(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks made it quite far this season, but they ran out of gas when it mattered the most.
They upset three very good teams on their way to the NBA Finals, taking down the Los Angeles Clippers and the top two seeds in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Then, Kyrie Irving’s subpar performances, Luka Doncic’s poor conditioning and injuries, and the fact that the supporting cast didn’t show up offensively at times backfired for Jason Kidd’s team.
That’s why Jason Timpf and Colin Cowherd believe the Mavericks aren’t that close to being a championship-caliber team.
“I don’t think this Dallas Mavericks team is close”
—@colincowherd & @_JasonLT discuss why Luka Doncic and the Mavericks will struggle to return to the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/G10va1kcVv
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 18, 2024
Talking on The Volume, they agreed that the Mavericks benefitted from some matchups throughout the course of the playoffs, but they wouldn’t have been able to get past, say, the Denver Nuggets.
Cowherd argued that the Mavericks become very Luka-dominant when Irving isn’t at his best, and while Doncic tried to hand the baton to his teammates multiple times, no one grabbed it.
He also argued that Doncic was exhausted and only gave about 80% of himself in the NBA Finals, whereas the Celtics had a plethora of shot-makers and guys who could step up to get the job done.
Timpf and Cowherd think the Mavericks are flawed and need to add more pieces to be a top-tier team, although that doesn’t mean they’re not good.
Whatever the case, Doncic also proved not to be ready to finish the job, as he has to get in better shape and keep his temper in check, but growing pains are just a part of the game.
The post Analyst Says He Doesn’t Believe The Mavericks Are Close To Winning Championship appeared first on The Cold Wire.