The Dallas Mavericks have a relatively strong history, having had six former members inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame⎯Alex English, Dennis Rodman, and Dirk Nowitzki being just a few notable names from the list. The team is quite young, having only been founded in the 1980s, and its name was bestowed by fresh fans who opted to name their new home team after the popular TV western, Maverick. But now, current Head Coach Jason Kidd is having a tough time of it, and the fans are starting to lose hope. It will come as no surprise that NBA betting sites are giving the Mavs long odds on achieving much this season, aside from the slight possibility of cutting out a spot in the top four, it’s looking like a bleak forecast for bettors, fans, and players alike.
We’ll be looking at the Mavs’ heritage, before we dive into a discussion about their current efforts and why the team is having such a hard time on the pitch.
Mavericks of The Past
Since they joined the basketball fold in 1980, the Dallas Mavericks have appeared to be on the up and up. They won four division titles in 1987, 2007, 2010, and 2021, as well as two Conference championships in 2006 and 2011 and an NBA championship in 2011. However, since their 2011 win, it’s been a gradual rise back toward the summit.
Their fortunes have been mostly good in more recent years. In the 2018/19 NBA season, the team finished in fifth place in the Southwest division of the Western Conference, with a win-loss ratio of 33−49. This placed them 14th overall in the Western Conference.
Greater heights were reached the following season in 2019/20 when the Dallas Mavericks finished in second place in the Southwest division of the Western Conference. This meant they polled seventh overall in the Western Conference, missing out to the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets, Thunder, and Jazz.
By 2020/21, the Dallas Mavericks won their division and were placed in second place overall in the Western Conference. They won 42 of the 72 games they played that season. It seemed as though they’d made it to the top and were there to stay. In fact, many predicted they’d repeat their 2011 victory the following season.
The Present
In recent years, the Dallas Mavericks have fallen. In the 2021/22 NBA season, they finished in fourth place in the Western Conference—a two-place drop on the previous year’s event.
The 2022/23 season saw an even further decline in the team’s performance on the court. That year, they finished the Western Conference in eleventh place, losing more games than they won.
In the ongoing 2023/24 season, they seem to have turned things around at least a little, they’re ranked in the Western Conference in eighth position—a far cry from the heights of previous years. In fact, they’ve only won nine more games than they’ve lost this season.
Kyrie Irving, a player for the Dallas Mavericks, commented on their poor form in a 2023 statement. Reflecting on their string of defeats, he said, “What does our future look like? I think that now, again, just where we are in the season, and where other teams are positioned already, it kind of looks like a bit of a cluster**** to be honest with you, because we’re 37−40.”
The Future
The picture doesn’t look good for sports fans who have thrown their weight behind the Dallas Mavericks in the past. It’s no wonder that fewer feel able to today. While it’s true that the scenario was even more concerning in the previous season, the ongoing NBA tournament doesn’t leave much room for optimism.
The team’s performance appears to be poor when compared to the glory days of the past, both at home and away. The defense efforts shown on the court are something to be desired and a headache for onlookers. But what does the future look like for the Dallas Mavericks?
While there is little hope for much change in this season’s NBA tournament, its close will offer the Dallas Mavericks an opportunity to step back and reflect. They need to strengthen their defense and learn to react to changes more quickly. This season has shown that competitors are quick to adapt their gameplay in the face of the Dallas Mavericks, with the Mavericks unable to change their gameplay accordingly. With some time away from the court and a chance for some soul-searching, perhaps the Dallas Mavericks of the past will be back on the rise this time next year.