The Smoking Cuban
FanSided

Dallas Mavericks: A look at the most talented Mavs team in the last 20 years

By Austin Speck

DALLAS - APRIL 22: Antawn Jamison #33 and Antoine Walker #8 of the Dallas Mavericks pose for a portrait on April 22, 2004 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
DALLAS - APRIL 22: Antawn Jamison #33 and Antoine Walker #8 of the Dallas Mavericks pose for a portrait on April 22, 2004 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Steve Nash
DALLAS – APRIL 23: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with teammates Steve Nash #13 and Michael Finley #4. (Photo by: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

The Big Three

The big three of the Mavericks were coming into the season as one of the better cores in the league. As the core of the number one rated offense in the league, the Mavericks in the early 2000s could dominate in today’s NBA.

This was Nash’s final season with the Mavericks before heading to Phoenix where he went on to win back to back MVP awards. Despite having a productive season at around 15 points and nearly 9 assists per game, Nash was entering his 30’s.

Cuban was hesitant about paying Nash, and in the end, was not willing to match the $20 million more the Suns were offering. This was one of the more frustrating times as a fan of the Mavericks.

Dirk Nowitzki was entering his prime and was not the same player from the previous five to six seasons. Often, analysts would compare him to a gazelle and was a freak of nature as an NBA player. With a signature flamingo fade-away, the seven-footer could run the floor, drive to the paint and dominate the court.

This was the start of a revolution in the NBA where today we see many seven-footers with a long-range shot. There had been a few bigger forwards and centers that could play on the perimeter but none like future hall of famer, Dirk Nowitzki.

The longest-tenured Dallas Maverick at the time was Michael Finley. For years Finley carried lottery Mavericks teams on his back in the late ’90s. Entering his early 30’s, Finley was starting to decline from his prime but was still producing double-digit numbers and was still an efficient player at the three-point line.

Next: Two Over Achieving Rookies