http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-mavericks/headlines/20210421-big-wins-in-big-d.eceStaff Reports
April 21, 2021BIG WINS IN BIG DThe Dallas Mavericks are prepping themselves for hopefully a long playoff campaign and a lot of the credit goes to new General Manager Yaxley MacMillan, who has turned this club from a perennial cellar dweller to the current number one seed in the Western Conference. To explain this rise in fame, we must go back to the past.
Before MacMillan arrived in Texas the Mavericks were 203-334 (winning percentage of .378) with six straight bottom placed divisional ‘titles’. The last time they were in the playoffs was in 2012, winning 45 games and making it into the second round before being bounced. After that the team had six seasons of over 50 losses, causing four coaches to come and go. They didn’t have many accolades either, with only Brandon Jennings winning anything of note, being named All Star MVP in 2015 and All NBA third team in 2017. Other than that, nothing to put their hat on. They have also had numerous high draft picks that equated to nothing more than average players, with Matthew Edney (#7, 2014), Pat Archie (#8, 2015), Lorec Balosak (#5, 2017), Nathan Howard (#13, 2017) all failing to fire while only now is #8 pick in the 2018 draft Jevin Lindeman starting to grow, and that won’t be anything more than a very good bench point guard.
That all changed when MacMillan arrived from his problematic tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies. After the Grizzlies went 25-57 in 2015 he turned the team around, winning 24 more games on their way to a 49-33 record before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The two seasons after that they had a combined 118-48 record while getting to the Western Conference Finals but he was unceremoniously dumped from the team because of his not so private clashes with owner Mike Hershey. That friction didn’t deter Dallas owner Mike English of quickly hiring him. Mr English’s patience did falter slightly when stalwart and fan favourite Brandon Jennings was quickly traded to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge and the number seven pick in the 2019 draft, which eventually became Brandon Anderer to go along with #6 pick Matt Brown. MacMillan had a plan.
After an extremely sluggish start to the 2019 season where the team had slipped to a 7-18 record his temper was starting to show. A loss to the expansion Nevada Neon tipped him over the line, causing MacMillan to purge the team and start again with a squad composed entirely on expiring contracts, dealing away prize recruits like Joe Abney, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum in what some Dallas fans called “removing the rot” as these players were not playing “hard Dallas basketball.” In return they got high motor players like now captain Harrison Barnes, Marcus Thornton, Bismack Biyombo and Darren Collison, all new starters. This new line-up might not have set the world on fire, but they did end up only one game outside the playoffs which was a great return given the team’s horrific start.
The off season is where MacMillan really stepped up. Lady Luck had some say in it, going from the ninth best odds in the draft lottery to nabbing the third pick. The Mavericks selected power forward Marcus Randle who didn’t see any court time in the NBA because of his raw play but he has amazing upside and more importantly a gym rat mentality to work ethic. He will play a big part in the team’s future. However, it was the free agency period that brought this team from the brink. Using his shrewd managing skills, MacMillan whittled down a $94 million salary to a shade under $12 million, giving the team $46 million in cap to spend on free agents.
With that money he got an All NBA second team player and two All NBA third team players, as well as two All Defence first teamers and a second teamer. The city of Dallas turned 180 degrees in a few days as the Mavericks somehow snagged Andre Drummond, Bradley Beal and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The era of a new Big Three was touted by the media. The team also nabbed quality players like Harrison Barnes, Patrick Patterson and Darren Collison. This team was geared towards a championship and the city knew it. Season memberships rose astronomically, with the entire top section being bought by title hungry fans. Local celebrities like Owen and Luke Wilson, Tommy Lee Jones, Norah Jones, Kelly Clarkson and the Dixie Chicks were getting onboard with a advertising campaign that was plastered everywhere in Texas. They knew something was coming.
After a month it wasn’t all roses and champagne like the pre-game parties. The team was 4-4 and sitting at the bottom end of the playoffs. Even though the next month they were sitting third in the West a 17-7 there were still grumblings that this team may be a good regular season team but it could never compete for a championship. That all changed at the start of January.
The Dallas Mavericks may have made the biggest trade in league history, right up there with the Golden State/Boston trade where the Celtics somehow stole not only Robert Parish but also Kevin McHale in 1980. The Mavericks traded their starting SF and PG in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Darren Collison for three time MVP Kevin Durant. Not only did they get the best scorer in the league, they removed Collison from the starting point guard position, giving phenom Matt Brown the room to grow into a stellar ball distributor. The Thunder were worried that Durant would bolt during free agency next season and wanted to get something instead of seeing him walk. The effect on the Mavericks was instant.
After the trade the team went 16-1, and even though Durant’s scoring was down Matt Brown’s output was extraordinary. In those seventeen games where he started, the second year player averaged 10 points, 12 assists and 4 rebounds a game. A new elite point guard had arrived. In the end the team finished at 62-20, a 44-12 record with Durant on the team good enough to take the first seed in the playoffs for the Western Conference.
However, tragedy struck only eight games out from the playoffs. The team’s rock, their heart in Andre Drummond suffered a broken hand that will keep him out of most, but probably all of the playoffs. This setback will hurt no doubt, but the team is solid and can withstand the injury with the combination of bench sparks Joakim Noah and Meyers Leonard. Leonard in particular will have to step up because he has complained about playing time throughout the season, so here is his chance to prove himself. Thanks to Kevin Durant, Brad Beal, Matt Brown, Harrison Barnes and the rest of the squad, this team is ready for the playoffs and the city is 1000% behind them. This season has changed the culture of Dallas basketball. From perennial whipping boys to championship contenders, it all comes down to the post season. Can Dallas withstand Andre’s broken hand? How will Matt Brown handle the post season pressure? And more pressing, how can anyone beat the New Orleans juggernaut? In time, these questions will be answered but for now, there is only one thing to say...
LET’S GO MAVERICKS!