Why do the Dallas Mavericks never get the respect they deserve?

The Dallas Mavericks reached the conference finals last season by beating the last two number one seeds in the West. Dallas had homecourt in the first round but played half the series without Luka Doncic. He returned for Game 4, and the Mavs made quick work of Utah before dominating the Suns over the final two games to reach the West Finals.

The Golden State Warriors were waiting, and they just had too much firepower for the Mavs. It was a successful first season for head coach Jason Kidd, and Dallas will look to build on it this year.

Luka and the Mavericks were one of the last four teams standing, but they now feel like an afterthought. Yes, Jalen Brunson left to join the Knicks in free agency, but the front office still improved their roster. Dallas added frontcourt depth and Tim Hardaway Jr. will be back, so why do the Mavs not get the respect they deserve?

Why do the Dallas Mavericks never get the respect they deserve?

The Mavs received a D from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton in his offseason grades (subscription required), which was the worst mark in the Western Conference. The Hoop Collective podcast named Dallas the biggest offseason losers, and they are projected to slip two spots in ESPN’s Summer Forecast.

Yes, the Mavericks lost Jalen Brunson, who was their second-best player last season, but they added Christian Wood and JaVale McGee to solve their rebounding and rim protection woes. General manager Nico Harrison is not afraid to make trades to improve their roster, and he will keep upgrading the team through the trade deadline.

The Dallas Mavericks have arguably the best player in the NBA and they were just in the conference finals, so why do they never get the credit they deserve? Here are three possible reasons.