The season has just ended for the Dallas Mavericks. And what a season! A return to the NBA Finals after a year in 2023 without even going to the Play-in, it had to be announced! Twelve years after the coronation of Dirk Nowitzki and others, Luka Doncic’s gang was too fair to win the title in their first Finals, like Dirk’s squad in 2006. A 2024 season full of good surprises and of learning on which we must base ourselves to build the future.
Alex announces 41 victories and a ninth place in the West. 44 victories and also a ninth place for Bastien. The attack is in place, there are no worries, we are also counting on Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Grant Williams to help this Texan collective. The uncertainties linked to the squad, the defense and Jason Kidd do not reassure, and we say to ourselves that a new coach would not eat bread.
What really happened
A season which is off to a flying start, with a gala Luka Doncic. Lulu is going to string together triple-doubles with 30 points, surpass 10,000 career points at just 24 years old and have a historic season. Crazy stat lines, matches with 15 assists, a masterclass with… 73 pawns, all to end up on the MVP podium. His lieutenants are also present. Who remembers the game where Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. both scored over 40 points? Rookie pivot Derek Lively II quickly earned untouchable status thanks to a very good first campaign. Around January-February, we are also entitled to rumors about Kyle Kuzma, but in the end it is Grant Williams who releases and PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford who will strengthen the Dallas racket at the trade deadline. The turning point of the Mavs’ season, which will take place after the All-Star Game.
The Mavericks really change dimension (especially in the racket and in defense) and finish the regular season with 50 victories. In the Playoffs, they experienced some struggles against the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard, but the first round went through in six games. Same scenario against a daring young Thunder, before playing against the Wolves. PJ Washington and Derek Lively have a crazy series, and after leading 3-0, the Dallas Mavericks win 4-1 in the series against Minnesota. Coach Jason Kidd is extended, General Manager Nico Harrison too. Dallas goes to the Finals against the Celtics who have only lost 20 games this season.
And there was no miracle. Worn out by a Playoffs course of unspeakable difficulty, the Mavs find themselves out of breath against the Celts who have continued the series against injured opponents. Kyrie Irving fails to start his series. Luka – inconsistent since the start of the Playoffs – is too isolated and once again becomes a block in defense. Hurricane Kristaps hits Dallas. The Mavericks will lose a first game, then a second, and a third. Kyrie Irving will have lost thirteen times in a row against the Celtics. The back only recovered in Game 4 of the series, where the Mavs dismantled the Celtics by 38 points, the third largest gap in the history of the Finals. But it’s already too late.
The Mavs believe in it, but no suspense in Game 5. They are knocked out of the NBA title 4-1.
The Mavericks season in a few articles
- Mark Cuban sold the majority of his shares in the Mavericks for $3.5 billion!
- Luka Doncic exterminates the Hawks: 73 points, fourth best performance in history!
- PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford: the Mavericks have strengthened their frontcourt, enough to make noise in the West?
- Daniel Gafford ended up missing a “shot”: the series ends at 33, Wilt Chamberlain keeps his record
- Kyrie Irving crucifies the Nuggets at the buzzer with one of the shots of the year!
- Luka Doncic on Kyrie Irving: “He’s the Batman, and I’m Robin”
- “They’re scary”: in full swing, the Mavericks are starting to freak out opposing coaches
- Luka Doncic breaks Mavericks single-season points record: goodbye Mark Aguirre
- PJ Washington, Luka Doncic’s new bodyguard
- Jason Kidd extends for several seasons at the Mavs!
- PJ Washington (27 points) still dominant for the Mavericks, what a series for the Attachment!
- All-NBA First Team: Luka Doncic now eligible for a supermax contract of… $346 million
- “The best backcourt in history?” : Jason Kidd under the spell of his duo Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving
- Luka Doncic named MVP of the Western Conference Finals!
- Luka Doncic receives painkillers in the series against the Boston Celtics
- Mavericks – Celtics (122-84): with the energy of despair, Dallas atomizes Boston
- Derek Lively II: second double-double in a row in the NBA Finals, a first for a rookie since… Magic Johnson
- Luka Doncic: “He’s the first to have 4 victories, we’ll believe in it until the end”
- The Dallas Mavericks are on vacation: magnificent Playoffs, they only missed one step
The image of the season
While the Western Conference Finals are in full swing, Luka Doncic crucifies the Timberwolves in Game 2 with a titanic game-winner on the head of four-time Defender of the Year, Rudy Gobert. A turning point in these 2024 Playoffs, as Minnesota threatened to equalize in the series. And a truly legendary shot.
Why we can smile
Because no one expected these Dallas Mavericks here, and the team is doing wonderfully. After a horrible 2023 year, the Mavs recovered a sensational rookie, nabbed a more than capable racket through transfers, and have a virtuoso just 25 years old with a superb backcourt partner at his side. Enough to multiply big Playoff runs. So of course the future is bright in Dallas.
Why we can be angry
Because it always hurts to lose an NBA Final, and a return to this stage is not guaranteed for the Mavs. With Kyrie Irving turning 33, a Western Conference where Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets still roam, Anthony Edwards’ Wolves and a good number of ambitious teams, every opportunity to take a title must be realized best possible. And Dallas didn’t do that. So be careful not to bitterly regret the fact of not being able to live up to the event this year.
And what’s next?
The idea of the summer is to look for a good big winger to complement Dallas’ bouncing frontcourt, and if he can have experience, even better. As usual, Nico Harrison will try to improve his squad to maximize the supporting cast around Luka Doncic. However, there are not too many upsets to be expected for next season. We are still talking about a team that is coming out of the Finals. We take the same and start again ?
It was beautiful this Mavericks season. Behind an MVP caliber Luka Doncic, the Mavericks were three victories away from claiming the second title in their history. With a fairly young squad and some great talent in the tank, we can’t wait to see what the following season will bring, after a summer of squad consolidation. We look to the future, in Texas, and the view is beautiful!
2024-06-19 18:13:00
#Dallas #Mavericks #results
