While the Warriors were on a rise since 2015, Dallas Mavericks were tripping to the close.
After retiring from his peak with class, Dirk Nowitzki handed over the keys to the organization to Parsons and anybody else he could recruit. Though a lot has changed for the Mavericks since the 2011 summer, it’s easy to overlook the fact that they were still a 50-win club in 2015.
Because that summer in Dallas was so chaotic, it’s easy to forget about it. When the Mavericks faced the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, newly acquired point guard Rajon Rondo abandoned the team. After that, in one of the most bizarre free agency tales in NBA history, Mark Cuban drove all around Houston looking for DeAndre Jordan. After allowing Tyson Chandler to leave the organization for a second time, they were able to recoup by signing Matthews, the duo of D Williams & JJ, and trading for Pachulia.
Mavericks Decided To Take Steps Back To Move Forward
It was easy to think while watching those seasons unfold live, that the Mavericks would never challenge the Warriors’ historic juggernaut. The length of a rebuild is never considered since you know it will take at least a few years and a few lottery losses for a club to get back on its feet. The road to being taken seriously is arduous even then.
Now, though, we find ourselves here.
It has taken six seasons for the Mavericks to reach this point in the playoffs. Doncic and Jalen Brunson, who was drafted alongside him in 2018 to form a dynamic duo in the backcourt, form the backbone of the team. Veteran players like Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell have been with the club during its rebuilding process and provide support for newer players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Reggie Bullock. Getting the superstar is the tough part, even if the path back to the conference finals isn’t the typical one.
The road they’ve taken to get here has been remarkable, from starting off without Doncic to, most recently, shredding the greatest team in the NBA mercilessly. Two years of recovery mean it’s time to go up against the era’s titans once again. It’s a testament to Golden State’s tenacity and Luka Doncic’s star power that these two teams are meeting in the Western Conference finals seven years after the Warriors’ core won their first title. Now he and his team may write their own chapter in the annals of exploration.
