Dallas Mavericks State of "Things," 2024
Closing the book and starting a new one for '24-25 as we press ahead on what is next.
Before the calendar turns to July (and I disappear for some vacation(s) before we assemble for training camp on July 23), I wanted to make sure we wrote a season ending/season beginning piece on both the Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks to be that proper look behind and what we just witnessed and a look ahead to what is next.
So, hopefully, you consumed the Dallas Stars version of this piece last time and now we are prepared to finally rewind with the Dallas Mavericks in the exact same fashion.
The Dallas Mavericks' magical 2024 springtime run ended with a rather sudden deflation. They made no real progress in making the Boston Celtics worry or squirm on their way to the NBA Finals win for their championship as we hoped they would. They were simply no match in the end against the best team in the NBA.
That said, they won more rounds of playoff basketball in the last 60 days (3) than they had in the last 13 years (2). Jason Kidd has won five series in the playoffs, which ties him now with Rick Carlisle, Avery Johnson, and Don Nelson, who also all won five playoff series. It was a wonderful run that included 13 playoff games won and a lot of fever spreading for what this team was capable of.
Sports often require us to try to figure out how to feel about “very good but not perfect” and how to ultimately sort through that final step or two. But what a year, and probably my favorite kind of season – when expectations are exceeded and blown out of the water by a team that accomplished so much more than anyone thought. That will be the biggest difference between the Dallas Stars' and Dallas Mavericks' spring. The Stars were expected to win the West and push hard for a Cup. The Mavericks were expected to probably lose in the 1st round if they were lucky enough to make the playoffs.
It is all about where we put the bar.
So, today, let’s put a finishing look on the Dallas Mavericks and then ponder where to go from here.
HOW THEY DID:
Looking back at the wonderful playoff run for the Mavericks, I think it is very important not to forget the very good parts of this spring when considering how it all crashed into the wall in turn 4 on the sprint to the finish. They were so good at so many different times that we have to consider the unlikelihood of hitting on so many things and how vital it should be to inform their paths in the future.
I would never try to make the case that this spring was a “bonus spin” at seeing what you can do, but the real strategy behind giving up assets to gather PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford to this lineup is because they are both 1998 babies who will not turn 26 for a bit yet and are both under contract at very reasonable rates and for two full seasons that begin this coming fall. The fact that this window coincides with the remaining two years that are on the books for both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving AND it syncs so well with the rookie deal of Dereck Lively suggests that this deal was made mostly for the 2025 and 2026 playoff runs.