![]() ![]() They posted 67-15 the following season with the same core group of players, before getting upset by the Golden State Warriors in the first round.Īfter that series it seemed as if the Mavericks window of opportunity was starting to close. Mavericks came within minutes of taking a 3-0 series lead in the 2006 NBA Finals, before a Miami Heat comeback and a referee controversy. The 2006 edition didn't have the same star power as it did in years past, with Michael Finley and Steve Nash or the Anotine Walker/Antwan Jamison experiment, however they were now in a better position to win a championship.Īvery Johnson quickly transformed them from an offensive minded small-ball team that was similar to the Phoenix Suns in to lockdown defensive team that now rivaled the San Antonio Spurs. This goes without mentioning Keith Van Horn, who was playing in what would be his final NBA season. They had arguably the deepest backcourt in the NBA with Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse in the starting lineup along with Devin Harris and Marquis Daniels coming off the bench. While the 2006 Dallas Mavericks may not have had a top tier center, they had a more balanced lineup and a deeper bench than the 2003 edition.ĭirk Nowitzki was finally reaching his peak and Josh Howard was playing at an All-Star level. ![]() Nor is making them yearn for Erick Dampier and Desagana Diop. The current center duo of Brandon Haywood and Tyson Chandler is not making Mavericks fans reminiscent about Raef Lafrentz and Shawn Bradley. Teams are going to be intimidated by your bench with the likes Eduardo Najera and Adrian Griffin leading the way. However after Van Exel, this team lacked depth. He and Steve Nash formed one of the NBA's best point guard duos during their short tenure together. Nick Van Exel gave them one of the top reserve guards in the league at the time. In 2003, Nash was one of the NBA's best point guards, but was still a few years away from his MVP metamorphosis. Finley was one of the best shooting guards at a time when it was the league's most star studded position. He formed one of the best trios in the NBA with Michael Finley and Steve Nash during the early 2000's. No matter what style of play the team has adjusted to, he has continued to be the focal point for the offense. The one constant for the Dallas Mavericks over the last decade or so has been the presence of Dirk Nowitzki. Rick Carlisle has leaned more towards the style of Avery Johnson, with a strong defensive mentality similar to his Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers teams. Don Nelson's Mavericks teams never played defense, while Avery Johnson led them to the NBA Finals with of the league's lowest scoring teams. However, all three of them have done it in contrasting styles. Just like the 2011 edition, both made it to the Western Conference Finals. The two that come to mind are the 20 versions. Looking at the Mavericks current roster and the success they have had this year, its only fair to compare them to more recent teams in franchise history. Now he is a key reserve and possibly the best back up point guard in the entire league.Īnd the strong defensive play of Tyson Chandler has made most Mavericks fans forget that they could have acquired Al Jefferson instead last summer. Barea went undrafted out of Northeastern University. Peja Stojakovic and Shawn Marion are no longer All-Star caliber players, but their successful adjustments as role players may finally get them the championship rings that eluded them Sacramento and Phoenix, respectively.įive years ago, J.J. Terry hit 9 three pointers in Game 4 against the Lakers and Kidd did a great job defending Kobe Bryant during the series. This has been far from the case in their series with the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, when they were underdogs in both series.ĭirk Nowitzki is continuing to show why he is not only the best European player of all-time, but still among the NBA's elite.Īge doesn't seem to have slowed down Jason Terry or Jason Kidd too much. Not to mention, their third leading scorer, Caron Butler, has been out of action since January. Going into the the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the Mavericks were coming off three first round exits in the last four years and had not been past the second round since 2006. Dallas entered the regular season as one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but an aging one that had seen better days. ![]()
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