Eleven years after Dirk Nowitzki won the Gold Cup, the Mavericks finally reached the Western Conference finals again, but facing the touchstone of the Warriors, Luka Magic finally stopped blooming. As the biggest dark horse in the playoffs this season, the Lone Ranger is an extraordinary performance in terms of management, coaching, and players, and it is also the most successful season in the post-Dirk period. However, it did not come to the end after all, which means that the Lone Ranger still has room for improvement.
season summary
Regular season record: 52 wins and 30 losses, fifth in the league (42-30 last season, No. 8)
Regular season ORtg: 112.8, No. 15 (last season 115.4, No.9)
Regular season DRtg: 109.4, No. 6 (last season 113.0, No. 20)
(Reference: Basketball Reference)
This season can be said to be the year when Luka Doncic finally felt the team’s substantial reinforcement again after three years. Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. who joined in Doncic’s rookie season were probably the strongest foreign aids Doncic had received before this year. Among them, Porzingis was regarded as a failed investment this season, which shows how weak the support Doncic received.
However, after four years, the Mavericks’ season results are still improving every year:The winning rate has improved from 40.2% to 63.4% this season, and the first round for two consecutive years has stopped in the Western Conference this year.. The biggest improvement of these comes from the year-on-year growth of the core: Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith all have grown in various data every year, and then Hardaway Jr. ushered in a rebound and performance in the Lone Ranger. Ups and downs but still contributing Maxi Kleber.
Nico Harrison had a stellar rookie season. Pre-season recruiting Reggie Bullock, mid-season sale Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie, these actions set the tone for Harrison: unlike three years ago, “relying on Doncic to support the team’s floor and ceiling.” Porzingis”, Harrison casts a vote of confidence in a leafy vote, choosing “Raise the floor with green leaves, Luka Magic is the ceiling“Target route.
Giving up Josh Richardson for Bullock is an example: Harrison chose Bullock, a safer 3-and-D shooter, over Richardson on the ball, who needed time to settle in. And the Porzingis trade, too: Harrison traded in Porzingis, who had too many injuries to develop more potential and run-ins, in exchange for Dinwiddie, making up for the team’s most obvious lack of possession.
The recent Suns ushered in the finals tickets under a series of operations of removing the ceiling and making up the ground. In contrast, the Lone Ranger, who had no ceiling to remove, completed the phased tasks with less risk. The lack of sufficient talent will eventually surface, so it will be interesting to see how long Harrison will continue this strategy.
Jason Kidd’s performance is even more amazing: the Mavericks take theTop 10 Defensive Efficiency in the LeagueEntering the playoffs, relying more on defense to beat the Jazz and Suns, just to make the Mavericks become a strong defensive team, Kidd’s first season in the Mavericks was close to a perfect score.
Salary status
As expected, with Doncic’s max salary, the Mavericks officially entered the online team. Unless Doncic leaves the team, the Mavericks will stay online for a long time.from spotrac As can be seen from the salary table, with all the bird rights reserved and Brunson not renewed, the Lone Ranger has already broken through the luxury tax line to nearly 154 M. In addition, there are as many as 11 players with guaranteed contracts next season, with free agents Brunson, non-guaranteed contracts Kleber, Ntilikina, and Trey Burke with a high probability of executing the player option.
Therefore, the reinforcement keyword for summer vacation is “Booming salary、full staff“two things can be expected:First, to reinforce, someone must leave, and second, there will be some salary-saving operationsbut since the luxury tax is levied at the end of the season,The Mavericks have a full year to deal with the luxury taxthere is no need to rush to finish it in the summer vacation.
This year is finally a year when Mavericks fans don’t have to pay attention to the big fish in the free market. The Mavericks only have oneA mini middle class of around 6 millionIt can be used in the free market, and if you want to get free agents by signing, you will trigger the hard cap, and you will not be able to use the 6 million mini-middle class. Therefore, unless you don’t renew Brunson, there is room for signing. The player’s action.