AUSTIN, Texas — After losing to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the bubble playoffs in 6 games, the Mavericks are looking to retool their roster.
Matt Moore of the Action Network reported that the Mavericks have expressed interest in adding a guard to their young but talented roster. The players Moore outlined in his report were Victor Oladipo, Jrue Holiday, and Spencer Dinwiddie.
All three in my opinion would be worth trading for. The Mavericks have a big man who can stretch the floor and pull up from 3 in Kristaps Porzingis, a dynamic shot creator and playmaker and all around superstar in Luka Doncic, the final piece to the Mavericks championship dreams could come by way of acquiring a veteran backcourt presence.
Since the team’s last title run in 2011, the Mavs have missed the playoffs in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2018, which prior to the 2011 season the Mavs didn’t miss the NBA postseason during the entire 2000’s decade. During that time the Mavericks have never subscribed to the idea of forming their own Big 3. It seems like the Mavericks realize they have a small window with the pieces they have to deliver another championship to the Metroplex.
Over the past decade we have witnessed the traditional big man become extinct and the guard who shoots ten 3 point shots a game is the norm. The importance of spreading the ball around and finding the open guy can not be overstated in today’s NBA and if you do not have multiple players who can hit the three point shot it can hinder the overall success of the team.
The Big 3 method in some aspects changed the way basketball is played and the Mavericks are late to the party.
Many NBA franchises have adopted the Big 3 method and have led to many of those teams winning NBA championships. The first team that brought 3 superstars together were the 2008 Boston Celtics when they acquired Ray Allen from the Seattle Supersonics and Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves to join the Celtics all-star forward Paul Pierce. Those acquisitions immediately paid off and the Celtics hoisted their first Larry O’Brien trophy since 1986.
The Miami Heat did the same by acquiring Chris Bosh and Lebron James via free agency during the 2011 offseason and won back to back championships in 2012 and 2013. The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers did the same and created an instant rivalry between the two teams appearing in 4 consecutive finals appearances.
The importance of having a second and third star on a NBA roster is the way of the NBA and it can certainly matter and it can create immediate residuals.
If the Mavs are able to acquire a veteran presence to their backcourt to partner with Porzingis and Doncic, it could bring those championship dreams to fruition sooner rather than later.
