Mavericks: How to Sell Hope
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Mavericks now face the difficult task of “selling hope” to a fanbase discontent with the status quo.
Call them unreasonable expectations, but the 2015-16 season just wasn’t good enough for Mavs Nation. Even in an overachieving season where many predicted the Mavericks to miss the postseason, the Mavs snagged a sixth seed. They beat younger and more talented teams around them, but that still left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
The Dallas Mavericks are in a rut, perpetually one-and-done in the first round of the playoffs, the Mavs seem light years from contender status.
Good enough to make it to the postseason– but eons from being a legitimate contender.
Plan B and C just ain’t getting it done anymore.
The worst part is — the Mavericks don’t have much reason for optimism. Their over-the-hill roster of has-beens doesn’t exactly offer the kinds of optimism many up-and-coming squads offer.
With all due respect to the all-time great, Dirk Nowitzki, but this is the winter of his career. He cannot be a franchise’s top player if that franchise has championship aspirations. Fans know this, Dirk knows this, and the Mavericks know this. That’s why the Mavs have tried so hard to clear cap room each and every year.
The Mavericks have been hell-bent on adding free agent top-end talent ever since they raised their championship banner in 2011. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to lure any of their top targets and are forced into Plan B or C every offseason.
I got news for you Mark Cuban, Plan B and C just ain’t getting it done anymore.
Consolation prizes lose their luster after a while, and eventually, they fail to “console”. That’s where we’re at today. The Dallas Mavericks need to focus on collecting young talent. Young talent attracts more young talent. That’s why the near-signing of DeAndre Jordan was such a big deal last offseason.
Related Story: DeAndre Jordan is the Worst
Signing Chandler Parsons two seasons ago was a step in the right direction. Frankly, Parsons was probably the only reason the Mavericks got as close as they did to signing Jordan last summer. If the Mavericks didn’t have Parsons, Jordan probably wouldn’t have given Cuban the time of day.
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Justin Anderson and Dwight Powell are fun, young, up and comers but they aren’t budding super stars. Just south a bit, in San Antonio, the Spurs have hope. They have a handful of young super stars ready to take up the torch. Are Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson going to lead the Mavericks to the playoffs?
Not anytime soon.
No one wants to trash the team, tank the season, and start from scratch.
We see Philadelphia. We don’t want that. But we also don’t want an old team that’s good enough to compete for the playoffs but not good enough to realistically compete for a title.
What’s the plan, fellas?
Sell us. We’re desperate to be sold. Just a shred of hope is all it takes.
This is going to come down to free agency once again. The offseason maneuvering that has spurned the Mavericks so many times in the past. Cuban has to do something different because what they’ve been doing hasn’t been working. Now get out there and find Mavs Nation some “hope”.
Next: Keeping Justin Anderson was the right call
The Mavs find themselves in a difficult position this offseason. The fans are getting restless. No one wants to strip it down and rebuild, but at least that could offer hope. The current path certainly doesn’t offer that. Hope.