ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently ranked the Dallas Mavericks as the fifth-best NBA team. Windhorst placed the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves in front. The 46-year-old was arguably accurate, as the Celtics, Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves are all excellent teams that won’t back down in the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Windhort might or might not be right in his latest ranking. The Mavericks are coming off a 2024 NBA Finals appearance despite losing to the Celtics in five games. Here’s what you need to know about Windhorst’s ranking.
Brian Windhorst’s NBA Preseason Rankings
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst recently released his 2024 NBA preseason rankings, which are arguably right. Still, there’s room for discussion due to the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA Finals appearance this past June. The Boston Celtics deserve to be on the top of Windhort’s rankings as the defending NBA champions. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves are all improved teams compared to previous seasons in recent years.
Brian Windhorst’s Dallas Mavericks Ranking
American sportswriter Brian Windhorst’s recent ranking of the Dallas Mavericks was fair enough. But the Mavericks might not be the fifth-best team in the NBA.
The Mavericks won the Western Conference this year. Some have described the Mavericks’ addition of then-free-agent shooting guard Klay Thompson to the roster as an underrated pickup. Sure, Thompson is an aging, injury-prone guard, but he’s still a veteran sharpshooter with experience and an impact player.
This past postseason, the Mavericks seemed to be missing a knockdown shooter like Thompson who could take some pressure off Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic, 25, and Irving, 32, are two dynamic playmakers on the Mavericks’ roster.
Brian Windhorst Might Be Right
Brian Windhorst, also known as Windy, might be right in his recent ranking of the Dallas Mavericks as the fifth-best team in the NBA.
The Mavericks might not meet the public’s expectations this upcoming season. The Mavericks’ addition of Klay Thompson might not work out, especially if Thompson starts slow and doesn’t pick up the pace like he did with the Golden State Warriors in 2023-24. The 34-year-old must stay consistent to succeed in Dallas.
The Mavericks can’t completely rely on the services of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, a talented duo who cannot carry the team on their backs. Their impressive 29-9 record faltered when they met the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Windhorst publicly criticized Doncic after the Mavericks’ Game 3 loss to the Celtics on June 12, 2024. Windhorst’s public criticism was centered on Doncic’s costly late-game foul. It’s arguably Doncic and an NBA title or bust.
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