Most believed we were destined to see the Phoenix Suns square off against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, as the two teams dominated the league throughout the regular season. That is until the Dallas Mavericks pushed Phoenix to seven games and shocked the world as Luka Doncic snatched the soul of the Suns on their home floor.

Fast forward a few months later, and it seems Dallas has put themselves in a position to make another deep playoff run, with the potential to elevate their play even higher. Although they may have lost Jalen Brunson in free agency, they may have come across a newfound hunger in Doncic, who has been actively working on getting in the best shape of his life this summer. After going toe to toe with the likes of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, and Stephen Curry through just his first three seasons in the league, a reinvigorated Doncic could spell trouble for the rest of the NBA.

With their rising star coming to form, the Mavericks took it upon themselves to be aggressive through the off-season, as they would go on to acquire Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets. Although the move won’t make them championship favorites, Wood is a nice alternative to Kristaps Porzingus, who Dallas originally intended would be the second star to Doncic. And while the expectations for Wood may not be nearly as high, the skilled forward vastly increases their length and versatility, with Spencer Dinwiddie now being the smallest guard in the lineup at 6-foot-5.

All in all, as these Mavericks continue to navigate their best way forward, the organization has made all the right moves in surrounding their superstar with enough talent to win now while preparing themselves for the future. With the further improvement from Doncic and the addition of Christian Wood, Dallas remains poised to contend while molding a championship vision they hope to pitch to the free agent class of 2023.