Dallas Mavericks Hold Solid Odds To Win Tough Emirates NBA Cup Group

Can the Dallas Mavericks survive an incredibly tough NBA Cup group draw?

Dec 18, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks' Emirates NBA Cup group draw did the club no favors. A season after reaching the NBA Finals, the Mavericks' first chance at earning some hardware will come in the revamped in-season tournament.

While no NBA Cup group in the Western Conference is "easy" -- given the conference's depth all around -- the Mavericks easily got the hardest group of the three. They're joined in West Group C by the Denver Nuggets, who finished second in the Western Conference a season ago, along with the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Golden State Warriors.

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The group is unique because each team should look slightly different next season. The Warriors lost Klay Thompson, who the Mavericks now have on their side during the battle. The Nuggets lost a starter in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Grizzlies will bring Ja Morant back into the starting lineup for a full season and the Pelicans added Dejounte Murray.

So, two of the teams will take a slight step back with the other two improving their starting lineups from a season ago. The Mavericks made strong offseason additions after making the NBA Finals, though, so it's a shock they're not favorites to win the group.

According to ESPN BET, the Nuggets (+275) are favorites to win West Group C, with the Mavericks shortly trailing at +300. The Grizzlies and Pelicans are tied at +350 odds to win the group, with the Warriors having the worst odds at +500.

The Mavericks' trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, surrounded by a great supporting cast, should be enough for Dallas to take the group, though they're going to be facing Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic, Zion Williamson, and more in their NBA Cup journey.

Winning the NBA Cup would be a great confidence booster for Dallas, but their goal for the entire season should be to return to the NBA Finals, this time taking the seven-game series and being crowned world champions.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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