Our squad is resting for Game 1 of the 2023-2024 NBA preseason as the 2023 NBA playoffs reach the second round.
After two weeks, the Dallas Mavericks’ season disgrace remains. For a while.
One year ago, Mavericks employees were optimistic about the present and future. Because Luka Doncic missed the first three games, Jalen Brunson carried the Mavericks to a two-game tie against Utah in the first round.
Fear and loathing have replaced optimism.
Brunson carrying the New York Knicks into the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2013 is another indictment on owner Mark Cuban and GM Nico Harrison’s inability to keep him in a uniform he never wanted to alter.
Vince Carter, who played the Invited Celebrity Classic at Las Colinas Country Club, has thoughts.
Talking to Carter hurt wonderfully. He’s a great conversationalist, but hearing him talk about the team is terrible.
This was preventable.
Carter said, “No.” No way. Not now.”
They lack a Vince Carter-type for various reasons. Vinsanity-Vince jumped over defenders. They need experienced Vince, who knew the game, locker room, floor, and could in-bounds, defend, and shoot.
He was pessimistic about the Mavericks.
“Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic can work,” he remarked. “But the roster is the issue.”
That’s known.
Next is worrying. NBA veterans know the next part.
“If you put a better roster around those guys then you can see if it’s a roster that’s willing to do whatever, and buy in,” he said. “If you start out bad, after a while it’s, ‘I’m going to get mine. Getting my numbers. Hit contract incentives. Maybe a guy needs a new contract.
“That’s the problem when you’re losing.”
Bruson suited the Mavericks. He fit perfectly behind Doncic. Brunson can play. Brunson knows how to win.
With their 2021-2022 roster, the Mavericks would not reach the Western Conference Finals. The team needed a rebounder and a center.
“I didn’t like it,” Carter stated, adding Kyrie. I disliked how much they gave up to acquire him. They battled defensively with two of your greatest defensive players, well, your best defensive player, and now they’re gone.”
Vince mentions Brooklyn’s Irving trade guards Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Every squad that enters their building will have two go-to players. Carter said none. Who will protect the other? That’s the issue. Finney-Smith is a gem. He’ll knock down a shot, guard their greatest player, and relieve Luka of the responsibility to guard someone.”
After the season, GM Nico Harrison was right when he said the Mavericks were bad defensively even with Finney-Smith. DFS wasn’t criticized. Finney-Smiths had limits.
Irving’s All-Star scoring didn’t help the Mavericks. The transaction ruined an ordinary defense.
Carter believes Kyrie and Luka can work.
Kyrie proved it works. He told James Harden in Brooklyn, “You run the point guard.” Carter said he can. He’ll let Luka be that man.
“Then (head coach) Jason Kidd makes it work. If Kyrie is ready to let Luka do that to get him started, he can be a more ball-dominant person with the second unit and rotate it that way. In the fourth quarter, you have to figure things out.”
This offseason, the Mavericks must decide.
After listening to Vince Carter, it’s impossible to sense the optimism everyone around the team felt a year ago.