Top 10 Dallas Mavericks teams of all time

The Dallas Mavericks will begin this season with two of the top point guards in the NBA, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic is currently balling out in the FIBA World Cup, where he has posted averages of 30+ points per game.

Other players have begun to take notice of Doncic and his recent style of play. In his recent podcast, Paul George proclaimed Doncic "the greatest of all time."

As for Irving, he has been balling out this summer. Irving competed in the Drew League and dropped a triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. "Uncle Drew" also recently made headlines with a new facial hairstyle.

So far, the team believes they have taken the next step in improving their roster. Some changes included getting younger at the center with the acquisition of Richaun Holmes and the selection of Dereck Lively II.

Other improvements include upgrading their wing position with the additions of Grant Williams and slam dunk champion Derrick Jones Jr.

But how good might Dallas be?

In ESPN's win-loss projections for the NBA, they have Dallas finishing ninth with a 43-39 record and one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Other networks, like Bleacher Report, have the Mavs going 48-34.

However, will they be as good as the 2011 Mavs, who finished third in the West and won the NBA Finals? Or what about the 2005-2006 team who made the franchise's first finals appearance?

Either way, this upcoming team has a lot of work to do if they are labeled a top-ten team in franchise history.

Here are the top ten teams in Dallas' Mavericks history (from worst to best).

10. 2004-2005 Dallas Mavericks

During the start of the 2004 season, the Mavs lost their second-best player, Steve Nash, to free agency. The team made up for his absence with the acquisitions of Jason Terry and Devin Harris. Dallas also brought in two-time All-Star Jerry Stackhouse and did a midseason trade for Keith Van Horn.

Dallas finished the year as the fourth seed in the West and sat one game behind the Spurs for the number two spot. In the playoffs, the Mavs played host to the Houston Rockets. The team fell behind in the series 2-0 but rushed back to win the next three games. The Mavs would go on to win the series in seven games.

That same Dallas squad would struggle against Nash and the Phoenix Suns in the Conference semi-finals. Nash put on a show against Dallas, averaging 30.3 points and 12 assists per game.

This Dallas team is ranked as one of the top ten in team history due to their ability to have continued playoff success without Nash. Nowitzki also earned his first All-NBA first-team selection and was voted to his fourth All-Star Game. Plus, Dallas found Dirk a missing sidekick in Jason Terry, who would later help him win his first NBA title.