Kristaps Porzingis – Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is going to be an MVP-frontrunner all season long in Dallas, but this Dallas Mavericks team is still a long way away from being a championship contender. This is because Kristaps Porzingis has not been the former All-Star he used to be and his inconsistent play is hard to monitor at this point.
There was some discussion this offseason internally for the Dallas Mavericks on whether or not they should trade Porzingis and ultimately, they decided to give him another shot next to Doncic. Dallas truly believes that this pair can bring them past the first round in the playoffs, but in the last two seasons, the Mavericks have lost to the Clippers in Round 1 of the postseason.
The 2021-22 season is going to be a big year not just for Dallas Mavericks as a team, but Kristaps Porzingis and his future as a high-level talent in this league. While he is under contract through the 2023-24 season, the Mavericks could and will look to trade him before the trade deadline this season if the 7’3” All-Star is not producing like he should be.
Maybe new head coach Jason Kidd will be able to get more out of Porzingis this season than Rick Carlisle was able to get out of him the last two seasons, but the Mavericks are really going to have to change their approach with him in order to be a real contender in the Western Conference.
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Having the ability to shoot three-pointers is a big deal for a player like Kristaps Porzingis in a team’s frontcourt, but he cannot be attempting upwards of 7 attempts per game like he did during the 2019-20 season. Being 7’3”, there is no reason or excuses that can be made on why Porzingis cannot be dominant in the paint for the Dallas Mavericks on both ends of the court.
Running plays to get Kristaps Porzingis in the paint on offense and being the recipient of lobs to the rim from Luka Doncic must be a point of emphasis for this team heading into the 2021-22 season, otherwise having him on the roster makes no sense. No player in the league can really block Porzingis’ shot and as a result, he needs to be able to have a 20-plus point and 10-plus rebound season this year.
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If he is not pulling his weight by midseason, the Mavericks will definitely look to trade the Latvian big man, especially since his contract is not favorable whatsoever given his production through the years.
