Dallas Mavericks: Best and worst moment of the past 10 years

Dallas Mavericks worst moment: First-round playoff exit in 2015

Rick Carlisle is a successful coach, but one that can be tough to play under. He has been to two NBA Finals as a coach. In 2001, he was an assistant under Larry Brown as the Pacers qualified. He was a criticial piece in the Mavericks 2011 championship team.

In 2015, the Mavs had one of the best offenses but lacked a full-time floor general. They had not had one since Jason Kidd departed in 2012. The Mavs tried Jose Calderon, Mike James, Delonte West, and Darren Collison. None of them were able to stick around for more than a couple of seasons. The Mavericks also decided to move on from their young prospect, Rodrigue Beaubois.

The lack of direction led to the trade that was a massive reason why the Dallas Mavericks made a first-round playoff exit. With no rumors leading up, the Mavs acquired Rajon Rondo from the Celtics. It seemed the Mavericks had finally got their new long-term facilitator and defender. They traded Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, and Jae Crowder to Boston plus a first and a second-round pick in 2016.

Dallas ended the season at 50-32 and seventh in a stacked Western Conference. They faced the Houston Rockets in the first round. By the time the playoffs started, there had already been rumors of Rondo and Carlisle struggling to work together.

The first two games against the Rockets were double-digit losses. It was clear that Rondo had not been happy with the team, which led to him leaving. Dallas was able to claim one win before getting knocked out.

During the offseason, the Mavs let Rondo walk in free agency and started a search to fill the roster spot with a contributor. Understandably, there is a good portion of the Dallas Mavericks fanbase that is still bitter about it to this day.

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