Do the Dallas Mavericks need a second star to pair with Luka Doncic to win a title?

History suggests Dallas Mavericks need a second star to pair with Luka Doncic to win a title

The Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals last season with Doncic as the lone star on their roster. No other player was particularly close to star status after they traded away the only other former All-Star on their roster at the deadline. Jalen Brunson was the Mavericks' second-best player, and he was not even viewed as a starting guard until partway through last season.

Star can be defined in many different ways. Cuban defined it as “someone that can help a team win” versus a superstar that can “will his team to win”. Luka can drive his team to wins, but can they find those pieces that help?

Star player implies a game-changer to me. Think about an All-Star or fringe All-NBA talent. Stars are elite players that assist in lifting the team to greatness. The Warriors had arguably four stars on last season’s championship team. Stephen Curry is a superstar with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins all being recent All-Stars.

The Bucks won the title in 2020, and they have three All-Stars on their roster in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. Holiday may be one step below a star, but that still leaves Milwaukee with two. The last team to win a championship without at least two recent All-Stars was the 2004 Pistons. Even the 2011 Mavericks had Jason Kidd, who was an All-Star in 2010.