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.

9. 2013-2014 Dallas Mavericks

The 2013-14 season for Dallas was tricky. I placed them on the top ten list because of their in-season success with an aging roster. Dallas began the season with a group that consisted of 37-year-old Vince Carter and 35-year-old Nowitzki and Shawn Marion.

Before the start of the season, the Mavs added several players, including Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, DeJuan Blair, and Devin Harris. Ellis would be the main attraction, as he got off to a fast start, averaging 19 points per game for the season.

Dallas finished the season as the eighth-best in the West, as they remained one game behind the Grizzlies for seventh and two games behind the Golden State Warriors.

I consider the 2014 season a success because of their near upset in the playoffs. In the playoffs, Dallas matched up against the Spurs. The Mavs lost game 1, but bounced back in game 2. In game 3, Carter hit a buzzer-beating three to give Dallas a 2-1 lead. The Mavericks had a chance to go up 3-1 in game 4, but Blair was ejected in the final three minutes, while Ellis missed a potential tying layup.

In game 5, Blair's absence was felt, as the Mavs failed to match the Spurs' firepower. The team would win game six before losing a critical game 7.

What if Blair never got suspended or if Ellis made that tying layup? Either way, this team showed grit, pushing the reigning champs to seven games.

8. 2008-2009 Dallas Mavericks

Two years before winning the NBA Finals, Dallas took the first steps in achieving their goal. In February 2007, the Mavs traded five players and two first-round picks for Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd.

The team also made other additions by hiring coach Rick Carlisle. In his season in Dallas, the team went 50-32. The Mavs finished the year six in the West and remained three games behind the fifth seed, four games behind the two seed, and one game ahead of the seventh seed. Teams ranked second to eighth were all separated by six games or less.

In the playoffs, Dallas once matched up against the Spurs for the fourth meeting between the two. The Mavs had the upper hand this time as players Nowitzki, Terry, and Howard helped Dallas win the series in five games.

The series started tied 1-1 before Dallas went on a three-game winning. Game three was the turning point of the series. The Mavs won the match by 21. The Spurs' series was also the coming-out party for J.J. Barea. Under coach Carlisle, he saw an increase in minutes.

Dallas parade would later end when they fell to the Denver Nuggets in five. However, the team's ability to overcome all odds and beat the Spurs is why I have them at eight.

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.

6. 2002-2003 Dallas Mavericks

In 2002, the Mavs team would be destined for greatness. The team started the year with a 14-game winning streak. That record is tied for the third-best start to a season.

Other highlights include Nowitzki and Nash being selected to the 2003 NBA All-Star Game and being named to the All-NBA Third and Second Teams.

The team finished the season third in the Western Conference and tied with the Spurs for the Midwest Division. Due to the head-to-head advantage, the Spurs won the division again and regained the league's top seed.

In the playoffs, Dallas got off to a hot start, as they won the first three games of the series against the Portland Trail Blazers. However, a young Zach Randolph and Portland would storm back to win their next three games. In game 7, Nowitzki led the way with 31 points as he helped Dallas move to the next round.

The Mavs faced the Sacramento Kings in the next round, where their youth and strength would be tested. In a back-and-forth matchup, Dallas won the series in seven after King forward Chris Webber went down with a knee injury.

Dallas made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1988. Against the Spurs, the Mavs struggled to contain Duncan inside. The team won the first game of the matchup, but that would be the only highlight.

Imagine what might have happened if Nowitzki had not missed the final three games of that series.

5. 2006-2007 Dallas Mavericks

The season after losing the NBA finals, Dallas would avenge their loss by getting off to a hot start. The team opened up the season, losing the first four games of the season before going on an 11-game win streak. Dallas would also go on a 12-game winning skid from December to January.

The Mavs finished the year with a 67-15 record, the most in franchise history. That record is also tied for the sixth-best record in the NBA. Some accomplishments include Nowitzki and Josh Howard both being to the all-star game. This would mark Dirk's sixth appearance and Howard's first. Johnson was supposed to coach the All-Star Game but was ineligible due to his coaching the year prior.

Another historic milestone included Nowitzki winning his NBA MVP. He would beat his former teammate Steve Nash by 125 votes.

However, playoff struggles would overshadow the Mavs historic season. In the opening round, the Mavs lost three out of the first four games series against the Golden State Warriors. Former coach Don Nelson knew the team's every trickle in the book. The Warriors would win the series in six.

Even though Dallas failed to make it out of the first round, they still had a solid season, achieving various records. What if the Mavs never played Nelson's team in the playoffs? What might have happened?

4. 2021-2022 Dallas Mavericks

One team close to breaking the top three was the 2021-22 team. In his fourth year with the team, Doncic and friends finally overcame their playoff woes. However, it wasn't an easy process.

Before the season, Dallas went through a series of changes. Coach Carlisle and General Manager Donnie Nelson departed on June 17. The team brought in Jason Kidd to take over head coaching duties and Nico Harrison to become the next GM.

Dallas started the season with a 17-18 record. The team had just capped a month of December where they capped off multiple two-game losing streaks.

However, things changed in January when the Mavs went 35-12 in the last four months.

In the playoffs, the Mavericks overcame the Utah Jazz in six games. Dallas played the first games of the series without their star player. This marked the first time Doncic would make it out of the first round.

The Western Conference semis is where things got interesting. Against the Suns, the Mavs fell into a 2-0 hole. However, after Devin Booker and Christ Paul mocked Doncic's defensive skills, Doncic came ready to play. The team stormed back to win games 3 and 4 before losing game 5. In games 6 and 7, Doncic put the team on his back, as he scored 33 points or more in both games. Everyone acts tough when they're up, right?

Dallas eventually fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the Western Conference Finals. However, this has to be one of the best teams Doncic has been part of.

If only Dallas had a true big man in that series, things might've gone the other way.

3. 2005-2006 Dallas Mavericks

Two years after the departure of Nash, the Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable. The team started the season with a 35-10 record. Coach Avery Johnson was named head coach of the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and was voted NBA Coach of the Year.

Dallas finished the year 60-22 and closed out the standing at the fourth spot. Technically, the Mavs had the second-best record in the West but remained at fourth because of their inability to win the Southwest Division.

In the opening round of the playoffs, Dallas had no trouble sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in four games. Nowitzki scored 30-plus points in three of the team's four games. The Mavs showed their true colors when they played host to the Spurs.

Dallas opened up the series with a 3-1 advantage. However, San Antonio would win the next three to force a game seven. Thanks to Nowitzki's heroic efforts, the team forced overtime and won the match. The Mavs would go on to dismantle the Suns in seven.

The team would make their first finals appearance in team history. Dallas started the series with a 2-0 lead. However, that would be all she wrote, as they would lose the next four games.

Making the finals is a historic moment for Dallas. However, losing in the finals is why I have them at three.

2. 1987-1988 Dallas Mavericks

The first team to top the list outside the 2000s was the 1987-88 Dallas Mavericks. This was the team's eighth season in the league and fifth straight playoff appearance. Four seasons prior, Dallas had made the playoffs four times. During that period, the Mavs made the conference semi-finals twice. However, this time around, things would be different.

That season, Dallas finished third in the West and sat a game back from the Denver Nuggets. Players Mark Aguirre and James Donaldson were selected as All-Star reserves.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Mavs beat a young Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets 3-1. Fast forward to round 2, and Dallas mounted a comeback against the Denver Nuggets. Down 2-1 after game 3, the team rallied to win three straight.

However, it was the Western Conference finals that put Dallas on the map.

Against the reigning champions Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs were put to the test. In the series, Dallas had their backs against the wall in games 4 and 6. The team eventually overcame all the odds and forced a game 7.

In the matchup, Dallas fought hard for two quarters. They were down by one at the half. However, the combination of Magic Johnson and James Worthy proved was too much for the Mavs to overcome.

Making the team's first Western Conference finals has to be one of the organization's top accomplishments.

1. 2010-2011 Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks seemed destined for greatness at the beginning of the 2010-11 NBA season. Jason Terry tattooed the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his upper arm. This would be a foreshadowing of things to come.

During the offseason, the team acquired defensive anchor Tyson Chandler from the Charlotte Bobcats. The Mavs also resigned Nowitzki that season to 4 four-year $80 million deal and Brendan Haywood to a six-year contract. Dallas also added Peja Stojakovic and Corey Brewer in midseason acquisitions.

The team finished the season with a 57-25 record. This was good enough for a third-place finish, as Dallas tied with Los Angeles for second. In the playoffs, the Mavericks had one of the roughest schedules.

They opened up the first round against a young Portland Trailblazers. Dallas won the first games of the series before tying it up. The Mavs would go on to win the next two. The team then went on to sweep the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Nowitzki and his team squared off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks had no trouble winning the series, as they won the series in five.

Dallas's biggest test came against Lebron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were heavily favored against the Mavs. However, the Mavericks turned point came in game 2 when they mounted a 15-point comeback. In game 3, the team lost by two. The team would win the next three games of the series and be crowned NBA Champions.

Beating Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and James in the playoffs is enough to solidify the team as one of the best in team history.