At midnight tonight, the NBA league year officially changes and '26 begins! It was an....interesting year for the Mavericks who went from the NBA Finals to the lottery in the span of 9 months. Prior to winning the lottery 6 weeks ago, this past season would undoubtedly have been remembered as the year Nico Harrison made 1 of the most shocking (or terrible) trades in all of sports history, but the Mavs leaping into the #1 pick pushes at least some of that controversy to the sideline.
I'll admit, many Mavs fans (including myself) were all but ready to pack away our fandom for the next decade+. Anecdotally, every single person I sat around in my section of season ticket holders had cancelled or opted out of their renewal after the trade. The Luka revenge game in April felt like a funeral party as the final buzzer rang and everyone took a moment to take 1 last look before the anticipated long hibernation.
This season was filled with injuries and frustration and I wouldn't blame any Mavs fans for still harboring resentment towards a certain GM....BUT as they say, the night is darkest just before the dawn and the sun rose with Cooper Flagg. Hope is restored even if the blight of Nico remains.
Looking forward, the Mavs actually have reason for optimism. A healthy starting lineup of:
Kyrie
Klay
Flagg
PJ
Lively <-(oops, meant to put AD lol)
Is without a doubt a Finals contender. "Health" is the obvious limiting factor.
The path for this team is narrow...but there is a path.
And more importantly, that path extends well into the future with the unlikely (or perhaps 'rigged') addition of Cooper Flagg.
Lets get this started.
I'll admit, many Mavs fans (including myself) were all but ready to pack away our fandom for the next decade+. Anecdotally, every single person I sat around in my section of season ticket holders had cancelled or opted out of their renewal after the trade. The Luka revenge game in April felt like a funeral party as the final buzzer rang and everyone took a moment to take 1 last look before the anticipated long hibernation.
This season was filled with injuries and frustration and I wouldn't blame any Mavs fans for still harboring resentment towards a certain GM....BUT as they say, the night is darkest just before the dawn and the sun rose with Cooper Flagg. Hope is restored even if the blight of Nico remains.
Looking forward, the Mavs actually have reason for optimism. A healthy starting lineup of:
Kyrie
Klay
Flagg
PJ
Lively <-(oops, meant to put AD lol)
Is without a doubt a Finals contender. "Health" is the obvious limiting factor.
- How long will it take for Kyrie to regain form? Without his dynamic shot creation, this team is at best a 1st round exit (unless Flagg is Lebron 2.0 right away).
- How many games can we rely on AD? Klay is obviously not a paragon of health either.
The path for this team is narrow...but there is a path.
And more importantly, that path extends well into the future with the unlikely (or perhaps 'rigged') addition of Cooper Flagg.
Lets get this started.