The new Mavericks are already thinking about winning.
The Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to six games into the All-Star break by defeating Victor Wembaneyama and the San Antonio Spurs 116-93 at American Airlines Center. Kyrie Irving had a dominant performance in Dallas, posting 34 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals on 15-of-22 field goals and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
But after the game, the eight-time All-Star had no interest in emphasizing even greater individual performances as he quietly ended the season. Instead, when Irving was asked, he couldn't help but remember the Larry O'Brien Trophy. what's next for his new-look team through the stretch run of the season.
“I've been on a roll over the All-Star break and I'm taking this All-Star break very seriously and understanding what's going to happen,” he told Jeff Skin Wade of Bally Sports Southwest. “The big picture goal is to go for a championship, but it's about incremental growth, incremental progress and just trusting each other. We're having fun here. Six in a row is great though , I'm not happy about it. I know the team coming back from the All-Star break will continue to give it its best shot. The deal was done, that's great. Now that I'm emotionally out of it and x I can now concentrate on what I need to do with the words and ○.”
New Mavericks are active at the All-Star break
With this win, the Mavs moved to seventh place in the Western Conference with a season-best nine games over .500 at 32-23. They are one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans in the standings and just 0.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings.
Obviously, securing a top-six record to avoid the play-in tournament should be Dallas' top priority after the All-Star break. A top-four finish in the West would be ideal and would give the Mavericks home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but that would be a very difficult feat for any team to accomplish. It will be.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets have been among the top teams in their conference in recent months. The defending champions have slumped a bit in their 82-game stretch, but are still three games behind the fourth-place Phoenix Suns.
Luka Doncic is simply a trump card in the postseason. If Dallas hits the deadline cap post-trade, this team may not need the benefit of home court to make the playoffs.
It's a small sample size, but the early returns from the Mavs' PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford trades are very encouraging. Jason Kidd's team defeated the Thunder by 35 points in Washington and is 3-0, including Gafford's debut.
Wednesday's win also provided the best view of Dallas' deep new frontcourt. Rookie center Derek Lively II returned from a seven-game absence against the Spurs and came off the bench behind Gafford, giving the Mavs a two-headed monster of rim running and shot blocking up the middle. Gafford finished with a double-double and Lively had eight points, five rebounds and four blocks in just 17 minutes, posting a team-high +27 plus-minus.
Is winning a championship still considered noble for Dallas? Absolutely. But no one wants to see Doncic or Irving in the playoffs, and the Mavs are certainly more athletic and dynamic on both sides of the ball post-trade deadline.
Keep an eye on Dallas, where the season resumes next week. Even if they aren't at the top level to ultimately threaten a championship, where the reborn Mavs settle in the West could loom very large in the title race.
