DALLAS — What a difference a week makes.
The Dallas Mavericks suffered back-to-back losses to top conference contenders to open February as the wheels had seemingly come off the Luka Doncic-led bandwagon. However, with wins over Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New York, Oklahoma City, and Washington since, Dallas looks to be all the way back.
What was very recently a team running purely on fumes is now one of the hottest in the NBA, as the Mavs find themselves tied with Golden State for the longest active winning streak in the league with the All-Star break nearing.
In between the losses, wins, and what seems like an abundance of face mask orders, they also made major changes to their supporting cast.
The 2024 NBA trade deadline passed and saw the Mavericks avoid a “hail mary” trade for a name brand star in favor of improving their positional needs without handicapping their ability to make a major move in the offseason.
Summer additions Richaun Holmes, Seth Curry, and Grant Williams are out, with center Daniel Gafford and forward P.J. Washington now in. The Mavs roster depth may now be the best that it has ever looked in the Doncic era.
The massive void that was the backup center spot is now a positional strength, with Gafford and his 11.2 PPG, 8.2 rebound average sliding into the starting rotation while Lively nurses a broken nose. Gafford has already made his presence felt in his short time as a Mav, with his defensive effort and rebounding acumen on clear display.
Not only did Dallas improve their depth, they also got younger. Gafford is only 25 and is signed long-term with a team-friendly cap number, essentially replacing Holmes’ 12 million cap hit for a massive upgrade in production.
Dallas now moves forward with the luxury of two starting-quality performers for at least the next three seasons. Washington, in his fifth-year out of Kentucky, slides into the spot Williams was brought in to fill, namely being a multi-positional defender with some offensive pop when needed.
The forward/center is averaging 13.5 points on the year and is signed through 2026. He will look to split minutes with Derrick Jones Jr. in a tandem that specializes in athletic ability on both sides of the ball.
The new additions have been emphatic in their desire to be part of Dallas' push to contention, and the front office’s deadline roster shuffle was quickly praised by Doncic. The results so far have been more than encouraging. They’ve felt season-altering.
In the two victories since the deadline, Washington is averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG while Gafford has starred with 17.5 PPG, 13.0 RPG, with stellar defense in the paint and a lob target for Doncic. Most importantly, their presence has greatly lengthened the bench.
Mavs President Nico Harrison has long lobbied for more size and rim running to elevate the team around Doncic’s ample skill set, and the Mavs not only acquiesced beautifully based on what was available and their limited assets, but the vibes and culture of the team seemingly improved as well.
While the depth has been much improved by Harrison and company, the chances for meaningful games in April and beyond still begin and end with their two-headed attack of Kyrie Irving and Doncic.
Luka has given MVP-worthy performances for the majority of this season without much love shown from the league, with the absence of Irving for large swaths of games, and a consequently middling team performance largely to blame.
Irving now looks to have turned the corner on his injury, and the backcourt duo are scoring nearly 60 points per game combined. Good things seem to come in spades, and along with a healthy co-star, a revamped rotation, and a win streak came validation for Doncic as the NBA Player of the Week for the period ending on February 11th.
The retooled Mavs will hope for more team worthy accolades to come in the near future. For now, they’re 31-23 and one game out of the 5th spot in the west as they head into their last matchup before the break, welcoming the last-place San Antonio Spurs into the American Airlines Center for a Valentine’s night meeting.
Do you think the Mavericks have built a roster that can contend? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
More Mavericks coverage: