This edition of OTBN 30-in-30 looks at an NBA finalist from a year ago, the Dallas Mavericks, who were active in free agency
The Dallas Mavericks came up just a few games short of an NBA title in the 2023/24 season. Led by perennial All-NBA 1st teamer Luka Doncic, the Mavericks went on an impressive run, that few pundits expected. It was not anyone doubting Luka’s ability, but the abilities of the players around him to step up in the big moments. Kyrie Irving had other plans, as did players like Dereck Lively & P.J. Washington, especially in the early playoff series. The backcourt duo and company impressively dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first two playoff rounds, both series only going six games.
However, they then ran into the Minnesota Timberwolves, who took down the defending champs on the road in game seven. Few analysts gave them a chance in that series and boy did Dallas make them eat their words. It only took five games for the LuKyrie Mavericks to get to the Finals. There they ran into quite simply another animal in the Boston Celtics. Luka looked like a wounded gazelle being hunted by a pack of lions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Kyrie suffered from leprechaun-itis for much of the series as well and five games later Dallas's season ended.
Making an NBA Final is always impressive, especially for a team that battled through the much tougher Western Conference. But the question now becomes can they do it again? Can this Mavericks team go on another run with Luka at the helm but come up with a different ending to the story? What became all the more evident in that NBA finals is that the rest of the roster either needed to grow or be revamped. Now with Derrick Lively only entering year two he feels like a player to watch in his development process. Adding a little bit more on the offensive side outside of rim running could be huge for this team.
What was clearly huge though was the Maverick's front office landing a player not only with playoff experience but one that could help a team that struggled shooting the three ball. That man is Klay Thompson, who left Golden State after a historic 13-year run. He will likely slot into the small forward position in the starting lineup, but the question is how much does Klay have left? Thompson was once one of the best three-point shooters in the game, but more importantly, played defense against the opposing team's best player. Two season-ending injuries and a couple of years later, can he bring that to the table for Dallas?
It was not just Klay coming in though, as the Mavericks went player-shopping and added Quentin Grimes, the one-time Knicks fan favorite. He should find minutes in Jason Kidd’s rotation right away, given the departure of long-time Maverick Tim Hardaway Jr. Grimes, along with the addition of Naji Marshall, should not only bring some solid shooting, but more well-rounded talent in general. I would consider this a massive upgrade, given that THJ was played out of the rotation by teams with length.
Not a lot to report draft-wise here for Dallas. With just one player chosen, that being Melvin Ajinca with the 51st pick (trade from the Knicks), I would not expect anything too crazy on this front. Ajinca does have a solid frame and could be a very solid three-point shot, so expect him to find rotation minutes. It may not be double-digit minutes in year one, but it could become that years down the road if other aspects of his game improve.
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