Very few might have seen the Dallas Mavericks be one step away from making it to the NBA Finals. Their turnaround came almost instant during the trade deadline. Trades for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford have been key. Their presence in the starting five addressed the previous woes Luka Doncic and the Mavericks suffered from. Then of course, there was the home run to acquire Kyrie Irving despite his turbulent stint with the Brooklyn Nets. The former number-one pick has been a blissful addition, stepping up when Doncic can’t and giving the Mavericks a second closer in nailbiting situations.
It took a lot of bravery and courage from Mark Cuban and his front office to pull off such trades. They sacrificed both their first-round picks, one each in the Washington and Gafford trade. The results were just as the franchise projected. Gafford became a shot-blocking and interior menace. Washington provided passionate defense and regular scoring as the third option. Kyrie Irving accepted his role as the secondary star and in a matter of one full off-season they became one of the most ruthless and conniving scoring duos in the NBA. Doncic has credited Irving several times and has grown accustomed to his play style. The two mix as well as water and salt.
When Colin Cowherd spoke about the Mavericks’ movements, he referred to them as “really smart, thoughtful swings”. The veteran analyst compared them to Pat Riley’s bold decision-making with the Miami Heat franchise such as signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the same o
