josh Green
He really improved over the previous season, as he excelled as a shooter and defender when he was on the court, but he also didn’t play nearly as much in the playoffs.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
He is a tall, floor spacing combo forward that struggled to make shots with the Washington Wizards before being dealt to the Mavericks, but he played much better after being traded to Dallas, as he was ale to turn in some very good games late in the year.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Other Players on the Roster:
Frank Ntilikina
He struggled to knock down shots consistently, but he was solid as a playmaker and defender in limited minutes with Dallas this year.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he rebounded well, but he struggled to make shots consistently this past season.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Moses Wright (Two-Way Player)
He barely played in the NBA this year, but he is an athletic, skilled combo forward that had a very good all-around season in the G-League this past season.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
He played fairly well in limited minutes, but he didn’t rebound quite as well as last season nor play as much as expected.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
He is a 3 and D role player in the NBA, but he didn’t shoot well or play as much as expected this season.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
He didn’t shoot or defend nearly as well as expected, and he also didn’t play very much this year.
2022 Season Grade: D-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Theo Pinson (Two-Way Player)
He is a veteran point forward that played solid defense, and he also provided a good locker room influence on his team this year. He still didn’t shoot the ball very well, but he’s improved his jump shot compared to previous seasons.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the Dallas Mavericks
Head Coach:
(Photo: Brad Penner/USA Today Sports, via D Magazine)
Jason Kidd
2021-22 (DAL): 52-30, 9-9 in the 2022 NBA Playoffs
He had a very good season with the Mavericks this year, as he helped them win 10 more games in the regular season compared to last season, and he was able to take them to get to the Western Conference Finals.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Head Coach of the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks’ Projected 2022-23 Rotation:
C Dwight Powell
F Dorian Finney-Smith
F Luka Doncic
G Reggie Bullock
G Jalen Brunson
________________________
G Tim Hardaway Jr.
G Spencer Dinwiddie
C Maxi Kleber
F Davis Bertans
F Josh Green
The Dallas Mavericks’ Picks in the 2022 NBA Draft:
#26
The Dallas Mavericks’ Projected 2023 Win-Loss Record:
44-38, 7th in the Western Conference
Their Projected Offseason Plan:
The Dallas Mavericks are projected to be capped out, and so they will be unlikely to spend much money on free agents this year. They will have to decide if they want to keep Jalen Brunson, and that will be their top priority in the offseason. They also have one pick in the 2022 draft. They will need more shooters, scorers, and facilitators, but they will also need players that will fit around the skill sets of Doncic for next season.
The Mavericks are a very good team that could be slated to contend for the NBA title next year. They have one of the best players in the game in Luka Doncic, but how they will fare next year may depend on the choices they make in the offseason. They’ll have to make a key decision on whether or not if they’ll bring back Brunson, and they will look to try to carry the positive momentum they had this season into next year. They’ll need to keep everyone healthy and also could look to add more offensive firepower and defenders that would complement Doncic in order to bolster their title chances for next season.
This was written before the start of the 2022 NBA Draft and free agency, and the projected win total for the 2022-23 NBA season may be subject to change before the start of next season. I went to No Trade Clause and Basketball-Reference for research purposes. Thanks for reading.
