The Dallas Mavericks kicked off their 2024-25 NBA campaign with a strong 120-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It was a great win for the reigning Western Conference champions, but Charles Barkley believes they will not reach the same heights this season, noting on Inside the NBA that they got lucky last year, and that they are a bottom six, seven, or eight seed.

"I think they're a middle-of-the-road team in the Western Conference. I think they got lucky last year because of match-ups. Everything worked out perfectly. But this year, I think Phoenix is better, New Orleans is gonna be better, the Lakers are going to be solid, Memphis is going to be good, I think Dallas is a bottom of the West, six, seven, or eight seed. They're going to be somewhere around there this year."

With all due respect to Charles Barkley, his claim that the Dallas Mavericks got lucky last year is ludicrous. The Mavericks, despite being the fifth seed and not having home-court advantage in any of their series in the West, defeated the LA Clippers with Paul George, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard.

After that, they went on to beat the number one team in the Western Conference in the Oklahoma City Thunder. And in the Western Conference Finals, they trounced the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team that was responsible for eliminating the defending champions Denver Nuggets.

While the Mavericks underwhelmed in the NBA Finals against the Celtics, there is no doubt that they earned their keep in the playoffs and were the best-performing team out of the Western Conference. And now with the addition of Klay Thompson, who got off to a brilliant start in Mavericks colors, they have only gotten stronger in their quest to return to the NBA Finals stage.

Klay Thompson's Record-Breaking Debut

The Dallas Mavericks started their 2024-25 NBA season off with a big win over the San Antonio Spurs. In what was a statement victory for the Mavericks, Luka Doncic played well, despite some struggles shooting, as he put up 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block. Doncic shot 9-25 from the field, 4-11 from three, and 6-8 from the free-throw line

Klay Thompson bounced back from a difficult preseason run to deliver 21 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and three steals.

Thompson broke the record for most three-pointers made in a Mavericks' debut, as he shot 6-10 from deep, while shooting 7-13 from the field and 2-2 from the stripe. Klay had a wholesome reaction to his record-breaking debut with the Mavs.

Kyrie Irving had a quiet night by his lofty standards, as he scored 15 points, with three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. The big trio for the Mavericks delivered, and if they can maintain this level of production for the rest of the season, the Mavericks will be one of the best teams in the West, if not the entire NBA.

Too Early to Call?

Of course, it is too early to call right now, with the Mavs having to play another 81 games. But the early signs for this team are looking really good.

Mavs Got Lucky? Chuck's Takes are Outrageous

Barkley's claims that the Mavericks got lucky last season, and that they will be a bottom seed this year, are simply outrageous. The Mavericks were a dominant team in the playoffs, and with the addition of Klay Thompson, they have only gotten better. Barkley's takes are just entertainment, and should be treated as such. The Mavericks are a team with a lot of talent and potential, and they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.