The Dallas Mavericks had plenty of offseason turmoil in their front office and coaching staff, but that has not affected the 2021-22 season too much so far. While newly hired head coach Jason Kidd has been criticized for some of his decisions, he has led this Mavs franchise to a 6-3 start to their campaign, even despite some uncharacteristic offensive struggles.

It's fair to argue that Dallas has not toppled any serious championship contender yet in the first nine games, but the performance of their team has been commendable as they continue to adjust to the culture and environment imparted by Kidd. Moreover, the star duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis still can be much better, as can this offense in general.

Thus, here are three main reasons why the Mavs could still improve on their play and be one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

3 reasons to be optimistic about the Dallas Mavericks

1. Doncic, Porzingis can improve on both ends

Luka Doncic is a superstar player who just hit an incredible buzzer-beater to beat the Boston Celtics on Saturday, but we know he has a higher level to his game. His point production this season is at just 24.9 points per game after tallying 27.7 markers last season, while his efficiency could still be immensely improved. He's shooting just 43.8% from the field and 28.8% from behind the arc. In the next few weeks, Doncic will likely find his rhythm and increase his scoring production to close to 30 points a game once again.

As Porzingis is signed to a superstar deal, he must live up to those expectations if the Mavericks are aspiring to earn that Larry O'Brien Trophy this season. There are spurts of him being unstoppable offensively and defensively, such as the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers in the bubble. Porzingis needs to stay healthy, though, with a back injury already forcing him to miss some time.

If this duo ever gets fully on track, Dallas will be a force to be reckoned with.

2. Plethora of shooters surrounding Doncic

Ever since the arrival of Doncic, the Mavericks organization has surrounded him with shooters all over the floor because of his tremendous floor vision. He can find any individual open even if the space is tight or the defenses are clamping down on his teammates. Sharpshooters like Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock have a ton of time to set their feet and attempt numerous shots every single game.

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The Mavericks are taking plenty of open shots from behind the arc, but they are currently shooting only 30.9% on 3s, which is the fourth-worst mark in the league. Dallas will surely improve on this number and possibly reach the top 10 or top 15 in the league. When this occurs for this franchise, the Mavs' offense will take a major jump back to the normal elite levels.

3. Versatility on both ends of the floor

Just a few years ago, Dallas had the best offense in NBA history under Rick Carlisle. The Mavs' offense has dropped off to just 23rd in the league, but the coming improvement in 3-point shooting will boost that and this group should be humming in no time.

Meanwhile, the defense is the more important aspect that Dallas must focus on when hitting the biggest stage. So far, they are better at the defensive end with a 107.4 defensive rating under the system of Kidd. This number isn't elite, but it's at least competent.

With the additions of Bullock and Frank Ntilikina, they have added two fantastic perimeter defenders who can contain some of the best guards and wings in the Association. When it comes to their interior defense, Porzingis is still the anchor as he is averaging close to two blocks per game. With the enormous height on this roster with other bigs such as Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, Willie Cauley-Stein and Boban Marjanovic, they must protect the paint and be there to help when slashers attack the rim.

As the Mavericks are currently third in the West, it is not far-fetched for them to remain at this seeding by April, but they must still continue developing and growing under the tutelage of Kidd.