Mavs want to add tough, physical defenders

After being eliminated by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, the Dallas Mavericks' offseason is underway. As the team looks to improve their roster, one of their top priorities is adding a veteran who provides toughness and physicality.

"The Mavs will look to add a tough vet or two this offseason. That's been the plan and this series has reinforced the reasoning. 'We need to get some dogs,' one member of the front office told me months ago," tweeted Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

"It's not just about having an enforcer for Luka Doncic," he added. "Mavs know they need to be much better than the 18th-ranked defense to have a good chance to win a championship."

Mike Fisher of 1053 The Fan confirmed that this is something Dallas hopes to address in the offseason, tweeting: "Mavs privately make little secret of desire to add to roster 'physical tough guy.' That's a defense/rebounding guy who can play at BOTH ends. And no, they don't mean 'thug-it-up.'"

Dallas was by far the best offensive team in the NBA this season, scoring 113.7 points per 100 possessions (and no other team scored more than 111.2 points per 100 possessions). However, they allowed 109.5 points per 100 possessions (which was No. 19 in the league).