In a game where Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews and Seth Curry all sat, it was assumed that the Dallas Mavericks would lose their final game of the season to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the shorthanded Mavs came to play, and ended their season with a 100-93 win in Memphis (Stop groaning, it’s going to be ok. Maybe). The Mavs were led by veteran guard, Devin Harris (15 points, 8 assists) and rookie forward, Nico Brussino (15 points, 7 rebounds). The win essentially guaranteed that the Mavs would have 9th best odds (1.7% chance) of getting the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, being that the Kings and Timberwolves both lost their final game of the season. Later, the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trailblazers, making sure that Dallas had sole possession of that 9th spot. Although many fans wanted to be higher than that, its nice knowing that we won’t have to depend on a coin flip to decide our odds.
The game against the Grizzlies started off looking like it was going to be an easy win for Memphis. The Grizz rolled out their starters against the shorthanded Mavs, and quickly got off to a 18-11 start. However, as the game progressed, Memphis sat their starters for most of the 2nd half, and they watched their lead evaporate entirely in front of their home crowd. Although the leading scorers for the Mavs were Harris and Brussino, they got an unexpected spark from newcomer, DeAndre Liggins, who was recently claimed off waivers after being released by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Liggins is listed as a 6’6″-tall, 210-pound shooting guard, and he made his presence felt from the first moment he checked into the game. He finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
Liggins with the steal & finish! ?#MFFL pic.twitter.com/mLJj1Qd3zi
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 13, 2017
A Look Forward:
With the regular season finally over, the Mavs will quickly look to put this disappointing year behind them and start building for next season. Dirk Nowitzki is set to return for his 20th season, and he is 1169 points away from passing Wilt Chamberlain. If he can stay healthy next season, there’s a possibility that Dirk can pull it off in year 20. If not, who knows? If he’s still feeling up for it, we might see Dirk play 2-3 more years. It all just depends how his body holds up and if he’s still having fun playing the game.
As mentioned earlier, the Mavs will have the 9th best odds to win the No. 1 pick in the draft this year. Those odds aren’t very good, but in this years class, chances are the Mavs can pick up a stud prospect with the 9th pick. But hey, who knows what pick Dallas will have? After all, that is why they call it the “lottery.”
Other than the NBA Draft, the Mavs will also head into free agency looking for any kind of major upgrades they have a chance to get. Assuming Dirk’s $25 mil is off the books, I would expect Dallas to chase a point guard like Jrue Holiday or Jeff Teague in free agency. I only see that being the case if they aren’t able to acquire De’Aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr. in the draft. Other than that, I expect the Mavs to lockup Nerlens Noel longterm. He is going to be a Maverick for years to come, so get used to seeing this on a nightly basis:
Nerlens playing above the rim tonight! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/GKmWbtB6oU
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 13, 2017
Overall, I think we’re in for a very exciting offseason. I have a feeling that we’re going to continue to add more young talent to our and come back with hunger to get back to the playoffs next season. Not only that, but there are always trades and current players’ summer progressions that could come into play. No matter how it turns out, brighter days are ahead for the Mavs.
Stay tuned to Mavs Fanatic for more coverage as the offseason progresses!
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