Matt Barnes’ Mavericks claim will catch fans’ attention

Former NBA forward and analyst Matt Barnes is high on the Dallas Mavericks as the All The Smoke podcast host is excited for the upcoming season. The highly anticipated debut of Mavericks’ first overall pick Cooper Flagg is just one of the many reasons Barnes believes Dallas could return to the NBA Finals. However, health, as is the case for most teams, is critical, especially for players such as Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.

Baring any significant injuries, Barnes believes Davis and the Mavericks could win the Western Conference in 2026, he said, per DLLS Mavs.

“If they can be healthy, I mean, obviously, losing Luka [Doncic] is a tough loss, but you’re getting an Anthony Davis, who when healthy has proven his worth, and they have a lot of great pieces,” Barnes said. “Kyrie’s starting to get back heatlhy. This team is a loaded team and if healthy, love J-Kidd, this is a team that can easily represent the Western Conference in the Finals in my opinion.”

For Barnes, Davis is key.

“Just being on the floor he is such a talent,” Barnes said. “His availability is gonna be crucial. His versatility on both ends. They have a tremendous anchor on their defensive backline now along with Cooper Flagg’s athleticism on that backline. His ability to obviously put the ball in the basket, draw double and triple teams, allowing his shooters to do what they do. So, he is going to be the key to this team.

“Obviously, Kyrie getting healthy and getting back on the court is going to be very important. But I think Anthony Davis’ availability with this core in the next few years is going to be key,” Barnes concluded.