Last season: 52-30 (lost in conference finals); 15th in offense, sixth in defenseKey additions: C Christian Wood, C JaVale McGeeKey subtractions: PG Jalen Brunson, SF Sterling Brown, C Boban Marjanović, PG Trey BurkeDraft picks: PG Jaden Hardy (37th)
You’ll rarely see a successful season end with more questions.
By all standards, Dallas’ 2021-22 campaign ended near the ceiling of what might have been expected. Not just because the Mavs knocked out the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with blowout wins in the final two games to advance to the Western Conference finals, but also because of the assorted concepts that were proven along the way: that hiring Jason Kidd wouldn’t be the disaster it was in Milwaukee or Brooklyn; that trading Kristaps Porziņģis was the right way to retool a top-heavy roster; and, above all, that playing five out around Luka Dončić’s singular talent was a postseason cheat code few could solve.
Alas, a lot happened after the last season ended. The Mavs lost Brunson, their second-best player in the playoff run, and replaced him with … Wood and McGee? Even after trading their first-round pick for Wood, using the midlevel exception money to add another center in McGee raised eyebrows.
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