Top 10 Dallas Mavericks teams of all time

7. 2000-2001 Dallas Mavericks

After the 80s, the Mavericks struggled to find a sense of identity. The team drafted Jason Kidd in 1994, hoping things would change, but that experiment failed after multiple coaching conflicts. It wasn't until the Dirk Nowitzki era that Dallas found playoff success.

The team formed a dynamic trio with Nowitzki, Michael Finley, and Steve Nash. That year, Nowitzki was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Finley was the team's All-Star recipient. The team finished fifth in the Western Conference and tied with the Utah Jazz for fourth.

In the team's first playoff appearance since 1990, they put on a miraculous run. Against the Utah Jazz, Dallas fell into a 2-0 hole. However, thanks to the help of Nowitzki and Finley, the team won three straight games to move on to the next round. In games 3 and 4, Nowitzki dropped 33 points a piece to help the Mavs force a game 5. Finley's 33 points in game 5 helped the team seal the deal.

The team fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the next round in five games after failing to contain the double-digit machine, Tim Duncan.

That 2000-2001 season would be a new chapter in Dallas. The Mavs would make the playoffs for the next 11 seasons.