1 lesson Cavaliers should take from Mavericks blueprint.
Despite a roster full of exciting young talent, the Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to build a cohesive roster capable of contending with the best teams in the league.
Reaching the NBA Finals requires a lot of talent and a lot of luck during the postseason. While the Cavs have improved their depth and talent this year, their luck ran out as their talent grew inconsistent from beyond the three-point line and on the glass. Once again, the Cavaliers watch from home as the top teams in each conference battle head-to-head in the Finals.
For as much talent Cleveland’s young core has, the redundancy in both their backcourt and frontcourt leads to more question marks than answers. While Cavaliers leadership has insisted they are not eager to part ways with their core four, it is undeniable that change is needed in Cleveland if they want any chance to be a real contender. Sometimes too much similar talent does more harm than good, and the Cavs’ core four has become a prime example.
Both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell excel when the other is out. The same goes for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt. After Mobley’s dominance against the Boston Celtics as the lone big man, there is no doubt the best version of Evan Mobley is a center rather than being forced to play as a power forward
The Cavaliers’ current blueprint does not work, but they might be able to take cues from a West rival rather than repeating their mistakes another year.Cleveland should learn from the Dallas Mavericks to become a contender
When the Dallas Mavericks gave up on the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas looked more likely to lose Doncic before they could ever contend with him. They had little to no draft capital, and their intended All-Star duo crashed and burned before it ever took off.
Instead of reentering a rebuild, the Mavs doubled down on Doncic’s talent and took a leap of faith in a blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving at least year’s deadline. They lost nearly all of their remaining depth and draft assets, and it became now or nothing for Dallas to win when it matters. Irving’s reputation was damaged at best after a dramatic stint with the Brooklyn Nets, but the Mavericks saw a window opening.
With two All-Stars at the helm, the Mavericks focused on adding complementary role players to the equation in free agency and trades. Rather than loading their roster with talented players who clashed with their stars, Dallas targeted players who could ideally elevate their duo’s potential, even if it meant taking a chance on a “damaged good” type of player such as Irving or Derrick Jones, Jr.
Additionally, the Mavs invested in the Draft with their remaining picks. In a controversial move, the Mavericks intentionally lost games at the tail end of last season to keep a top-10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. On the night of the draft, the Mavs added Derek Lively, III to their team. Though young, Lively projected to be a high-level rim running center with great defense and the potential to extend his shooting to the arc in time.
While the Cavaliers do not need to tank for draft picks right now, they should prioritize a proven prospect this year with the 20th overall pick. This year’s rookie pool does not include superstar talent, but the older rookies can be contributors for day one, giving the Cavs a chance to get the steal of the night if they make the right pick.
