What’s next for the Dallas Mavericks? The path to contention for Luka Doncic and the Mavs

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The Dallas Mavericks are a storied franchise that has had a good amount of success since the 2000s. Led by the great Dirk Nowitzki, they won their only championship in 2011 when they beat LeBron James and the Miami Heat. That playoff run featured not only Nowitzki, but also several high-quality role players such as Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, and Shawn Marion. This Mavericks team had the recipe for success: surround their superstar with elite role players who complement his game well, can defend, and shoot the three-pointer well.

So, how can the current Dallas Mavericks achieve the same level of success as the 2011 team? Is Kyrie Irving a good fit with Luka Doncic, and can they win a title together?

Irving is one of the most talented players in the NBA and is someone who can relieve Doncic of some of the ball-handling and playmaking duties. Although Irving is not necessarily a need, he can fit in nicely with Dallas and allow them to compete for a title next season. For several years, Doncic has been one of the most double-teamed players in the NBA. Teams would always trap and double him because they knew that the Mavs had no other elite offensive threats on the court besides Doncic. With Irving on the court, teams can no longer double-team Doncic, and he will have many more one-on-one matchups that he can exploit. Now Dallas gets a full off-season to get Irving acclimated to his team(if he re-signs), and they can come into next season better prepared to use their dynamic duo.

Lastly and most importantly, the Mavericks need to follow the same formula as the 2011 Mavs team. Surround your superstar(s) with high-quality role players. This formula got Dallas all the way to the Western Conference Finals just last season. Every championship team has had high-quality role players that were extremely important to the team’s success. Last season, the Mavericks were in the bottom half of the league in points per game allowed and rebounds per game. The first step is to find a quality big man that can defend and rebound. Clint Capela is one of their targets, and he would be a great fit. They could also draft someone like Dereck Lively, who can become an anchor for their defense. Dallas also needs to add some perimeter defense. Losing Dorian Finney-Smith hurt them as he was their best defender last season. Dallas was one of the worst teams in the NBA in terms of forcing turnovers. They need to add players that are aggressive and smart defenders.

If the Mavericks can fix their rebounding and defensive issues, they could be headed to their first title since 2011.