The Mavericks have spent the first stretch of the season making a case that looked unlikely back in the offseason. Even after dropping their opener to the Houston Rockets by 18 points, Dallas has steadied itself with a 4-3 run, and that stretch has included wins over the Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder last week.
That record looks even more impressive when you factor in who still hasn’t suited up. Dallas has been competing without Dereck Lively II, Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovic, and the early returns suggest this group can already hang with playoff-caliber teams. On Wednesday night, the Mavericks came within a point of beating the San Antonio Spurs, the defending Western Conference champions, despite still being short-handed.
For a team that was widely doubted before the season, that kind of start matters. The Mavericks have already shown they can stay in games against quality opponents, and the ceiling should climb once the missing pieces start filtering back into the rotation.
Aldama is the first name on that list. He is the closest of Dallas’ three unavailable players to returning and is listed as probable for Friday night’s game against the Utah Jazz.
His value is obvious: shooting, size and a layer of offensive flexibility that the frontcourt currently lacks. None of the Mavericks’ existing bigs can consistently knock down open shots, and Aldama’s presence would change the way the group can be built.
He can slide into different roles, too. Dallas can use him as a small-ball center or as a power forward in a jumbo lineup, which gives Dusty May more options than he has right now.
Aldama’s return has not gotten enough attention, especially after he posted a career-high 14.0 points per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field last season. With Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving needing more shooting around them, he could end up playing a major role.
Lively’s timeline is less immediate, but his eventual return may be just as important. May said the big man is making good progress while recovering from the foot surgery he had last December, though he is not close to coming back yet.
When he does return, Dallas gets a very different kind of center. Lively brings rim protection, switchability on defense and passing ability out of the short roll at 7-foot-1. He also gives the Mavericks a chance to stack the center spot with Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr., which would allow May to play 48 minutes of energy, defense and finishing at the five.
Lively has already shown why he is one of Dallas’ most exciting young players. His athleticism and 7-foot-7 wingspan make him a problem around the rim, and opponents have to think twice before challenging him at the basket.
Biberovic is the wild card of the group, but he also might be the cleanest answer to one of Dallas’ biggest needs. The 25-year-old rookie shot 48.9 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game in 25 games for Fenerbahce in the BSL last season, and that kind of long-range touch would fit neatly into what the Mavericks are trying to build.
Dallas needs more efficient shooting, and Biberovic could help there if he gives the bench a lift. He still has to prove himself defensively, but the value is clear if he can stretch the floor and provide the kind of spacing the team has been missing over the first two weeks of the season.
The Mavericks have already put together the kind of start that suggests they belong in the playoff picture. Add in the return of Aldama, Lively and Biberovic, and the group could get a whole lot harder to deal with.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Have A Kyrie Concern They Can't Ignore
Kyrie Irving popped up on Dallas injury report ahead of the upcoming game against the Utah Jazz, and the designation is enough to make the Mavericks pay attention. He is listed as probable because of an illness, a reminder that even with the season moving along, the team still has to manage the health of a player who has already missed time this year and remains central to everything Dallas wants to do on offense.
Irvings status comes against the backdrop of a Mavericks report that includes several other players dealing with their own injury issues, which has become a familiar part of the nightly calculus. Dallas has already seen Irving miss two games this season for injury management, and after working his way back from an ACL injury, the last thing the team wants is another setback to complicate its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks May Finally Get The Frontcourt Fix Theyve Been Missing
The Mavericks are getting closer to a healthier frontcourt mix ahead of their matchup with the Jazz, with Santi Aldama upgraded to probable after working back from knee surgery in March. Max Christie is also listed as probable after sitting out the previous game with hip soreness, while Dallas still has other players unavailable as it continues to manage a thin rotation.
Aldamas return is the part that stands out most for Dallas, because his presence should help with the kind of frontcourt shooting and offensive spacing the team has been missing. The Mavericks have been looking for more balance around the basket and beyond the arc, and getting Aldama back in the fold could give them a different look when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Gafford Is Making Dallas Next Trade Call Much Tougher
The Mavericks roster math is getting harder to ignore. Dallas has plenty of wing and frontcourt options, but the backcourt behind Kyrie Irving still looks thin, and that imbalance has pushed the front office toward the kind of trade talk that usually comes with a difficult sacrifice. Daniel Gafford has emerged as one of the more logical names to circle because he can help bring back the shot creation and guard depth the team needs.
The complication is that Gafford has played well enough to make moving him a real gamble. His recent improvement has only strengthened his value to Dallas, while the availability of other big men on the roster remains uncertain enough to make the center spot feel less secure than it did a few weeks ago. For a team trying to sharpen its playoff rotation, that leaves the Mavericks weighing whether fixing one weakness is worth creating another. [Read more 🡒]