Dallas

Mavericks

It does seem that the Mavericks have made enough roster changes to at least compete for a Western Conference Title this season. Last year, Dallas shocked the world and climbed all the way to playoff contention. This year, with Luka Doncic poised to have a fantastic third year in the league and with health hopefully on their side, this new-look Mavericks are looking to grab home-court advantage come playoff time as a top-four seed in the West.

Kristaps Porzingis and Dwight Powell's recoveries and health will be key for the Mavs this season as they return from injuries. If they can stay healthy, the Mavs will boast a scary frontcourt. The addition of defensive stalwarts Josh Richardson and James Johnson also look to add more teeth in the Mavs' roster, something they truly lacked last season. If everything falls into place, the sky's the limit for the 2020-21 Mavs.

Based on last season's results, Luka Doncic needs either a more consistent scorer or a reliable force in the paint. Obviously, Kristaps Porzingis is capable of providing both as the team looks to be all-in on their current dynamic duo, but his health has been rather disconcerting for Dallas the past few seasons, which makes adding a third superstar a very sensible move come the 2021 offseason.

Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying put in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future, the Mavs need to look elsewhere to land a third superstar to pair with both Doncic and Porzingis. Another big name they can court is Giannis' newest teammate in Jrue Holiday. Holiday is set to play his first year in Milwaukee and currently has a player option come the 2021-22 offseason. If things don't work out with the Bucks, expect Holiday to shop around and, at the same time, expect the Mavs to be one of his top suitors. Dallas did inquire for the former All Star this offseason but the New Orleans Pelicans didn't want him in the West and decided to ship him out to Milwaukee. Adding a formidable two-way guard like Holiday to the mix definitely helps Doncic in the backcourt.

Other superstars the Mavs can target are Victor Oladipo and DeMar DeRozan, who are both bound for free agency come 2021. Both players would give Dallas a reliable scoring option at the two, which would ultimately benefit Doncic's game.

There has been a lot of talk about whether or not the Dallas Mavericks need a third superstar to supplement Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Although there isn't a ton of cap space available, we all know that Mark Cuban's pockets are as deep as the Pacific Ocean and the front office isn't afraid to bring out the checkbook to give themselves a fighting chance.

That being said, with the unpredictability of the 2020-2021 NBA season, the best option for the Mavs right now is to stick with their core and maybe add a few smaller pieces to help their two superstars. Doncic and Porzingis have proven they both have what it takes to carry the Mavs to the postseason after a stellar first year together, and Cuban is smart enough to let that tandem flourish and grow a bit more, even for just one more season.

With more cap room and a few big names becoming available as free agents, the 2021-20222 offseason might be a better opportunity for Dallas to snag a third star. For now, their best bet is to wait and see how their dynamic duo fairs in their second year together.

Coming off a stellar sophomore season, the 21-year old Luka Doncic is on track to potentially win the 2020-2021 NBA MVP. Though the Slovenian isn't necessarily a shoe-in when it comes to winning the coveted Maurice Podoloff trophy, all signs point to Doncic eventually taking home the award.

After winning Rookie of the Year in the 2018-2019 campaign, Doncic was able to follow up his debut season with an impressive second year where he outdid himself by leveling up his points, rebounds, assists, and even shooting percentages. Last season, Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game with 46.3% field goal and 75.8% free-throw clips - all of which were a few notches higher than his already-impressive rookie year averages. He finished fourth in last season's MVP race while earning his first All-Star appearance and his First All-NBA First Team honor.

If Doncic does pull this off in 2020-21, surely it will be the first of multiple MVP awards for Luka.

Luka Doncic averaged over 33 minutes per game in his second season with the Dallas Mavericks. The 21-year old has started all of the games he's suited up for the Mavs so far, including the playoffs. Doncic's 33.6 minutes per game were a team-high in the 2019-2020 season. In his first year, Doncic was already averaging 32.2 minutes per game.

As of February 2021, Forbes listed the Dallas Mavericks with a $2.45 billion valuation, which ranked them 9th overall in the league next to the interstate rival Houston Rockets.

The rise of Luka Doncic has helped the franchise earn more through per-game attendance, where they ranked third in 2019-20. The franchise has sold out over 800 straight games at the American Airlines Center since 2001, which is currently the second-longest streak in NBA history. Doncic also helped the Mavs earn the biggest increase in terms of TV ratings in 2019-20 with an 88% climb on Fox Sports Southwest.

American billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist Mark Cuban is the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks. The 62-year old business mogul has been on top of things in Dallas since January 2000 and has since reinvented and reshaped the organization. Currently, Cuban's net worth is estimated at $4.2 billion (per Forbes) and he was #177 in the Forbes 400 list of 2020.

When he's not busy screaming at NBA referees in-game, Cuban keeps himself busy by grilling budding entrepreneurs in the hit television series "Shark Tank".

Mark Cuban bought a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks in January 2000 for $285 million. He bought the team from Ross Perot, Jr. who was only the owner for four years. After winning just 40% of their games in their first two decades, Dallas ended up winning just under 70% of their games in Cuban’s first decade of ownership. Cuban capped off his 11th year as owner with the Mavericks' first and only NBA championship in 2011.

61-year old Rick Carlisle has been the Dallas Mavericks’ head coach since 2008. He initially signed a 4-year contract to replace Avery Johnson. After leading the Mavs to their lone NBA title in 2011, Carlisle's contract has been repeatedly restructured and he is currently on track to be with the team at least until the 2022-2023 season. The 2002 NBA Coach of the Year has only missed the playoffs four times in his 12-year career with the Mavericks.

Under head coach Rick Carlisle, there are four listed assistant coaches for the Dallas Mavericks. They are Darrell Armstrong, Jenny Boucek, Jamahl Mosley and Mike Weinar. Mosley has been an assistant coach the longest after completing his sixth season with the team; former Mavericks point guard Darrell Armstrong comes in second with five seasons under his belt. Boucek, a former head coach of the Seattle Storm, became just the third woman assistant coach in NBA history when she signed with the Sacramento Kings in 2017 before heading to Dallas.

God Shammgod is a player development coach for the Mavericks and Peter Patton serves as Dallas’ shooting coach.

A handful of elite tacticians have graced the Mavs the organization with their coaching presence. The best to ever do it is current Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. The 61-year old head coach has been with the Mavs since 2008 and he is the only one to bring a title back home to Dallas. A former Coach of The Year, Carlisle has been fortunate enough to be in the ear of superstars like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, and more recently Luka Doncic.

Coming in second is three-time Coach Of The Year Don Nelson. Although Nelson won all of these individual accolades before coming to the Mavs, he was still able to stamp his class and was one of the key reasons Dallas acquired Nowitzki in a draft-day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. Nelson is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in NBA history and currently still leads the league with 1,335 wins (though Gregg Popovich is quickly approaching him).

Two other winning coaches in Mavs history are Avery Johnson, who brought the Mavs to the Finals in 2006, and Dick Motta, who led Dallas to four postseason stints in nine seasons.

Undoubtedly, Dirk Nowitzki is the Mavs' best player of all time. The German superstar played all of his 21 seasons in Dallas and was able to lead the franchise to its first and only NBA title in 2011. A shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, Nowitzki's resume speaks for itself. He's a 14-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team member, a league MVP, a Finals MVP, and of course an NBA Champion. He is the franchise leader in games played, points scored, and total rebounds to name a few of his accolades. Dirk changed the game and almost single handedly put Dallas on the map as a contender in the Western Conference.

Coming at the second spot is swingman Mark Aguirre. Aguirre was one of the early superstars of Dallas in the 1980s and made it to three All-Star teams in 1984, 1987 and 1988. He averaged more than 20 points per game six times with the Mavs, including a career-high of 29.5 points per game in the 1983-1984 season.

His partner Rolando Blackman also makes the list as part of the top 5 Mavericks of all time. Blackman joined the Mavs alongside Aguirre in 1981 and helped hold the fort for the franchise early on. The shooting guard played 11 seasons in Dallas and averaged just under 20 points per game, making four All-Star teams.

A couple point guards complete the list. Derek Harper, who was also part of the Mavs in the 1980s, is truly one of the best court generals to ever play for Dallas. In 10 and a half seasons with the Mavs, Harper recorded the most assists (5,111) and steals (1,551) in franchise history, records the Georgia native still holds up to this date.

Right beside Harper is Jason Kidd, who was part of the Nowitzki-led team that won the title in 2011. Though Kidd only ranks third in all-time assists and steals, he leads the franchise in assists and steals per game, and he did that in just six seasons. The Hall of Famer was the co-ROTY as the Mavs' second overall pick in 1994 and came full circle as he found his way back to Dallas halfway through the 2007-2008 season, where he eventually cemented his case as one of the best point guards in the league with a shiny NBA ring.

Dirk Nowitzki is the name that automatically comes to mind when you talk about legendary Mavericks players. No. 41 was the face of the franchise for two decades and was responsible for bringing the Larry O'Brien trophy to Dallas in 2011. The German displayed enough loyalty, leadership, and success to earn his status as the face of the Dallas Mavericks franchise.

As part of the 2011 championship team, Jason Kidd also deserves to be considered as a Mavs legend. After being drafted second overall in 1994 and winning co-ROTY honors with Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons, Kidd actually made a name for himself as a point guard of the Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets. He made his way back to the Mavs in the 2007-2008 season and was a key member of the 2011 championship team.

Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, and Derek Harper were all earlier members of the Mavericks who stamped their names as some of the best players to wear a Dallas uniform. These three were huge stars in the 1980s as the young Dallas franchise tried to find its identity in the league. All three were named to the All-Star team multiple times and still stand in the franchise record books in different statistical categories.

Other names worth throwing into the mix as Mavs legends are Jason Terry, Michael Finley and of course, Steve Nash.