The four giants have formed a powerhouse in the West, and the biggest rival on the Thunder's path to defending their title has emerged.

This offseason, the Western teams have indeed made dazzling improvements. The league still shows a trend of strength in the West and weakness in the East, with many teams in the West recruiting star players. Currently, several teams boast a collection of stars, but while the offseason excitement is familiar, only a few teams can translate that into significant changes in their performance for the new season. Many teams have made substantial signings, yet their performance in the upcoming season may not reflect that effort. However, this offseason, there is one team that is poised for a qualitative change; if they can maintain their health, they will be a superpower in the West next season, and that team is the Dallas Mavericks.

Many fans might wonder why the Mavericks will become a super team in the upcoming season. This offseason, the Clippers, Lakers, and Rockets have all made significant signings, so why will the Mavericks stand out as a super team in the West? We need to analyze their roster structure to understand this.

Although many teams in the West have made considerable signings, there are concerns about the balance of their players on both ends of the court. For example, while the Rockets have acquired Durant, they have several players with excellent offensive skills but poor defensive abilities, and vice versa. The balance in offense and defense seems unsatisfactory. The Lakers also clearly lean more towards offense than defense. The Clippers, too, currently have players whose overall defensive capabilities are not particularly strong. Players like Beal and Bogdanović raise concerns about their defensive skills.

In contrast, the Mavericks possess the strongest interior presence in the league. With Davis fully healthy next season, he will provide significant dominance on both ends of the court. The Mavericks will feature a roster of four stars next season: Irving, Thompson, Davis, and Flagg. Additionally, it’s important to note that Flagg is also a player with formidable defensive skills. While he may not be heavily involved in the offense next season, his defensive abilities will undoubtedly impact the team. He can sweep across the three and four positions, and his defensive mobility is exactly what the Mavericks need. The Mavericks have an outstanding interior configuration, top-notch shooters, and two guards with strong ball-handling skills. They truly are the most balanced team in the West for the upcoming season.

Next season, the Thunder will become the focal point of study for all teams. In recent years, very few teams have achieved back-to-back championships, with different champions emerging each year. Therefore, the Mavericks should be the biggest challenge for the Thunder on their road to defending their title next season.