The Dallas Mavericks are a good basketball team, but were not viewed as legitimate threats to win an NBA title. Maybe that's what prompted Mavs owner Mark Cuban to shock the NBA world at the trade deadline, sending Kristaps Porzingis to Washington for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. On its face, it appeared like a lob sided trade against Dallas. After all, Bertans is a back up center at best and Dinwiddie is a decent player, but doesn't have close to the ceiling of Porzingis. Well, it appears the Mavs are the ones laughing now.

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Porzingis is still yet to play a single game for the Wizards with a right knee bone bruise. Meanwhile, Dinwiddie and the Mavs have won five of seven since the trade. During the seven games, superstar Luka Doncic has taken his game to another level. Doncic is averaging 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game since Porzingis was traded away.

However, in the top heavy western conference, Doncic is going to need more help if the Mavs want to make some real noise.

Here are my 3 bold predictions for the rest of the Dallas Mavericks 2021-2022 NBA season.

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Dallas Mavericks: 3 bold predictions for rest of 2021-2022 NBA season

3. LUKA DONCIC PLAYS HIS WAY INTO MVP CONSIDERATION

Quietly, Doncic is having another stellar season. He is posting 28 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. He is also averaging career highs on the defensive end, with 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Obviously, those are some of the best numbers you will find around the league. Yet, there has been a lot less talk about his play.

Part of that is because Stephen Curry came out on fire, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all balling out, and the Mavs are only fifth in the west.

The emergence of Ja Morant has filled the gap this season as the non-traditional name in the MVP conversation. Morant is also having an unbelievable season, and has his Memphis Grizzlies in third out west.

But as the regular season comes to a close, more and more people are going to start to notice just what Doncic is doing. Keep in mind, he is doing this without a superstar beside him.

Do I think he actually has any chance of winning league MVP this year? No, I do not. But I believe he will at least draw some attention and conversation surrounding his name.

2. SPENCER DINWIDDIE JUSTIFIES THE TRADE

As Porzingis misses more time, the trade looks worse and worse for Washington. There has even been speculation that the Wizards might just shut him down for the season. I pray they don't, for my fantasy basketball team's sake. But I digress.

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Even if he does return, the play of Dinwiddie is already making Mark Cuban look like a genius. Well, if he wasn't considered a genius already. Dinwiddie's level of efficiency is off the charts since arriving in Dallas.

https://twitter.com/MavsDJR/status/1499498722543403009

The new Mavs star is shooting almost 60 percent from the floor and better than 44 percent from downtown. The 14 points per game is also a little misleading as he only scored four and eight points in his first two games, respectively. He was still learning the offense. Over the last three, he has scored 20 or more twice.

Prior to the trade, Dinwiddie was struggling with shot at under 40 percent from the field. Sometimes, a change in scenery is all that a player needs. It's also possible that taking a back seat to someone like Doncic takes pressure off and opens up cleaner looks.

There are still two years remaining on Dinwiddie's current contract. So, the Mavs will likely have this combo of Doncic and Dinwiddie together for a little while.

1. MAVS FINISH AS #5 SEED, OUSTED EARLY IN PLAYOFFS

Even though I believe the Mavs improved at the deadline, I don't think that was enough to overcome some of the western conference's elite teams.

Dallas is currently the #5 seed. They are a game ahead of the Denver Nuggets and three games back of the Utah Jazz for home court. I think they will finish where they are right. Utah will also stay put, pitting the Mavs and Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.

Thus far this season, Dallas is 0-2 against Utah. The first of which Doncic did not play. But the second loss was just the other day, with the new look Mavs playing well. Dallas has had a hard time slowing down Donovan Mitchell this season. They also do not have someone that can negate the paint presence of Rudy Gobert. It's a difficult matchup for the Mavs that ultimately, will end their season.