Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks Will 'Build Our Future' After NBA Finals Loss
The Dallas Mavericks might have lost the NBA Finals in five games at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but they've more than proven capable of making it to the biggest stage in basketball. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as the team's two stars, who have proven to be a good fit alongside each other, the team has a true contender to work with and build on moving forward.
With Doncic being a top player in the league and only 25 years old and Irving being a solid co-star who hasn't taken a step back in his skills while being 32 years old, the championship window is more than open for the next few years.
What the Mavericks can control is who they surround the two stars with. Athletic players capable of catching alley-oops and playing strong defense are proven archetypes, but a lot relies on their ability to make shots and help the offense function.
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Either way, there's a baseline contender in having Doncic, Irving, and tweaks around them. They'll be a contender for the next few years, and that's what Irving wants.
"We answered a lot of questions this year on what we were capable of doing and now it's just about being consistent," Irving said after the NBA Finals loss. "I think probably in the last week, I said that I wanted to be remembered as one of the best teams of this era and our last few champions have been a new one each and every year."
Sure, the Mavericks lost this NBA Finals, but the Celtics lost in 2022 to the Golden State Warriors. They regrouped, tweaked their roster, and now, two years later, are raising their 18th banner. Dallas can try to emulate something similar. They've made the Finals, the championship window is here and continuity and small tweaks can help the team raise its ceiling and make another push for the Larry O'Brien. The Mavs even did the same with Dirk Nowitzki, losing in The Finals in 2006 before winning it all in 2011.
"So, I see an opportunity for us to really build our future in a positive manner where this is almost like a regular thing for us, and we're competing for championships," Irving continued. "You know, I think from a spiritual standpoint, I think I enjoyed this journey more than any other season, just because of the redemption arc and being able to learn as much as I did about myself and my teammates and the organization and the people that I'm around."
After the All-Star break, the Mavericks were among the best teams. They are trending in the right direction and they'll continue to improve moving forward. There's reason to believe Dallas can bring home a second championship in the next few seasons.
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