The Dallas Mavericks came up just short in their quest to win the NBA title last season and Tracy McGrady is backing them to get over the line in 2024-25. McGrady took to Instagram recently to reveal the Mavericks are his pick to win the title this upcoming season.
“I can’t see the (Boston) Celtics doing it again,” McGrady said. “F*** it man, Luka (Doncic) gon’ sweep the board… My preseason pick for NBA champ is gonna be the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas made it there last year, I got Luka being the regular season MVP.
“Adding Klay Thompson I think is gonna make them a favorite, definitely a contender,” McGrady continued. “I mean why not? They definitely was a contender without Klay. So, my NBA Finals pick is gonna be Luka Doncic. He’s gonna sweep the MVP this year. He’s gonna win it in the regular season and he’s gonna win NBA Finals. Luka Doncic is taking home two MVP trophies along with the Larry O’Brien trophy.”
McGrady had earlier predicted that Luka Doncic would win MVP in 2024-25. The 45-year-old is all aboard the Doncic hype train leading into the new season.
The Mavericks certainly are among the favorites to win the title at this point. They have Doncic, one of the very best players in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving, a great second star. The two have a fine supporting cast around them, too, with Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II being great fits next to the duo.
The Mavericks were the fifth seed in the West with a 50-32 record last season and I back them to improve on that in 2024-25. This is a young team, except for Irving and Thompson, and they should keep getting better with time.
The question, though, is do they look good enough for me to back them to win it all next season? No. I have the Boston Celtics, who beat the Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals, as the favorites as of now.
Mavericks GM Believes Klay Thompson Was The Missing Piece For Them
McGrady pointed to the Mavericks adding Thompson as one of the reasons he is backing them to win the title and their GM Nico Harrison believes he was the missing piece. Harrison stated the Mavericks were “a Klay away” from winning it all.
“Honestly, after the Finals, we felt that we were close,” said Harrison. “Well, we knew we were close, and, I kind of say this—it has a good ring to it—but we were a Klay away. And we feel like he’s the guy that can take us over the top.”
Well, the Mavericks certainly could have used Thompson’s shooting in the Finals, as they shot 31.6% from beyond the arc in the series against the Celtics. On paper, a marksman like him is a terrific addition but the early signs aren’t too promising.
Thompson averaged just 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.3 blocks per game in the preseason while shooting 24.1% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. He won’t be the missing piece for any team if that keeps up, but I do expect the four-time NBA champion to play better when the season starts. Will Thompson be a game-changer, though? Time will tell.
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