Mavs Expectations: Doncic Looks Great; Can Wood Make Dallas Contenders?

DallasBasketball.com’s Dalton Trigg joined the 77 Spaces show on Twitter to discuss many topics related to the Dallas Mavericks.

After coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, the Dallas Mavericks have set themselves up for high expectations heading into the 2022-23 season.

Can the additions of Jaden Hardy, JaVale McGee and Christian Wood negate the Mavs’ loss of Jalen Brunson? Could it potentially make Dallas even better than it was? Maybe … but that doesn’t mean the Mavs don’t have holes to fill before the playoffs arrive again.

On Wednesday evening, DallasBasketball.com’s Dalton Trigg joined the 77 Spaces show on Twitter Spaces to discuss that topic at length and give his official grade for the Mavs’ offseason. You can listen to the entire interview below, starting at the 33-minute mark:

We’re lit & live! News & Notes first then we welcome our Special Guest @ 6:30pm!! Come through #MFFL https://t.co/rbtT2FmNvi

— Lover&Fighter (@SpeakOnItRolo) August 17, 2022

After being criticized for his conditioning last season, Luka Doncic made it a point to stay on top of that this summer, and it appears to be paying off. With a little more than a month left until training camp begins, Doncic looks like he’s in great shape. He finished with 34 points in Slovenia’s overtime win over Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Wednesday

Doncic also broke out his Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-esque hook-shot for the second time this summer. Could this become a staple in his game going forward, or is he just simply just having some extra fun in these friendly exhibition matches?

The final topic discussed in this one relates to Mavs GM Nico Harrison’s first year on the job. So far, aside from not being able to retain Brunson, Harrison seems to have pulled all the right strings at the right times, although his moves might not be the flashiest. Do Mavs fans have more confidence in Harrison than they did in former GM Donnie Nelson? That question and many more get answered on this editon of 77 Spaces.

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You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg

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