Five-Year Plan: How Much Have Dallas Mavs Improved?

Bleacher Report released rankings of every team's progress over the past five years.

The Dallas Mavericks finished 2017-18 with a 24-58 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. At the time, Dirk Nowitzki and Dennis Smith Jr. were the faces of the franchises. 

Fast forward to 2022, and a lot has changed. 

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks took the NBA by storm by advancing to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011. Under coach Jason Kidd, the team improved into a top-five defense and won two playoff series. 

So, how do the Mavs' past five seasons compare to the rest of the league?

In a recent ranking of every franchise's progress over the past five years, Bleacher Report ranked Dallas 14th, with Luka Doncic being the sole reason behind the selection. 

"That has everything to do with finding Doncic," Zach Buckley wrote. "Doncic already looks like an all-time great. He tallied more than 6,000 points, 2,000 assists, and 2,000 rebounds across his first four NBA seasons, a feat matched only by Oscar Robertson, LeBron James, and Grant Hill."

During Doncic's rookie campaign, the Mavs finished with 33-49 (.402) and missed the playoffs for the straight year. 

Three years later, Dallas has yet to have a winning percentage below 57.3, making the playoffs each season. 

Some of the team's recent success can be attributed to the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks, as all three teams passed on the ability to draft Doncic. 

In four seasons with Dallas, the 2019 Rookie of the Year has made three All-Star appearances and three All-NBA first teams. 

With Doncic at the helm, the next five years could be even better. 

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