Nobody really knew what to anticipate from Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023–24 season after they made it to the Western Conference Finals the season before and missed the NBA playoffs entirely the year before.
When the Mavericks acquired superstar Kyrie Irving prior to the NBA trade deadline in 2022–23, many believed that his arrival would be a game-changer for the franchise. However, the team immediately collapsed, leaving many to question whether the new dynamic combo would be successful in Dallas. The Mavericks are fortunate that Doncic and Irving radically altered the course of events this past season and made it back to the postseason. It was succeeded by an amazing postseason run that saw them face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Dallas has a bright future ahead of them even if the Mavericks lost in five games to a superior Celtics team in the end. However, Doncic faced a difficult choice this summer over whether to play for Slovenia at the Olympics following a demanding 2023–24 season. According to Forbes’ Evan Sidery, Doncic has chosen to represent his nation in Paris, France, next month, despite having recently completed the longest NBA season of his career. This is undoubtedly excellent news for the Slovenian national team, as it significantly raises their prospects of competing against the Americans and other tough nations. The Mavericks, however, may not be too like of this concept because it would further tax Doncic’s health after such a long season—especially considering the injuries he sustained during the postseason.