The Dallas Mavericks are one year removed from a controversial finish to the 2023 season. While they wound up with the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after missing the playoffs, they were fined $750K for stating the desire to lose to help their chances of keeping the selection.
But the head-scratching part is that the Mavericks still had a shot at making the play-in tournament, instead opting to take a long-term view.
While it was a costly decision, it’s one that panned out. Less than one full calendar year after having a top-10 pick, the Mavs are on their way to the 2024 NBA Finals, something Luka Doncic called “insane.”
“Insane. I think we’ve got a great team, but most importantly we’ve got great guys … from players to coaches … and that’s the most important thing. We stay together and we just play basketball,” Doncic said, per Grant Afseth of Mavericks Gameday.
