NBA Writer Names Dallas Mavericks Second-Biggest Disappointment

Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks made a Cinderella run to the 2024 NBA Finals but lost both of their top two scorers from that team. They are likely just hoping not to collapse in the final few games of the 2024-25 NBA season. Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale named the Mavericks the second-biggest disappointment of the season behind the Phoenix Suns in an article from Thursday, April 3.

NBA Writer’s Nomination

The Dallas Mavericks have disappointed in the regular season, even before the Luka Doncic trade for Anthony Davis in February. The Mavericks have seen major injuries to key players, starting with the preseason, with the list being Doncic (calf contusion), PJ Washington (hip), Dante Exum (wrist), Maxi Kleber (ankle), Kessler Edwards (ankle), and Brandon Williams (calf).

Dan Favale wrote, “It would have been easier to slot the Dallas Mavericks (slightly) lower if Kyrie Irving hadn’t suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. That injury not only compromises this season but also potentially next year, too.”

“Kyrie returning in a timely manner would improve Dallas’ outlook, although it’s debatable how much it would. He’s at the age (33) where we must wonder whether he’ll regain his All-NBA form or anything close to it. Even if he does, we must trust that him and an aging Anthony Davis will remain healthy moving forward. And if they do, we must then place trust in the front office that…traded Luka Doncic.”

NBA Writer’s Silver Lining

If there’s a silver lining for the Dallas Mavericks, the Mavericks’ depth gives the team a unique appeal at full strength. In addition, the stellar play of center Kai Jones, who signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks on Sunday, March 2. Jones has been one of the biggest surprises of the final quarter of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Dan Favale explained, “The Mavericks’ depth gives them unique appeal at full strength. Especially on defense, where a 21-year-old Dereck Lively II can wreck worlds in tandem in AD (when healthy). The Mavs also have the matching salaries and just enough draft picks to enter glitzier trade discussions.”

“These silver linings are not glittery enough to offset their own draft-pick commitments, though. Dallas has this year’s first-round pick and next year’s first. After that, it doesn’t control its own first-rounder outright again until 2031. Its capacity to reset in the event that the current core doesn’t pan out is nonexistent, and the margin for error gets slimmer still if team president Nico Harrison triples down this summer at the expense of additional draft equity.”

Final Thoughts

Dan Favale’s recent article about the Dallas Mavericks was an accurate assessment. Favale named the Mavericks as the second-biggest disappointment behind the Phoenix Suns. The Mavericks’ struggles have been a topic of concern throughout the 2024-25 NBA season. They might not get out of misery until the return of veteran guard Kyrie Irving, who has a $43.9 million player option in 2025-26. Irving’s return date remains TBD.

The Mavericks return to action on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Central. Doncic will return to Dallas for the first time since the February trade to Los Angeles. The Mavericks vs. Lakers game will be nationally televised on ESPN, along with KFAA and SportsNet LA. The game will likely be emotional, but hopefully see competitive play among both teams.

As Doncic nears his return to Dallas, the rumors surrounding Nico Harrison’s job as the Mavericks general manager have been alive and well. NBA insider Marc Stein’s latest column covered Harrison’s job as well. Stein wrote, “No question, post-trade, is posed more often in Mavericks circles and among Mavericks fans than that one.”

“Fire Nico has been a constant cry at Mavericks games and at sporting events (and even at a Medieval Times) all over Texas in the wake of the trade. A banner with that precise message is unmissable on the balcony of an apartment building adjacent to the arena on the corner of Victory and Nowitzki Way. It’s a chant you’re likely to hear a time or three Wednesday night when Doncic is back in the building for the first time since Christmas Day.

“Whether (Patrick) Dumont would actually consider such a step, however, is an unknown … He’s conducted two interviews with The Morning News and one press conference during the NBA Finals in his 15-or-so months in charge and his business tendencies remain a bit of a mystery. Especially compared to his predecessor, since (Mark) Cuban was as front-facing and hands-on as any owner in league history.”