Photo of Luka Doncic (credit: SI)

Coming into the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks were ranked 8th in the ESPN rankings. With a +2000 title odds, the Mavericks were predicted by everyone to be a very strong team this season. With their last year run to the conference finals and getting a massive addition through Christian Wood, the Mavericks are a legitimate contender for the championship. So it is shocking to think, now, with the season finished, that the Mavericks did not even make the play in tournament this year.

Going from a good and strong team to a team that will not even make the cut and be eliminated from contention in the tournament is shocking for most and frustrating as an MFFL. The question for most is, how did the Maverick get to this point? What leads to Maverick’s sharp downfall? I might have the answer to this and more.

Offense But No Defense

Last year the Mavericks boasted the 2nd best defense in the NBA when taking in multiple different statistics. This elite defense was critical for the Maverick’s run to the conference championship last year. What held the Mavericks down last year was their offense and, arguably, the lack of talent on the offense side. So the Mavericks made off-season moves to improve their talent. So what this year? The Mavericks had the best offense (with Luka) and the worst defense. They went a complete 360 from last year’s team, which was not for the better.

Mark Cuban confident Mavericks will win Warriors protest, game won't resume - NBC Sports Bay Area
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban protesting a Refs decision during a heated game against the Golden State Warriors this year.

If you take all of the NBA championship teams from 1981 – 2020, defensive taking. Twenty-eight of those teams boasted a top-5 defense in the NBA, and only 3 ranked +10 defensive. There is an apparent trend going on here, and that is that you need elite protection to be a championship contender. The Mavericks have a different type of elite defense, affecting them. Because the Mavericks have such a terrible defense, they must depend on outscoring the other team rather than rallying on their defense. When the team can stop the Mavericks, it can cause the Mavericks to struggle a lot. This outscoring strategy is just not stable for long-term success within the season. It just backfires a lot for the Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving Trade

The Mavericks made a massive play in trading for NBA star Kyrie Irving. They would trade two key players via Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie. With Kyrie Irving’s contract being up this year, many saw it as an all-in play by the Mavericks, and Kyrie Irving needed to work for them. While Kyrie Irving has been playing great for the Mavericks, he still needs to solve the overarching problem of the Mavericks, which was their defense.

Irving has been a great player, but he is different from that type of guy in defensive production. Irving is a player the Mavericks need. With his uncertain future in the Mavericks, he can seriously affect the Mavericks franchise. If he leaves, it will be a serious hit for the Mavs in the future.

Kyrie Irving (left) and Luka Doncic (right) have struggled to find a flow together in Dallas.

Luka

Luka has been quite a problem for the Mavericks. There is a sense of selfishness with him that we do not talk about. He must drive to win or be the best like other players. He is quite arrogant at times and childish as well. This has been affecting the team’s morale and locker room, an essential part of the NBA season. It’s not that he is bad. He has a bad attitude towards the refs and can be more of a problem than the answer during many games. In addition, his technical foul trouble is starting to become a big problem for the Mavericks and is something he needs to address.

The Future

Things are manageable for the Mavericks. They do have a very promising future ahead of them. Jalen Hardy has shown to be a great player, and if handled right, they can be a superstar and a great piece to add to Luka. Josh Green and Christian Wood have also been very good pieces for the Mavericks, with Wood helping carry some of the burdens of offense off of Luka. The Mavericks will also have a top 10 draft pick this year, which will give them a young talent that can greatly improve their roster. But in the end, only time can tell what will become of the Mavericks and if they can turn things around and become the championship contender they once were and failed to try.

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