Depending on where you stand, you either believe the Mavericks have parlayed the offseason into a good opportunity to prep for the inevitable departure of franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki or resign yourself to the fact that the next few years will bring about mediocrity. Of course, the premise of both viewpoints could be simultaneously true, in which case cynics will be having a field day noting that, in the National Basketball Association, purgatory is the worst place to go.
On paper, the Mavericks certainly did well, finally nabbing slotman DeAndre Jordan and, in the process, laying the groundwork for a system leaning towards the defensive predilections of head coach Rick Carlisle. He may no longer be producing at an All-Star level, but he’s still a worthy catch that complements the existing talent base. And he comes on good terms, too; he’s a one-season pickup that allows them to mine the free agency landscape for marquee names next year.
Parenthetically, the arrival of Trae Young reflects the Mavericks’ current position: Like his team, he has an upside that fans can pin their hopes on, as well as a downside that could conceivably crush their hearts. At this point, perhaps the best that can be said about him is this: His game is similar to backcourt partner Dennis Smith Jr.’s, but with range (and, on the minus side, poor shot selection). In this regard, he should thank his lucky stars he has Nowitzki and Carlisle to guide his progress on the court and off.
That said, the Mavericks will find themselves going only so far as Harrison Barnes will take them — which is to say not far, especially in the loaded Western Conference. Even in their much-improved state, they’ll be hard-pressed to make the playoffs, let alone challenge the gold-standard Warriors anytime soon. They’ll play hard and work hard, a byproduct of outstanding organization and mentorship. The flipside is that, because they’ll do so, they won’t be at or near the bottom of the standings, a requisite to subsequently snatching prized draft recruits.
In short, the Mavericks are stuck in the middle. They’re good enough to put some scare into highly touted opponents, but not skilled enough to win with consistency. And they’re overmatched enough to be mere playoff fodder, but not bad enough to secure highly ranked picks. No wonder franchise owner Mark Cuban wants lottery reform to happen, and fast.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
