Mavericks 2017-18 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks will be looking for a turnaround in 2017-18 after finishing with a losing record for the first time in 17 years last season and missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.
Owner Mark Cuban has been building around an aging roster for a long time, including a group that had the fourth-oldest average age at the start of last season, but there is starting to be a youth movement with both veterans and rookies—including Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr. and Yogi Ferrell.
Dirk Nowitzki, who signed a two-year extension in July, remains the face of the organization at the age of 39. As the Mavs' transition continues next season, here's a look at the schedule they will face, NBA title odds and a prediction for how they will fare.
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Mavericks 2017-18 Season Information
Season Opener: Oct. 18 vs. Atlanta Hawks
Championship Odds: 300-1 (via OddsShark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
San Antonio Spurs: Nov. 14, Nov. 27, Dec. 12, Dec. 16
There was a time when the Mavs vs. Spurs would have been a measuring stick game for both teams in the Western Conference.
The Spurs remain one of the best teams in the NBA, but the Mavs are trying to build themselves back up to that level. San Antonio won three of the four head-to-head meetings last year, with Dallas' lone win coming on Jan. 29.
In a sign of just how far the Mavs fell last season, one of their losses against the Spurs came on April 7 with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on the bench.
After that 102-89 defeat, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle posited his theory as to why San Antonio remains atop the NBA standings year after year for the past 20 seasons.
"They've done a great job with continuity there. That's no secret," Carlisle said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "They've done good work in free agency and they have a great young player in Leonard who is probably more important than any of those guys in kind of transitioning the thing forward."
The Mavericks need to establish what the core of their roster is going to be. Barnes is the most obvious candidate to take over the mantle from Nowitzki. He led the team in scoring and is still in the prime of his career.
Smith and Nerlens Noel can be the additional pieces to give Dallas a strong foundation trio. Rebuilding in the Western Conference is going to lead to some ugly records, but at least the Mavs are starting to embrace their need to change the roster with the hopes of competing for a title down the line.
New Orleans Pelicans: Nov. 3, Dec. 29, March 4, March 20,
Sticking with the Southwest Division, the Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans were locked in a futile battle for the bottom of the standings.
The Mavericks ultimately "won" that showdown, finishing one game worse than the Pelicans. There are stark differences between the way both clubs went about their business last season.
In trying to make a splash in their quest for a playoff spot, the Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins in a trade with the Sacramento Kings at the All-Star break. It backfired, at least in their first season together, as the team went just 11-14 over the final 25 games.
The Mavericks made moves to get away from some aging, veteran players—trading Andrew Bogut and waiving Deron Williams in February—who weren't going to factor into their long-term plans.
The Pelicans had to make a drastic move because they can't continue to watch Anthony Davis' prime years go by without doing something to surround him with high-upside talent.
It's not going to be a sexy matchup that will generate a lot of national attention because neither team is flashy, but the Mavs and Pelicans are both at fascinating crossroads with their respective rosters as they fight for relevance in the Western Conference.
Record Prediction
Based on the NBA title odds listed above, the Mavericks are tied with the Denver Nuggets as the fifth-worst team in the Western Conference. The only teams below them include the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers.
It stands to reason the Mavs will see a drop in wins for the third straight season, even though they look better on paper this year. Smith has the potential to develop into a star point guard, especially on the offensive end.
"Dallas has been in search of a franchise point guard for a long time, and hopes Smith will be that," Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo wrote after Smith was drafted. "He's an explosive athlete and talented scorer who can make plays off the dribble and comes with a ton of upside. This is great value for the Mavericks, who gain a legitimate long-term asset as they continue to prepare for the post-Dirk era."
Noel is a terrific defensive player who does just enough on offense to force defenses to respect him inside.
The problem is they play in the same division as the Spurs and Houston Rockets. The Western Conference also features the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, a much-improved Minnesota Timberwolves team and an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that features Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
There aren't going to be many easy nights for the Mavs against Western Conference competition, though they will hardly be alone in that category.
Prediction: 31-51
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
