The Dallas Mavericks suffered their second straight NBA playoff elimination. What’s next for the Mavericks, and what should one know about the Mavericks’ future? Read on for further details to make an informed decision.
Dallas Mavericks Suffer Second Straight NBA Playoff Elimination
Monday’s 137-131 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors not only handed the Dallas Mavericks their fourth consecutive loss in the NBA regular season but also their second straight NBA playoff elimination.
Therefore, the Mavs’ home attendance at the American Airlines Center may be steady on paper, but the NHL’s Dallas Stars have been dubbed as the American Airlines Center’s top professional sports tenant in recent months.
This trend also marked the second straight year that Dallas’ players and coaches will watch the NBA Playoffs from home since trading Slovenian NBA star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in Feb. 2025.
Thus, Dallas’ fall from grace has been rather speedy and unforgiving. Dallas is a bottom-feeder currently sitting in 13th place of the NBA’s Western Conference with just 10 games left in the NBA regular season. The post-Doncic era, including the so-called child custody Doncic era, has hit rock bottom, to say the least.
Where Do the Mavericks Go From Here?
Former Mavericks GM Nico Harrison’s “Defense wins championships” mantra has guided the team to regular season and postseason success in recent years, including a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
However, Harrison’s mantra didn’t deliver much success to the team in the Doncic trade to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis. Harrison reportedly believed an NBA All-Defensive center like Davis would improve the Mavericks’ chances of winning NBA championships. Dallas’ poor defensive performance was a top reason for losing to the Celtics in five games in 2024.
Davis’s often recurring injury issues rolled over into his short-lived stint in Dallas. Davis continues to recover from a finger injury as a member of the Washington Wizards. Even though the 33-year-old is no longer in Dallas, the depressing fact is that the MFFLs never saw a potential Big 3 trio of Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Cooper Flagg play on the court.
Harrison’s vision of building an NBA championship-caliber team around a strong defensive foundation is ideal, but failed this time around. Since then, Harrison hasn’t landed a new NBA job, whether by choice or not.
What Happened To the Los Angeles Lakers?
The contrast between the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers is sharp, to say the least. The Mavs face a long NBA offseason ahead, while the Lakers are thriving, including Doncic. Los Angeles previously suffered a first-round exit in 2025 but has skyrocketed to No. 3 in the Western Conference with Doncic at the helm.
After several years of not winning the NBA MVP, Doncic’s current MVP-level play has gotten the NBA world talking en route to a potential win this year. Doncic currently leads the NBA in scoring at 33.4 points per game, to go with 7.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 47.4% field goal shooting, 36.4% three-point shooting, and 77.2% free throw shooting.
Doncic’s last 10-game stretch has been historic, to put it mildly. The 27-year-old has had 10 straight games with 30+ points, including a season-high 60-point performance against the Miami Heat, a 51-point game against the Chicago Bulls, and two 30-point triple-doubles this past week.
The 27-year-old’s child custody issues could’ve affected the on-court play, but thankfully, the 27-year-old appears to know how to separate work from personal matters.
