Post-Mortem: 2021-22 Dallas Mavericks

[ElectricMayhem]

Luka reaches a new level in the playoffs, but Dallas still hits a dead end. We shall now cut them open and see what's inside...

Here is the data from last year's Post-Mortems:
Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

Team Name: Dallas Mavericks
Record at Time of Death: 52-30 (.634)
GM: Nico Harrison (2021-)
Coach: Jason Kidd (2021-)

Offensive Rating: 14th
Defensive Rating: 7th
Rebound %: 16th
Turnover %: 7th

GM: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
Luka Doncic ($35m)
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($19m)
Spencer Dinwiddie ($18m)
Davis Bertans ($16m)
Dorian Finney-Smith ($12m)
Dwight Powell ($12m)
Reggie Bullock ($10m)
Maxi Kleber ($9m) (Partially Guaranteed)
Boban Marjanovic ($4m)
Josh Green ($3m)
Sterling Brown ($3m)
Marquese Chriss ($2m)
Frank Ntilikina (($2m) (Partially Guaranteed)

Team Options:

Player Options:
Trey Burke ($3m)

Free Agents:
Jalen Brunson
Moses Wright
Theo Pinson

Dead Money:
Tyrell Terry ($2m)

Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Orlando Magic
29. Detroit Pistons
28. Houston Rockets
27. Indiana Pacers
26. Oklahoma City Thunder
25. Washington Wizards
24. New York Knicks
23. Portland Trailblazers
22. Sacramento Kings
21. Los Angeles Lakers
20. Charlotte Hornets
19. San Antonio Spurs
18. Cleveland Cavaliers
17. Los Angeles Clippers
16. Brooklyn Nets
15. Atlanta Hawks
14. Chicago Bulls
13. Denver Nuggets
12. Toronto Raptors
11. New Orleans Pelicans
10. Utah Jazz
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Philadelphia 76ers
7. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Phoenix Suns
4. Dallas Mavericks

[Swish1906]

Great season, rising team.

Re-sign Brunson at around 20m (dont thinks he gets significant more somewhere else)

Draft BPA at #26

Hunt for a center with the expiring contracts + Green + FRP rookie (Gobert, Turner, Capela... Bamba?)

Center Center Center Ceeeenter

If you have to dump salaries, trade THJ to a desperate team

[Statlanta]

Keep
Keep
Better than expected
Treadmill
Resign Brunson with Bird Rights.

[Marvin Martian]

I am pretty bearish on DAL. Brunson is not a championship caliber number 2 guy. And they lack size and shooting. Luka masked how bad this team really is. They have too many holes that simply cannot be fixed through FA.

[Pablo Escobar]

Luka needs to come into the season in shape and be a professional athlete. Being fat and playing your way into shape is disgraceful. Dude has a double chin at 23.. smh. Also needs to work on his jump shot and shot selection. No point chucking up 12 threes and you're not that good of a shooter. Especially crazy step backs.

[Tyakack]

I was rooting for the mavs but you were simply outmatched. Nothing to feel ashamed of. You lost to the obvious better team... Now go get Luka some real help.

[Petergrifindor]

Great season for them, but I just don't see room for growth with these players.

Too many missing pieces in Mavs puzzle.

[leolozon]

I don't know what's funnier, Powell making 12m or Bertans making 16m. So much wasted money on the roster.

A decent big and Luka being in the best shape of his life could be enough to get back to the WFC with THJ coming back.

But there are some really good teams at the top, so I wouldn't be surprised if they still end up 4-5 next year.

[dirkforpres]

Mavs are crazy if they choose not to pursue a S&T with Brunson. He’s our most valuable piece and the Mavs desperately need a big

[Plossum]

Dallas are making progress and that’s all you can ask for. They clearly need some roster upgrades though. Brunson and Dinwiddie aren’t enough as 2/3 options. Need some upgrades on D too. Luka is a traffic cone so would be good to have someone who can tidy up his limitations on that end of the floor.

[JimmyPlopper]

I'm sure it's hard to see the silver lining right now if you're a Mavs fan, but the team made great strides this year and stand to be the contention conversation for as long as Luka is around.

[2weekswithpay]

How do the Mavs improve this offseason? The Mavs are already above the luxury tax line even if Brunson doesn't come back. They have the #26 pick and not too many tradable assets.

[MagicMamba88]

Read on Twitter

[Maverick41]

Mavs goal this season was to make it out of the 1st round and they ended up going to the WCF. There's no shame in losing to the Warriors, they were just the better team. As a Mavs fan, it sucks to lose but I'm proud of my team and what we accomplished this year.

[Joshyjess]

Where's the "Fire the Owner" option?

[Warriorfan]

Stay the course. Get a cheap protector. Plus an all star level scorer and they have perennial contention.

Dinwiddie, Kleber and Bullock have non guaranteed money

[Roger Murdock]

I voted:

Keep Coach (obvious)
Keep GM (obvious)

Performed better than expected (to me a LOT better) - I looked at the roster and saw a bunch of JAGs and questionable fits around Luka. I thought this would be a boarderline playoff team. Getting a 4 seed was shocking to me.

Then playoffs start. And dont get me wrong I get that there are reasons to not trust the Jazz. But I thought the Jazz would win in 5 or 6 since Luka was out 1 & 2. Instead the Mavs handle pretty easily. I'm impressed with the role guys and Luke once again unreal.

Then round 2. GG EZ. When the other team has 4 of the 5 best players its over before it begins. Suns in 5. Somehow the Mavericks won. I'm stunned. Still dont believe it. Luka is just unreal and the cast is a rag tag bunch of rejects but they work.



I did vote treadmill. This is a team that still needs major shakeups to be a title contender and I dont know how they get there. I dont see WCF next year and think they will take 1-2 steps back before being a title team in a few years.

[slicedbread2]

I don't know what's funnier, Powell making 12m or Bertans making 16m. So much wasted money on the roster.

A decent big and Luka being in the best shape of his life could be enough to get back in the WFC with THJ coming back.

But there are some really good teams at the top, so I wouldn't be surprised if they still end up 4-5 next year.

The good part is Powell is expiring but man was he played off the floor or what? Honestly I wouldn't hesitate to move him=filler+assets for Myles Turner but the Pacers will want a whole lot for him and honestly thought he'd be better than what he's currently shown so far. It doesn't hurt that they could acquire Richaun Holmes on the cheap as the Kings seem intent on moving him and getting out of his deal wouldn't hurt plus Holmes isn't too shabby.

They have that Josh Richardson TPE and could perhaps flip a 2nd to NY for Alec Burks for instance as they need some additional scoring off that bench+he has a team option at the same time as Bullock+Dinwiddie.

Gotta consolidate some depth in order to help the team. I'd check with Detroit and see what their asking price would be for Jerami Grant as I think he could help out the Mavericks starting lineup pretty decently and could allow more rest for Bullock+DFS when needed.

I like their future and hopefully Hardaway Jr. can bounce back healthy. Bertans is a negative asset right now and I know he's had leg injuries that have hurt him this year, but if he can bounce back it'll be better+his last year is a team option for 5M so for now they're stuck with him.

They gotta bring back Brunson because they're limited and they could S&T him to another team but he could go to a team with cap space and the Mavericks would be screwed so they got a big decision to make.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

if they don't get help, they are a treadmill team.

[Forbes]

Keeping coach and GM is a must.

Right now we are def a treadmill team in my opinion. I don’t see us going anywhere currently constructed. Most championship teams have a lot of good players including their bench and we are very far from that.

We aren’t in position to make many moves as we have a lot of players that no teams actually are in dire need of.

But Brunson my guy, i enjoyed watching your rise during the playoffs but you absolutely cannot be brought back. If we keep you, our championship hope takes quite a dive for the next couple years. Have to sell high and hope we get get some pieces in return that can shake things up or lead to more.

The old FO might have kept Brunson. Let’s see if this new FO does the obvious right decision.

Powell’s gotta go but I don’t know how and I’d like to see Tim Hardaway gonna as well. For what pieces? I have no idea but I want them gone.