The Dallas Mavericks had one of the most disappointing campaigns among the teams in the league last season.
Following their surprise Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022, they failed to build upon the momentum they established as an organization and took a step backward, both in terms of personnel and performance.
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After their run to the Conference Finals, they lost one of their most important pieces in Jalen Brunson, who spurned them in free agency after a breakout season, opting instead to sign with the New York Knicks.
Dallas failed to replace Brunson’s presence and production, and the roster took a noticeable hit in terms of talent.
Despite falling just short of the NBA Finals, led there by a 22-year-old superstar in Luka Doncic, the Mavericks brass didn’t take the actions necessary to increase their title chances and, instead, wasted another year of Doncic’s prime with a lousy supporting group.
They recognized their shortcomings in the summer of 2022 — waiting too long to sign Brunson to an extension, not identifying a backup plan, trying to sell a splashy move as a substantial one by trading for Christian Wood, etc. — and tried to correct it midseason in the 2022-23 campaign.
Dallas jumped on the opportunity to right the ship after a disappointing start to the year by trading for Kyrie Irving, made available by the fallout of the Brooklyn Nets implosion.
Now today, unfortunately, trading for Kyrie depleted the Mavs of all of their depth, and he and Luka couldn’t lead Dallas into the playoffs on their own. Ultimately, they missed out on the top 10 seeds in the Western Conference and fell short of the postseason.
This past summer, the Mavericks were aggressive and strategic in their efforts to add complementary talent around their new star duo.
Rookie 🤝 vet pic.twitter.com/Ab1gQ0SIu6
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 9, 2023
Dallas added versatile defenders and athletes around their two offensive creators, acquiring Grant Williams, Dereck Lively II, and Derrick Jones Jr., among others.
These moves have clearly played in the Mavericks favor, as the team has looked incredibly competent and cohesive in their red-hot 6-1 start to the season.
During this fast start, Doncic has looked every bit as amazing as he’s been the past few seasons, gelling seamlessly with Kyrie Irving and the new role players around them. Irving, on the other hand, has had one of the coldest offensive stretches in his career.
If Dallas has looked this unstoppable with Irving playing several notches below his usual level, how great will they be once he’s clicking as he usually does?
| Title: Dallas Mavericks red hot despite Kyrie Irving’s
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: Dec 11, 2023
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