Where do the Dallas Mavericks stand after their finals loss to the Boston Celtics? Did a unique opportunity go unused or will Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving make it to the finals again?
Before the NBA Finals, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were compared to the best duos of all time, but it wasn’t enough for their Dallas Mavericks to make it big. In the final series against the Boston Celtics, Doncic and Co. were mercilessly shown their weaknesses.
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But the whole truth is that the Mavericks sent the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves on summer vacation on their way to the finals. So what can we expect from Dallas next season? Are Doncic and Irving overrated or do the Mavs simply lack depth behind their star duo? And what will happen next for the Mavs? Will the Texans even make it back to the NBA finals so quickly or has that train left the station due to the strong West?
NBA Finals: Boston Celtics crowned champions for the 18th time
Doncic’s weakness: Insight is the first step to improvement
First, let’s look at the Mavs’ brilliant duo, which already addresses part of the problem. Doncic and Irving have their qualities on the offensive end of the court. The 25-year-old Slovenian in particular is a weak point in defense despite an improvement this season, which probably cost the Mavs Game 3 in the finals. Instead of reducing the score to 1:2, the championship was practically written off after the 0:3 deficit, which has never been made up in the history of the finals.
At least he is aware of his weakness. “I still have a lot to learn,” the 25-year-old admitted after the painful loss in Game 3, which he took on his own shoulders in leader-like fashion. “These are my first NBA Finals, so I will learn from this, for sure.”
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Irving was never considered an above-average defender either, on the contrary – but in the playoffs he was able to hold his own and increase his effort. Irving made shots more difficult, managed to stay ahead of his opponent and helped his team immensely.
Age & Scandals: How long will things last with Irving?
But how long can the 32-year-old continue to perform at the highest level? If it were up to him, there would be no limits in this regard. Pointing to former teammate and legend LeBron James (40), who is still playing at the highest level, Irving, when asked by ESPN, recently did not want to hear anything about it.
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The other question: How long will Irving’s character last? As sensitive as he is with the ball, he has expressed some disastrous opinions publicly in the past – and not only got himself into one or two shitstorms, but also drove wedges into his respective teams. He went from being a scandalous professional to being a leader. The question is: are Irving’s problematic tendencies still lurking? His seemingly mature behavior in Dallas should make Mavs fans optimistic.
Dependence on star duo is too great
Although Doncic and Irving averaged more than half of the Mavs’ points during the regular season (59.5 of 117.9 points per game) and distributed an additional 15 assists per game between them, it became clear, especially in the playoffs, that they needed help.
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Behind the duo, only PJ Washington averaged double-digit points in the playoffs (13 points) – but he also dropped off in the final. By comparison, despite the star power of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, five players from the Boston champions managed double-digit points. The Mavs need more offensive performance away from Doncic and Irving. But there probably won’t be any major changes.
Dereck Lively impresses in his first NBA season
Squad stays together – hope for Lively & Co.
Only Derrick Jones Jr.’s contract expires after this season, otherwise all players from the playoff rotation of the finals participants have at least one contract for next season. In addition, Jones Jr.’s contract is to be extended, as General Manager Nico Harrison has already revealed: “He is part of our core in the future, so we hope we can get that done.”
With Washington (25), Daniel Gafford (25) and rookie Dereck Lively II (20), the Mavs have some relatively young players who could take on more responsibility in the coming season. Washington and Gafford only joined the Mavericks at the trade deadline and will begin their first full season in Dallas in October. Lively can also be expected to improve his performance in his second season. The 2.16-meter man has already turned out to be a weapon, especially in interaction with Irving and Doncic.
The Mavericks are not the most talented squad when you compare Dallas with their rivals from Oklahoma City, for example, but there is still room for improvement for some players. This gives those in charge hope that they can continue to compete for the championship in the coming years.
What’s next for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks after their final defeat?
Doncic positive: “We had a damn good season”
When asked about this, Doncic was optimistic despite the finals defeat. He described the future of the franchise as “great”. “We’ve made some great personnel changes (trades for Washington & Gafford, editor’s note). I’d say we’ve only been together for five months now.”
“Of course we didn’t win the finals, but we had a damn good season,” the Slovenian summed it up. After all, his team hadn’t even made it to the playoffs the previous season. “I’m proud of every single player who was on the court, of all the coaches, of all the people behind the scenes.”
Irving: “Our goal is still to win a championship”
Doncic’s coach Jason Kidd chose a different way to describe the future of the Mavs: “When you have one of the best players in the world, you should always be fighting for a championship.” And Irving also made no secret of the fact that he is keen to win a ring with the Mavs: “I think we learned from this series what it takes to not only get back to that level, but to win at that level,” said Irving. “The Celtics are the perfect example for us this season because they have had to deal with so much in recent years. Our goal is still to win a championship.”
Anything less would be a disappointment when you were so close to it. Still, it somehow seems like the Mavs missed a big opportunity.
Did Dallas miss a golden opportunity?
The Celtics are young and will probably get even stronger in the coming years. Then there are the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who want to strike back after a disappointing season. It won’t be any easier in the West, where, alongside OKC and the Timberwolves, the dethroned champion from Denver with Nikola Jokic certainly poses the greatest threat.
Nevertheless, the Mavs have already proven all critics wrong.
After the bitter previous year without playoffs, who would have thought that Doncic and Irving would lead the Mavs to the finals this season? So why shouldn’t they do it again next year?
2024-06-18 17:33:44
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