The fall that the Dallas Mavericks took down the standings the last few weeks of the NBA season was unprecedented. After winning their first two games with Kyrie Irving in the lineup, pushing their record to 31-26 on the season, the team struggled mightily for the remainder of the season.
Dallas would win only seven more games, finishing the season on an abysmal 7-18 run. While it is easy to point the finger at Irving as being the reason things fell apart given his history, this was a total organizational failure from top to bottom. What made it even worse was that the franchise gave up despite having a few weeks remaining in the season.
Things were even uglier than what we saw. The Mavericks very clearly tanked at the end of the season despite still having a chance at making the NBA Play-In Tournament at the very least. That earned them a $750,000 fine from the league. But, had ownership had its way, the losing would have begun sooner.
According to Kevin O’Connor on FanDuel TV, the plan was for the Mavericks to start their tanking before it ensued. But, there was pushback from Luka Doncic and Irving, who wanted to still compete.
“The tanking was actually supposed to begin sooner,” O’Connor said via FanDuel TV. “My sources say that in late March, Dallas coaches met with players to discuss a plan for Markieff Morris and JaVale McGee to play heavier minutes. That is when the tanking was supposed to begin but Luka and especially Kyrie were agitated that the team was waving the white flag and both refused to sit.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
The Mavericks are currently writing the handbook on how to ensure your superstar player wants to leave your franchise. As if they hadn’t had enough hiccups recently losing players that Doncic liked, such as Jalen Brunson, this is yet another reason he could ask for a trade down the road.
Irving was traded to the Mavericks and was certainly under the belief he was going to a team trying to win games and make some noise in the postseason. After advancing to the Western Conference Finals last season, this was a truly embarrassing end to the 2022-23 campaign.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
A lot of eyes will be on the Mavericks this offseason, as they will have some long discussions with Doncic and Irving. If the team was ready to change the course that quickly in a season the playoffs were still within reach, how can they trust the long-term outlook?
If Dallas defies the odds and Lady Luck is on their side during the NBA Draft Lottery, this will go down as one of the most memorable tank jobs in NBA history. But, if they still lose their pick to the New York Knicks, it will be arguably the most embarrassing display by a franchise in league history.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
The only way anyone forgets about this, beyond the Knicks and their fans who were baking on receiving a draft pick this year, is if the Mavericks just stay at No. 10 in the draft order.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here.
