Ceiling, floor for Dallas Mavericks: Can Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving coexist?

Dallas used a lottery pick to select Dereck Lively II, who could quickly factor into the frontcourt rotation. Measuring in at a towering 7-foot-1 and 234 pounds, Lively recorded 82 total blocks for Duke last season, second-most by a freshman in school history. Lively should quickly prove to be an upgrade defensively over the departed Christian Wood and JaVale McGee. Pairing Lively with offseason addition Grant Williams should provide extensive versatility to Dallas' defense. 

Williams has also proved to be a sniper on the offensive end, shooting 39.3% from three since the start of 2020-21. Seth Curry, who knocked down 40.5% of his three-point attempts last season, also returns to Dallas for his third stint with the franchise. With improved shooting surrounding Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks are capable of winning a playoff series in 2023-24.   

Floor: 40-42, miss playoffs and fire Jason Kidd 

While Doncic and Irving may fill up the box score, the duo didn't equate to many wins last season. Dallas was just 5-11 in games where both players were in the lineup. 

The jury is still out on whether the two stars can truly mesh, as both are ball-dominant players who are far from defensive stalwarts. Finishing last season as the league's sixth-worst rated defense (116.1), the Mavs are banking on their reworked frontcourt to mask their backcourt's shortcomings defensively. 

Ultimately, Dallas' defensive deficiencies may prove too difficult to overcome in a conference littered with offensive juggernauts, such as the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. 

Another 40-or-below-win season and back-to-back campaigns of missing the playoffs would likely halt Jason Kidd's tenure as head coach in Dallas.