I hope your last month has gone better than it has for the Dallas Mavericks. Your last year as well. It’s not a high bar.
Less than a year ago it could have been argued that there was no better positioned franchise for growth and renaissance than the Mavericks. They went on a late-season surge that carried them through the Western Conference playoffs, conquering the kewpie doll Minnesota Timberwolves and aspirational (kinda) face of the NBA Anthony Edwards in the process. And not only were they getting leadership from their own 20-something star at the time, Luka Doncic, but they also somehow motivated the enigmatic Kyrie Irving to rediscover the talent and leadership that he built up as Uncle Drew and got him to forget all about those silly vaccines and his other political leanings that a sensitive and erudite fan base in Brooklyn couldn’t quite stomach–especially since they weren’t seeing him on their home court all that often.
But that was then. As we know, Doncic’s excuse for training, which reportedly involved beer and hookahs (please note the spelling), earned the wrath of new Mavericks czar Nico Harrison and was shockingly traded to the Lakers last month. Rejuvenated by a more accepting environment–and like Irving once was now the wingman to a healthy and productive LeBron James–both player and team are thriving, now effectively emulating the Mavericks’ 2024 run to a current second place status in the conference and well positioned to make a deep playoff run of their own.
Meanwhile, as the ASSOCIATED PRESS’ Schuyler Dixon reported yesterday, things have gone from bad to worse to well, totally f–ked in the Metroplex:
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season, the biggest setback in a season full of them for a team that traded superstar Luka Doncic.
The team confirmed Irving’s diagnosis Tuesday, a day after he was injured in the first quarter of Dallas’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Following the injury, Irving made two free throws with tears rolling down his cheeks before leaving the game.
The Mavericks lost 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to a groin injury in his Dallas debut last month following the trade that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, Irving is out for the season, and would figure to be in the final stages of recovery when teams report for training camp for the 2025-26 season. Irving has a $44 million player option for next season.
The presence of Irving was the biggest reason the Mavericks felt they could proceed with the controversial Davis-for-Doncic deal, a move that infuriated the Dallas fan base.
And if one thought they were pissed by that, this week’s news has likely inflamed them to even greater proportions. And it wasn’t just Irving’s unfortunate injury. Mere hours before the horrific events of Monday night unfolded, NEWSWEEK’s Ricardo Klein was among the many who reported this latest ill-timed move of the Harrison regime:
A month after the Dallas Mavericks shocked and changed the NBA landscape, they have made yet another questionable move. The Mavericks announced to their season ticket holders that the price for renewals is going up for next season. Dallas announced there will be an 8.61 percent average overall price increase.
“The Dallas Mavericks remain fully dedicated to delivering the best live game experience in the NBA,” the team said in a statement (via Front Office Sports). “As part of that commitment, ticket pricing adjustments for the 2025-2026 season will reflect ongoing investments in the team and fan engagement.”
THE ATHLETIC’s King of Snark Zach Harper recapped exactly how 2025 plus a week has gone for them in his PULSE newsletter which literally just hit my inbox this morning:
- Christmas: Luka injures his calf in the last game he’ll ever play for the Mavs.
- January 23: Dereck Lively II has a stress fracture in his foot.
- February 1: Luka is traded.
- February 4: Mavs trade Quentin Grimes to the Sixers for Caleb Martin.
- February 8: Anthony Davis debuts for Dallas with a monster game … before suffering an adductor injury.
- February 9: Mavs fans ejected for saying, “Fire Nico,” on the jumbotron.
- February 11: Daniel Gafford sprains his knee.
- February 25: Luka drops a triple-double in L.A.’s win over the Mavs.
- March 1: Grimes scores 44 points for the Sixers. Martin has not played for Dallas.
- March 3: The Mavs announce an 8.6 percent price increase for season ticket holders.
- March 3: Kyrie tears his ACL.
Klein did his best to put as much lipstick on this pig as possible, reminding his readers that despite how these ten weeks have progressed the season’s not quite over:
As things stand, the Mavericks are not in the best position and one they did not think they’d be in at this point in the season. They are the 10th seed in the loaded Western Conference, the final spot in the play-in. They are four games above the 11th seed and only half a game back of the 6th seed. Dallas still has plenty of time to turn their season around, and once they get healthy, they will be a squad no one wants to face in the playoffs.
But it sure looks like they’re not getting healthy any time this week, and it’s darn clear that the fan base’s willingness to have that level of blind faith is being challenged. Asking then to pony up more to do it is pretty much in line with how they’re accepting Harrison’s views on diet and exercise.
Besides, Dixon reminded HIS readers of a couple of more reality checks of the moment:
Davis, who was to be re-evaluated this week for a possible return, is one of three significant missing pieces on the Dallas front line along with centers Daniel Gafford (sprained knee) and Dereck Lively II (stress fracture in an ankle). P.J. Washington Jr., another starter, has missed time recently with a right ankle sprain. After Irving’s injury against the Kings, backup guard Jaden Hardy exited with a sprained right ankle.
It might be a great story if whomever is left for Mavs coach Jason Kidd to utilize could come together and perhaps salvage something out of the last 20 games. There are probably folks who would cheer that–myself included. But I kinda doubt they’ll be joined by those paying customers in Dallas.
Courage…