The Future Of Carlisle, Porzingis And The Mavs
(Photo via Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
Once again, the Dallas Mavericks prove to be no more and no less than a good basketball team. After a season that had its ups and downs due to injuries, COVID protocols and flat out mediocrity, the Mavericks find themselves enjoying their summer vacation far too early once again. Yes, the generational sensation in Luka Doncic is something that Mavs fans can look forward to for years to come, but are there bigger issues at large for Cuban and company?
Tolerance for subpar coaching is getting lower and lower in professional sports, as teams want to have the “let’s compete for a title in the next three years and we’ll find the coach that can get us there” mentality. In regards to NBA franchises with that mindset, they more often than not find themselves looking at another lottery pick the next year and are hiring for a head coaching position simply because of the juggernauts that now run the league.
However, for thirteen-year Mavs head coach, Rick Carlisle, there’s no way he could be the issue, right? I mean, he’s a 2011 Finals champion and- wait, I guess he is simply JUST a 2011 Finals champion, and that’s about it. Just six first-round exits to show over the course of the past decade, including three straight years of missing the playoffs entirely.
This got me thinking, how many NBA teams have not advanced past the first round in that same time span? I dove a little deeper and found my answer. In the past ten years, only six out of the 30 teams have not advanced any further than the first round of the playoffs in the past decade. You could probably guess the other five off the top of your head: Hornets, Pistons, Timberwolves, Magic and Kings -- shocker. All adds up, these five teams have been irrelevant aside from the Hornets’ new kid on the block in Lamelo Ball, a soon-to-be bright spot for the franchise.
But wait, who’s that sixth team to not have advanced? Oh yeah, it’s the “recent” NBA champs, the “historically great” franchise since the arrival of Dirk, my very own Dallas Mavericks. Tough pill to swallow, eh? Hold on, there’s more!
In these droughts for the respective franchises, the number of head coaches for each team is as follows: Hornets- 5, Pistons- 5, Timberwolves- 6, Magic- 6, Kings- 7… Mavericks- 1. One coach in the past ten years and still not even a second round appearance since that ever-so magical 2011 season. You’ve got to wonder just how far a single ring can take a coach, and while I have always been an advocate for Carlisle, I am beginning to be skeptical of how his tactics are translating in today’s offensive-heavy NBA. Especially when you have what many are considering the next best player for the foreseeable future.
That’s enough Carlisle criticism for now, let’s move on to what I believe is the bigger issue -- Mr. Moneyman himself, the $30 million a year unicorn, the 7’3” sultan of strip clubs -- Kristaps Porzingis. It’s difficult to put into words just how bad the Mavs’ highest-paid player was this postseason. He put up miniscule numbers throughout the first round series against the Clippers at just 13 PPG, 5 RPG, and 1 APG in 33 minutes per game, including a sub 30% from three-point range.
At this point, we (Mavs fans) would feel lucky just to get rid of his contract in exchange for say a Brook Lopez of the world. Someone who knows his role, can perform to the standard of their pay and make the open shots that Doncic creates for them. KP looked lost on both ends of the floor against the Clippers; backdoor cuts from the opposition seemed other-worldy to him. Oh, and don’t even bother giving it to him in the post, as even 6’1” Rajon Rondo would be able to guard him with ease.
To say I’m fed up with KP is an understatement. When you only play in half the regular season games, fans start to have the reaction of “Porzingis is playing tonight? Cool.” He’s not exciting to watch anymore. He’s not the unicorn that Cuban and all of us thought he’d be. He’s just another 7-footer making way more money than he should be.
Don’t get me wrong, I am ecstatic to see what moves the Mavs front office make this offseason, as there are free-agent names such as Devonte Graham and Lonzo Ball up for grabs, who could both prove to be affordable and profitable for the team. At the same time there are players like Damian Lillard, where my only question is -- why not?
Why not give it a push and see what the Blazers asking price could be? In a league where you pretty much need to have AT LEAST two superstars on your team in order to compete for a title, the Mavs have to think big. As great as Luka is, he needs a guy that can make the timely shot, can control the game when he’s on the bench, and can help lead the team both on and off the court. If the Mavs are unable to obtain another player of that caliber, we could be looking at early playoff exits for years to come.