2026 NBA draft thread

[Scott41theMavs]

Lively hate detected.

The 26-win squad last year:

Flagg | Nembhard
Max | BWill
Naji | Klay
PJW | Martin
Gafford | Powell


I'd be a bit more optimistic this season if the tanking rules weren't just changed. On paper, the 26-27 Mavericks should be much better than what they rolled out there last season. The problem is that almost all of the other bad teams improved also, and none should be tanking again. A ~35-win season seems very realistic... even factoring in the Kyrie and Lively missed games. I think that'll be enough to flirt with the play-in. The only clear cut 50+ win teams in the West are Spurs and Thunder. Feels like 'the rest' will just beat up on each other.

Does that classify as tempered expectations? Once we have a record prediction thread, I think we'll see a TON of people around that 35-win number (+/- a few games). 

I'm not tempered at all. Put me down for 49 wins.