Through injuries, trades, and poor play, the Mavericks stayed the course and did what they wanted to do
The Mavericks finished the year with 50 wins, their second time doing so in three years. They landed in fifth place in a very tough Western Conference, after being in the play-in for the better half of the year. They have a date in the first round with an old friend, the Clippers. Luka Doncic won his first scoring title (33.9 ppg), Dereck Lively had a stellar rookie campaign, and Nico Harrison once again made trade deadline moves to improve the roster.
Grade: A+
Success is often relative to expectations and in the case of the 2024 Mavericks, they have already had a successful year. When the year started, the expectation was that Dallas would build their future and make a playoff appearance. In October, that’s what a win was defined as and they won the year with that criteria. What makes this an A+ year is the fact that they did both of those things in conjunction with making the team a contender right now. It is very hard to toe the line of building a future and competing for a championship, and the Mavericks walked the tightrope perfectly.
The Mavericks started the year hot, winning eight of their first 10 games. The injury bug hit them hard in the middle portion of the year, and by January 1st they were just 19-14. All of January they battled between three and seven games over .500, and it wasn’t until early February that they got some momentum going. Their seven-game winning streak from February 5th to the 22nd tied the streak they would have in late March for the most consecutive wins all year. Five losses in six games followed this first hot streak and provided the rock bottom the Mavericks needed to bounce back. They finished the year winning 16 of their last 20 games and enter the playoffs as certifiably dangerous.
In one word, this year can described as cohesive. Through roster turnover and inconsistent play at times, the team stayed the course. They always believed in each other, from Jason Kidd giving Derrick Jones Jr. confidence to Luka Doncic developing his relationship with Kyrie Irving. Whatever the “it factor” is that a team needs to win a championship, this team possesses it. Now, it is all just a matter of time.
Straight A’s: Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic just had one of the best offensive seasons of all time. He averaged 33.9 points per game, the most since James Harden in 2019-20 (34.3) and the fourth-most since 1988-89. He was second in the league in assists, second in three-pointers made, third in triple-doubles, and is likely going to be runner-up for MVP. This season was not only Doncic’s best during his six-year career, but one of the best the league has ever seen. He continues to improve year-over-year and the big step this season was the shooting. He improved his three-point percentage and free throw percentage by four points each, the largest improvement in either category in his career.
Maybe his best achievement this year was the fact that he played 70 games for the first time since his rookie year, and the team had a 54-win pace when he played. He will certainly make his fifth consecutive All-NBA First Team appearance, which will tie him for 21st on the list of most selections to the First Team. Doncic is Dallas’ star and as great as his regular season was, history tells us he will be even better in the postseason.
Failed the class: Dereck Lively haters
When Lively was drafted there were a lot of people, including me, who said the pick was potentially a huge misstep for the franchise. The Mavericks needed wings at the time and the idea of signing or trading for a center was still alive and well. When they took Lively over a guy like Cam Whitmore who had the exact skillset Dallas needed, it raised red flags. Rookie centers are not often impactful or even in the rotation, but Dereck Lively proved all of the doubters wrong with a stellar showing in his first year.
He was great from the first game and outshined probable rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama for exactly one game when he had 16 points and 10 rebounds in San Antonio. The work he did between college and his first pro game covered up a lot of the weaknesses scouts thought he had, particularly his screening. He scored 1.39 points per possession as the roll man and showcased the ability to pass out of the short roll when the big-time finish wasn’t there. Just 20 years old, he has a bright future ahead of him and already has proven that Dallas made the right selection with the 12th pick.
Extra Credit: Kyrie Irving
If it wasn’t for Dwight Powell falling on him in early December, Irving may have played 70 games just like Doncic. He was healthy down the stretch and did not provide any extracurricular drama, making for a best-case scenario. When he played, he was still All-Star-level good. His 41 percent from three was the second-highest of his career, and his 25.6 points per game was the fifth-highest average he has posted. He provided Doncic with a backcourt mate who was reliable and efficient and provided the fans with memorable moments such as this one:
Kyrie Irving with one of the greatest game winners you’ll ever see pic.twitter.com/4yNNkEnxa0
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) March 17, 2024
Few players carry more question marks with them wherever they go, but it was an exclamation point that Irving offered this season instead.