Consider the Dallas Mavericks as the NBA moves towards the restart of the 2019-20 season. They’re fascinating. Outside of their two stars, it’s hard to imagine that the team would find success, let alone be an offensive juggernaut. Yet, that’s exactly what the Mavericks are.
Currently, they are seventh in the Western conference with a 40-27 record, a data point which indicates a team on the outside looking in on the league’s elite teams. That notion belies the fact that they also boast the league’s sixth best point differential at +6.1—point differential is historically an indicator of a quality team.