After an impressive 2021-22 NBA season that ended with an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks returned this season with high hopes of making another deep run in the NBA playoffs, even without Jalen Brunson.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for many different reasons, as the Mavericks couldn’t even make the Play-in Tournament this time around.
Superstar Luka Doncic put up incredible numbers again this season, but it didn’t matter as he didn’t have much of a supporting cast, even after the team traded for superstar guard Kyrie Irving before the NBA trade deadline.
With the team heading home early after a forgettable season, the blame game has begun, with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believing the finger should be pointed at the team’s front office, namely Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison.
Kyrie Irving is not to blame for the Dallas Mavericks embarrassing end to the season.
That honor belongs to Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison pic.twitter.com/K34XAIyqEA
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 11, 2023
Regardless of who deserves the blame for the disastrous season, the Mavericks brass needs to lick their wounds and get back to work on finding the right pieces to put around Doncic moving forward.
After the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, the next order of business will be trying to re-sign Irving, who has expressed a desire to stay in Dallas, but some reports have him wanting to test the free agent market.
If the Mavericks can convince Irving to stay, that’s a step forward and potentially a significant step toward keeping Doncic on the team long-term.
The real question will be whether Cuban and company can keep adding talent around Doncic and Irving while getting better every year.
NEXT: NBA Insider Names The No. 1 Priority For Mavericks This Offseason
