THE The Dallas Mavericks suffered a disappointing loss in the NBA Finals last season, falling to Boston Celtics in five games. They were clearly outplayed by a team with versatile shots and defensive options to throw at them Luka Doncic And Kyrie IrvingBut that’s no reason to be discouraged about the Mavericks’ future.
Bleacher Report recently ranked each team’s three-year championship window and placed the Mavs fifth behind the Oklahoma City Thunderthe Boston Celtics, the Denver Nuggetsand the The Philadelphia 76ersWhether they should be placed above the 76ers and Nuggets is debatable, but here’s what B/r had to say about the Mavs’ placement.
READ MORE: Klay Thompson’s arrival to the Dallas Mavericks is underestimated
“SuperDuperUltraMegaAbsurd stars have a way of opening title windows almost entirely on their own. Luka Dončić is that kind of brilliant — and he’s about to enter his age-25 season, which is SuperDuperUltraMegaAbsurdly ridiculous. That alone puts the Dallas Mavericks in the top-10 conversation.
“But Dončić is not alone. Far from it.
“Dereck Lively II’s arrival in the 2023 draft was a stroke of genius by the Mavs’ management. The closer he gets to his prime during this window, the better off Dallas will be.”
“Kyrie Irving gives the Mavs a certified co-star. He’s also one of their question marks, not because of his fitness, but because he’s going to close that window at age 35. Because as deep as Dallas is today, it’s not built to withstand measurable regression from him.
“The addition of 34-year-old Klay Thompson is also on the horizon. But the Mavs are younger elsewhere. P.J. Washington is about to turn 26. Daniel Gafford will be 26 in October. Naji Marshall will be 27 in January. Quentin Grimes is a sneaky candidate to emerge as a pillar of the third division and is only starting his season at age 24.
“Any potential downside to the Mavs’ draft window likely won’t manifest until the final year, at the earliest. And that’s assuming they don’t have any other notable trades in the works. It’s possible. They now have two first-round picks to sell in trades, and that number jumps to three if they wait long enough.”
READ MORE: ESPN predicts 2025 MVP race between Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Dallas’ championship hopes rest primarily on Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson Luka Doncic remains one of the best players in the world. Thompson and Irving are in their 30s and Thompson has already lost some of his athleticism due to injuries in recent years, but his shooting and Irving’s ball control are two qualities that shouldn’t wane.
Any improvement Dallas sees from Derek Lively II Or PJ Washington That would be a bonus. The Mavs did the hard part by acquiring a player of Doncic’s caliber and surrounding him with star talent. If the role players can become better shooters and smarter defenders, the Mavericks should have as good a chance as anyone to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the coming years.
The Thunder and Celtics being placed in the top two spots makes sense. Both teams are young, have All-NBA talent entering their prime, and have the versatile, shooting defenders needed to win in today’s NBA. The Nuggets have Nikola Jokicwinner of three of the last four MVP awards, while the 76ers have a star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
Given Embiid’s injuries, Paul George’s age and their recent playoff performances, the Mavericks should be ranked ahead of them. Denver is down a lot of pieces and has salary cap constraints. Jamal Murray also played poorly in the Olympics and some wonder if that will carry over to the season. Jokic is Jokic but this isn’t the same team it was before and there aren’t many moves to make.
It feels like we’re back in the 2000s, when Dallas was a constant title contender with Dirk Nowitzki leading the way. The Mavs are hoping Doncic can have a similar impact for the rest of the decade and beyond.
Stay with Mavericks Game Day to know more FREE Dallas Mavericks Coverage throughout the NBA offseason
Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter
