With the regular season entering its final stretch, several teams are poised to flip the script and work their way into championship shape. One such team that can emerge as a dark horse threat is the Dallas Mavericks. Despite possessing the likes of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas’ ability to be a legit title contender was questioned throughout the first half due to their lack of front-court depth. Injuries to Maxi Kleber and rookie Dereck Lively II further compounded their struggles.

The Mavs went into the trade deadline with pressing needs at their starting power forward and backup center positions and came out as one of the biggest winners, adding P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to bolster their front line. Now that they have addressed all the issues that hindered the team from reaching its full potential, some analysts are gaining confidence in the possibility of the team making a deep postseason run.

Can the Dallas Mavericks make a deep playoff run this season?

In the recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, Jeff Teague and the panel mediated on why Dallas might hit a stride now. Notably, they were on a seven-game winning streak before losing to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon. The primary factor behind whatever success they had in the first half, despite a lack of frontcourt depth, is their formidable backcourt duo of Irving and Doncic, which has propelled them to the eighth spot in the West. “Nobody can guard Luka…And then if you got to worry about Luka and you got your second best defender on Kyrie…Y’all cooked,” said the former Milwaukee Bucks guard. Luka is indeed one of the most unguardable players. He has been exceptional this season, making his way into the MVP conversation with strong averages of 34.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.

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Teague also suggested that with the team finding its stride, Kyrie might finally receive the recognition he deserves. “I think Kyrie has been overlooked this year…People not really talking about him people like kind of forget that he ‘him.’ He one of them. So, I feel like it’s the opportunity for him hit his stride, and then they get in the playoffs and we know what Kyrie can do in the playoff situation.”

Additionally, with the trade deadline acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, they now have the advantage of running “small-ball” lineups without actually being too small. If Gafford and Washington can continue to produce as they have through the first half of the season, the team will be poised to make a deep run into the postseason. Moreover, regaining various vital players from injury absences has further sweetened their chances of making a playoff push in a stacked Western Conference.

The team has gone 7-2 in February, with their only two losses coming at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers. If they keep performing at the same level, they can even emerge as a significant threat after they make it to the big dance.

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