Mark Cuban: No Luka, Kyrie Issues; Mavs Lacked Players 'Committed to Their Roles'
After making it to the Western Conference Finals during the 2021-22 season, the Dallas Mavericks took a big step back this past year, as they failed to reach the postseason for the first time since Luka Doncic's 2018-19 rookie season.
Many national media pundits wanted to point blame at the Mavs' blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving as the reason for last season's failures, but truth be told, the combination of Doncic and Irving was one of the few bright spots for Dallas. There were several other issues that needed to be addressed this offseason, which is why the Mavs underwent a major roster overhaul.
On the latest episode of the Pat Bev Podcast with Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was a guest on the show and dished on several different topics, including the real reason why his team plummeted last season.
"When you look at last year, we had issues that had nothing to do with Kyrie or Luka playing together," Cuban said. "When they played together ... they were a top-5 combo in the league."
Cuban also talked about injuries playing a big factor in the Mavs not finishing the season the way they wanted to. After the trade, Irving and Doncic only played in 16 games together, as Doncic was battling a quad injury and Irving was dealing with plantar fasciitis. Cuban went on to stay the reason for last season's demise was mainly due to other players on the team not accepting their roles.
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"We just didn't have a team that was committed to their roles," Cuban said. "Like the year before when we went to the Western Conference Finals ... everybody knew their role and everybody just played their role perfectly. This past year, that just wasn't the case.
"It wasn't Kyrie or Luka, they knew their roles. But once other guys start playing for themselves or not playing for the team, every mistake that you can possibly have is magnified to know end. So we made a lot of changes ... on and off the court."
Although Cuban didn’t mention any players specifically, we can make an educated guess on a few of the guys he was possibly referring to based on the Mavs’ roster moves this summer, which included not bringing back Christian Wood — who is still a free agent in late August and has yet to sign a deal with another team — and waiving JaVale McGee, the veteran big man Dallas gave a three-year contract to last summer, on Tuesday.
Regardless of who Cuban was actually referring to, though, one thing is for sure: the Mavs are in a much better place going into the 2023-24 season than they were four months ago. With the additions of former Boston Celtics 3-and-D forward Grant Williams, promising rookies Dereck Lively II and OMax Prosper, veteran sharpshooter Seth Curry and a handful of others, the Mavs should be well on their way to once again having a full team of players who accept their roles.
