Dallas Mavericks Preview - NBA Team Previews 2022-23

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Published on September 26, 2022

2022-23 Dallas Mavericks Team Preview

The Mavericks underwent a shake-up this offseason. Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks, while the front office traded for Christian Wood and inked JaVale McGee to a contract. Maxi Kleber was re-signed as well.

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2021-22 Record: 52-30; lost in Western Conference Finals to Warriors

2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 48.5 wins (DraftKings)

2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +2000 (DraftKings)

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Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Projections, customizable for your league settings.

Dallas Mavericks Fantasy Basketball Preview

Luka Doncic

Doncic entered last season firmly in the discussion among the top players to select in fantasy. He came through with another monster stat line, averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.1 three-pointers per game. He had a career-high 37.4 percent usage rate, which was also the highest mark in the NBA. If there was a downside, it's that his 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 74.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line are nothing to write home about. The Mavericks bolstered their frontcourt over the summer by adding Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, filling an area of significant need. However, they lost Jalen Brunson to the Knicks and didn't make any noteworthy additions at the guard spot, leaving Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. as Doncic's top running mates. If he could improve his free-throw shooting percentage to around 80 percent, Doncic could be the top player in all of fantasy. Even if he doesn't, he's still a top target who should be gone by the end of the first round of all leagues. His floor is as high as anyone's, and his ceiling is a player who could average 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 3.0 three-pointers.

Dorian Finney-Smith

Finney-Smith continues to be one of the better undrafted development stories in the NBA. After going unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft, he's been making steady improvement with Dallas each season. Last year was no exception, as he claimed his best per-game fantasy rank (117). His stats don't jump off the page, but he's been great as a three-and-D option, registering 2.2 threes and 1.6 combined steals-plus-blocks per game. Also, in his 33.1 minutes, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists -- the points, assists, steals and threes all represented career marks. His 59.5 effective field-goal percentage ranked 11th in the NBA, fueled by a 47.1 percent mark from the field and 39.5 percent from deep. Fantasy managers should expect more of the same from Finney-Smith this season. Dallas is a relatively shallow roster, so despite the frontcourt addition of Christian Wood, Finney-Smith could still see 30 minutes per game. His role shouldn't change much. He's a catch-and-shoot player, and nearly all his baskets (88 percent) are assisted. That won't change with Luka Doncic running the show. Fantasy managers in standard leagues who need some bench production can turn to Finney-Smith at the end of drafts, but his upside remains extremely low. He's better suited for deeper leagues.

Christian Wood

The 2021-22 season marked Wood's second season as the Rockets' starting center. Though his points per game (17.9) decreased compared to the previous year, he increased his rebounds (10.1) and assists (2.3) while maintaining efficiency from the field (50.1 FG%) and from three (1.9 makes on 39.0%). His free-throw percentage (62.3%) remains a concern, though he's shot better in prior seasons -- as high as 74.4 percent in 2019-20 with the Pistons. During the offseason, Wood was traded to the Mavericks, and he'll be pairing up with superstar Luka Doncic. With Jalen Brunson out of the picture, Wood will, in theory, be a candidate to become Dallas' No. 2 option, competing mainly with Tim Hardaway for that role. However, oddly, both are expected to come off the bench. Given that Wood has managed to be efficient despite being on bad teams, fantasy managers can expect the big man to see more open looks than ever before, which could increase his field-goal percentage. Wood's ability to play both power forward and center due to his three-point shooting should help keep him on the court for a Mavs team that's not particularly deep, even if he's beginning the year as a reserve. Last season, he ranked 74th in per-game fantasy production, so he's a great option for managers who need a mid-to-late-round frontcourt boost.

JaVale McGee

McGee has bounced around the league since his debut in the 2008-09 season. He landed in a reserve role with the Suns last season, averaging 16 minutes over 74 games. Despite his limited time on the floor, he still managed to provide 9.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He also shot a robust 62.9 percent from the field, which was the fifth time in the last six seasons that he has shot at least 62.0 percent. Looking for a more prominent role, he signed a three-year, $17.2 million contract with the Mavericks this offseason, reportedly to be their starting center. The last time we saw him average over 20 minutes per game was with the Lakers during the 2018-19 season. Across 22 minutes per game that season, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The Mavericks also added Christian Wood, who is more than capable of holding down significant playing time at the five. Still, with McGee a potential option to play around 20 minutes per game, he's a viable late-round target for rebounds and blocks.

Tim Hardaway

Hardaway began last season in the starting five before Reggie Bullock replaced him in the unit Dec. 1. Though his workload decreased by seven minutes per game while coming off the bench, his stats didn't suffer much, and he increased his efficiency. However, a fractured foot in late January cut his season short at just 42 games. It was a challenging year for fantasy managers who rostered Hardway. In addition to the missed time, he shot poorly from the field, hitting just 39.7 percent of his field goals - the second worst of his career - and 75.7 percent of his free throws - the worst of his career. This season, Hardaway figures to appear off the bench again, with Christian Wood also checking in after tipoff. The two could form an intriguing bench unit, and Hardaway may get more involved in some additional two-man game. When coming off the bench last year, the 30-year-old averaged 13.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.2 minutes. If his overall play improves from last season, Hardaway may have back-end standard league relevance, though he'll still probably be best as a streaming option rather than someone to invest in on draft day.

Spencer Dinwiddie

Last offseason, Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Wizards after spending the previous half decade with the Nets. He was coming off a severe knee injury, limiting him to just three games in 2020-21. The veteran's performance with Washington was up and down, with the lows being awful. During a 14-game stretch from Nov. 17 through Dec. 18, he shot just 30.9 percent for 8.2 points per game. During a seven-game stretch from Jan. 23 through Feb. 17, he shot just 25.6 percent for 6.7 points per game. However, his performances picked up more consistently after he was traded to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis. During the guard's 23 games with the Mavs, he averaged 15.8 points on 50/40/73 shooting, 3.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 28.3 minutes. He continued solid play throughout the playoffs, hitting 41.7 percent of his 5.3 three-point attempts per game. Fantasy managers have a right to be skeptical about Dinwiddie's post-trade production since it was some of the best basketball of his career following some of the worst basketball of his career. However, the workload should at least remain steady. Dinwiddie, who is expected to start, doesn't have massive upside, but managers in deeper leagues can justify grabbing Dinwiddie towards the end of drafts.

Dallas Mavericks Depth Chart for 2022-23

Click ahead for a detailed Dallas Mavericks Depth Chart

Dallas Mavericks Predictions for 2022-23

The loss of Jalen Brunson will be impactful, though it will be dampened by the presence of Spencer Dinwiddie and the return of Tim Hardaway. Christian Wood coming off the bench is surprising, but he may be able to run the bench unit a bit, and he has fantastic upside if he can develop chemistry with Luka Doncic and buy in defensively.

Record Prediction

51-31
5-seed
Loses in second round

Bold Call

Luka Doncic will win his first Most Valuable Player award.

NBA Award Contenders

Luka Doncic, NBA MVP Odds (+425)
Christian Wood, NBA Most Improved Player Odds (+6600, PointsBet)
Christian Wood, Sixth Man of the Year Odds (+1000)
Spencer Dinwiddie, Sixth Man of the Year (+2000)
Tim Hardaway, Sixth Man of the Year (+5000)
Jaden Hardy, NBA Rookie of the Year Odds (+3500)