National Basketball Association

7 Must Watch Games for the Dallas Mavericks This Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 11, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (left) and guard Justin Anderson (right) celebrate a basket by the Mavericks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Thunder 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks season is always full of ups and downs, each game mattering more than the last. This season, here are just a few of the games you won’t want to miss.

The NBA season is nearly here and with it, the Mavericks are just one week away from the first game of the regular season. A lot of things need to be figured out before then, but that is not going to limit our excitement in any way.

Because of the excitement and nerves that Mavs fans and us here at The Smoking Cuban have for the upcoming season, we decided to do a little countdown to the first game of the year. With the first part of the countdown, we will take a look at 7 of the most exciting, must see games for Dallas.

When we think about the Dallas Mavs schedule, there are a lot of important games that could make or break the season. It is impossible to predict just how everything is going to go this year, so these games may not be as important by the time they roll around. But, as of now, these are the games that pop out with potential excitement and thrill during the season.

Here are the 7 ‘Must See’ Dallas Mavs games this upcoming season:

Mar 12, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11) and Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) go for a loose ball during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

October 26th- Mavericks @ Pacers

The Mavericks open the NBA season a week from today against the Indiana Pacers. This is the moment we have all been waiting for as it has been a crazy summer full of unexpected moves, heartbreak, and then overwhelming excitement.

For the first time, MFFLs will be able to see this team play together in a game that matters. Getting no walk in the park schedule right off the bat, the Mavs will have their hands full with Eastern Conference hopefuls in the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers are led by the comeback player of the year in Paul George, who is ready to compete for an MVP award this season. The Pacers also have former Maverick, Monta Ellis running and gunning like he always does.

Rounding out the starting 5 that we should see on opening night is Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young, and Myles Turner.

Dallas will start off on the right foot if they can snag a win over the Pacers. Confidence may be key for this young and newly acquired team to be ready to compete at the highest level for an entire season. Count on seeing a lot of leadership from Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams, and Wesley Matthews.

Dec 30, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) dribbles as Dallas Mavericks center Zaza Pachulia (27) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

November 9th- Mavericks @ Warriors

Aside from being the defending Western Conference Champions and just another season removed from an NBA title, the Golden State Warriors are one of the most exciting opponents for Dallas this year. Of course, it starts with the chance to take down the heavy favorites in the West.

The Warriors, of course, added Kevin Durant to their already All-Star caliber roster, making them one of the scariest lineups in NBA history on paper. It remains to be seen whether these players will be capable of putting it all together, but no matter what happens, they will be dangerous.

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A win for the Mavs over a team like the Warriors would boost the confidence immensely for most of these younger players and for the team as a whole. These are not the only reasons this game is exciting, though.

For the first time, Harrison Barnes will be playing against the Warriors instead of for them. Barnes has been the starter for Golden State the last few years and is finally able to spread his wings a little bit with a new team.

The Mavs also added Andrew Bogut from the starting lineup of the former NBA Champions, giving them a presence in the middle they have been looking for. Bogut will be a force against his previous team and is excited to be in Dallas.

Of course, not all news is good news. Dallas will be playing against a former fan favorite, Zaza Pachulia when they meet with the Warriors in November. He is sure to receive a warm welcome back once the Warriors make their way down to the American Airlines Center.

Apr 8, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

November 18th- Mavericks Vs. Grizzlies

The Mavericks first meeting with the Grizzlies is scheduled for November 18th in Dallas. This will be one that Mavericks fans should look forward to. It will be the first time Chandler Parsons returns to Dallas after leaving in free agency this past summer.

Many people are anticipating this game in large part to see how the fans will react to seeing Parsons. CP spent only 2 years in Dallas before leaving the squad and fans are upset that they did not get to see him at his peak.

Of course, other fans tend to look past it a little because of the frustrating injuries that took place during his time here. Injuries are mostly unpredictable and can have lasting side effects that are unknown to those around.

For the majority, however, Parsons is just another guy that is no longer with the team and we will look forward to seeing the current Mavs on the court in this one.

Mar 7, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) is knocked to the floor during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

November 23rd- Mavericks Vs. Clippers

The matchup with the Clippers has quickly become one of the Mavericks bigger rivalry games each time the two meet up. It all started of course with the indecision of DeAndre Jordan during the free agency period last year.

Since then, Mavs fans look forward to every time the Clips walk in to the American Airlines Center. The chance to boo and yell at DeAndre as much as humanly possible is enticing for many people. It is a pretty fun time for those who haven’t seen it.

Aside from this fact, the Los Angeles Clippers are just another Western Conference powerhouse that can help the Mavs chances at the playoffs with a win. If the team can slow down the stacked lineup of LAC, it will be signs of good things to come.

Former Maverick, Raymond Felton will also be playing for the Clippers this season and is sure to get a big round of applause from the Mavs crowd.

Apr 25, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Justin Anderson (1) hits Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) with an elbow during while fighting for a loose ball during the fourth quarter in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

January 6th- Mavericks @ Thunder

This game is one that Mavericks fans will undoubtedly be ready for when it finally comes around in January. The Oklahoma City Thunder knocked the Mavs out of the playoffs last year and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Between the dangerous combination of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, the Mavs were no match for the Thunder. Dallas tried to stay physical and the games got very chippy at times, but in the end it was not close.

Now that OKC is without Durant, the Mavs may have the upper hand in the matchup. It will be a sweet day when Dallas can overtake the Thunder again. There is no doubt that Mavs fans all over will be licking their lips when the Thunder are no longer a powerhouse in the West.

Nov 3, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Bismack Biyombo (8) and Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris (34) fight for the loose ball during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Raptors defeat the Mavericks 102-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

March 13th- Mavericks @ Raptors

This game really is not all that important for Dallas. Toronto is an Eastern conference team that is stronger than most, but still not the biggest threat in the East. No, this is bigger than just a Mavericks game.

This game is all about one thing: Baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays just took down the Texas Rangers in the AL playoffs and it was not pretty. The Rangers lost one of their best chances at a title and it just so happened to be against one of the most hated teams in the MLB.

This will be the Mavs chance to get redemption for the Rangers. If Dallas can go to the Great White North and beat the Raptors, it would be a sweet thing for us baseball fans.

Apr 13, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (14) guards Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Spurs defeat the Mavericks 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

April 7th- Mavericks Vs. Spurs

This is one of the last games for the Mavericks in the regular season and could be a very important one to determine the playoff position for Dallas. The Spurs will again be one of the top teams in the West this season so their spot will be nearly solidified by this time.

The Mavs and Spurs will be rivals as long as the two franchises are around, but this game could be extra sweet for Dallas. Aside from the obvious years of fighting for position back and forth, this game could be the most exciting of all.

Dirk Nowitzki is only 1,928 points behind Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA All-Time Scoring List. With his season average where it is and the amount of games he is expected to play, this is right around the time that Dirk could move into the top 5 on the All-Time Scoring List.

If Dirk could do this at home against our biggest rivals, it would be one of the biggest moments in Mavericks history. Hopefully this is the game we are all looking forward to.

Needless to say, every Mavs game has the potential to excite and energize a crowd in a matter of seconds. Dallas is sure to have many fun games and an exciting season with the new personnel but, for me, these will be the games fans will want to clear the schedule for.

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