Think back to a year ago: the Mavs intentionally losing at the end of the regular season in order to miss the playoffs and get a better draft pick is far from forgotten. Just two months ago, Dallas added Irving at the trade deadline. The superstar reached well, but had to battle injuries and was a poor matchup at the time with Doncic, who played well for the first few months of the season but found himself shouldering a bigger burden than he does now with the departure of Jalen Brunson.
The Mavericks acquired Derek Lively II in a strange trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Lively quickly opened the eyes of many observers. In his regular season debut with the Mavericks, he shot 7/8 from the field, scored 16 points, and grabbed five of his 10 rebounds off opposing baskets. His threat is quickly emerging. Through trades and with Luka Doncic at the helm, almost no one saw Dallas having such a successful season twelve months ago.
However, the Dallas Mavericks are still missing a lot. It’s clear that Dallas may have never had a real chance to win the series. Most importantly, there is a lack of a third player who can consistently create shots for himself and his teammates.
June 18 Doncic (chest contusion) played in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Celtics on Monday. Doncic had 28 points (12-of-25 from the field, 2-of-9 from 3-point range and 2-of-5 from the free throw line), 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals in Monday’s 88-106 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. But he became the Finals series scoring leader. This season marked the third time he led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Doncic also has the most career triple-doubles in Mavs history and holds the Mavs record for most points in a single season.
Really feel sorry for Doncic and for the Dallas Mavericks.20% Off Nike Here’s hoping that Luka Doncic’s team improves in the offseason, fixing flaws and problems to get better and better.