The Dallas Mavericks shook up the NBA by shipping Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, and now at the All-Star break, Dallas has work to do in the Western Conference.
With the 2025 NBA All-Star game now thankfully in the rearview, the Dallas Mavericks have until Friday to contemplate the conclusion of their season, and what remains for them to achieve in the wake of one of the biggest stunners in sports history.
With Luka Doncic now in Los Angeles, and the Mavericks staring at the play-ins if they don’t make a 2024-esque rise up the standings in the second half, Dallas is at a crossroads when it comes to their professional basketball scene.
The superstar that remains, Kyrie Irving, played seven minutes in his ninth All-Star stint. The game was so full of distractions and just bad television that Irving would have been better off enjoying a vacation before he shoulders the Dallas second-half push.
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How far the Mavs go will likely depend on if they get healthy enough to be anchored by Irving, as he enjoys what has been a bit of a renaissance year. Irving continues to flirt with an immaculate 50%-40%-90% shooting season. But now he must get used to being the focal point of the Dallas offense.
It’s an uphill climb, however. Injuries to practically everyone and the move to detach themselves from the greatness that was Doncic has the Mavericks sitting at 30-26. They return from the break in eighth place in the jam-packed Western Conference with just 26 games left to find cohesion and healing before the postseason, if indeed that’s even in the cards for them if they continue to lose ground without most of their frontcourt.
The West is tight as usual as the league’s perpetually deep half has a logjam between the tenth and fourth seeds, with a couple of wins separating the top of the hierarchy and those missing out on the play-in, Dallas can’t afford many more losing skids.
The good news is, they rebounded well post-Doncic and into the break by winning four of five. That streak of good basketball puts them just two games out of escaping the play-ins and just four games back of the Lakers for the fifth spot. Remember, the Mavs made their NBA Finals run last spring from the fifth seed. Moving up to the middle of the table might be the signal that another run is in the cards.
Dallas’ recent spurt at least shows promise in securing a postseason seat, but for as close as they are to regaining their status as contenders, they’re equally as close to dropping out of the race altogether with the Phoenix Suns only three games behind Dallas at the 11th spot in the West.
How far the Mavs go will likely depend on if they get healthy enough to be anchored by Irving, as he enjoys what has been a bit of a renaissance year. Irving continues to flirt with an immaculate 50%-40%-90% shooting season. But now he must get used to being the focal point of the Dallas offense.
It’s an uphill climb, however. Injuries to practically everyone and the move to detach themselves from the greatness that was Doncic has the Mavericks sitting at 30-26. They return from the break in eighth place in the jam-packed Western Conference with just 26 games left to find cohesion and healing before the postseason, if indeed that’s even in the cards for them if they continue to lose ground without most of their frontcourt.
The West is tight as usual as the league’s perpetually deep half has a logjam between the tenth and fourth seeds, with a couple of wins separating the top of the hierarchy and those missing out on the play-in, Dallas can’t afford many more losing skids.
The good news is, they rebounded well post-Doncic and into the break by winning four of five. That streak of good basketball puts them just two games out of escaping the play-ins and just four games back of the Lakers for the fifth spot. Remember, the Mavs made their NBA Finals run last spring from the fifth seed. Moving up to the middle of the table might be the signal that another run is in the cards.
Dallas’ recent spurt at least shows promise in securing a postseason seat, but for as close as they are to regaining their status as contenders, they’re equally as close to dropping out of the race altogether with the Phoenix Suns only three games behind Dallas at the 11th spot in the West.
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