Dallas Mavericks Should be Thrilled With Start to Season

The Mavericks have lost nine of their first ten games, and are already looking like they will be in contention for one of the top few picks in next year’s NBA draft. But there is a lot to be positive about despite the rough start.

The Mavericks are one of the NBA’s worst teams.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Mavs will not be a team relentlessly gunning for a playoff spot and will instead be among the NBA’s rebuilding teams.

The biggest goal for the Mavs this season has to be to try to get their youngest players as much exposure as possible. Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, and Donnie Nelson must dramatically change their approach and set the team up more and more for future success rather than desperately try to win games they know they are outmatched in.

So far, the Mavs have been doing a good job of this. Dennis Smith Jr. is off to a great start in a Mavs uniform. The uber-athletic, rangy point guard is averaging 13 PPG, 5 APG, and 3 RPG. Such a complete stat line through just nine games is extremely encouraging for a Mavs team that is hoping Smith becomes the true heir apparent to Jason Kidd in Dallas.

Dennis Smith Jr. is getting the necessary exposure and playing time that the Mavericks need to be giving him. Rick Carlisle must give him the ball despite mistakes, rookie blunders, and growing pains. At the end of close games, Carlisle should not hesitate to call plays for Smith Jr. rather than Dirk Nowitzki or Harrison Barnes.

Outside of Smith Jr., Yogi Ferrell and Nerlens Noel are also seeing valuable action. Noel has been shuffled in and out of the lineup as Rick Carlisle tries to figure out ideal match-ups, but his value to the long-term plan is still there. The Mavs need to prioritize the development of these young stalwarts to accelerate this rebuild as fast as possible.

A mild surprise has been the complete absence of Dorian Finney-Smith, who became a large figure in the Mavs’ rotation last season.

The Mavs have been mostly competitive so far this season, another encouraging sign for a young team. The talent does appear to be there, as the problems have been an inability to finish games and uncertainty that comes with being so inexperienced as a team. The Mavs lost to the Hawks on opening night despite having the game tied with ninety seconds to go.

The Mavs then lost another close one to the Sacramento Kings two nights later, 93-88. Just a night later, the Mavs were humbled by the rival Rockets by sixteen, a fairly predictable outcome for a team coming off the second night of a back-to-back and taking on one of the Western Conference’s best.

The Mavs were pretty much no match against the NBA’s best, the Golden State Warriors. The Mavs managed to keep it close for a half, a rather large achievement considering it was the NBA’s best against its worst. Dallas picked up its first win of the year against the talented Grizzlies to nights later, and then dropped a close one by five just a night later against the same team.

Yogi Ferrell then missed two potentially game-tying free throws against the 76ers and sent the Mavs to 1-6 after just a two point loss. All in all, the Mavs have a lot to be positive about despite their porous record. The Mavs have begun to accept their rebuilding reality, and are doing exactly what is necessary to accelerate the process as quickly as possible.

More from The Smoking Cuban

The Mavs have, for the most part, competed pretty well against some tough competition through eleven games, and while they’ve only scored one victory, they have made some noise across the NBA, showcasing their youngest star, Dennis Smith Jr. The Mavs are in a pretty good position despite their win-loss situation. Already with a budding star in-house, the Mavs are setting themselves to add another high draft pick next year, possibly higher than number nine overall.

Another positive sign has been the positive vibes coming from the veterans on the roster. Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, Devin Harris, and J.J. Barea have all embraced the rebuild professionally and willingly, rare for a team that will clearly be very high in the draft lottery.

The Mavs have an entire NBA season in front of them to figure out which young players they want to retain over the long-term, and look to use once their team is ready to compete for real in the Western Conference.

Mavs fans need to acknowledge a process beginning to unfold in Dallas, as the Mavs are approaching this exactly the way they need to be.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft Prospects for Dallas Mavericks

Rather than getting frustrated with what will be undoubtedly an ugly, possibly 60-loss season, the Mavs should pay extremely close attention to the players they have in-house, and make as much due with what they have as they can.