CLEVELAND – The Mavericks’ transition to a new normal will not happen overnight.
But you have to start somewhere and they began by coming to grips with the fact that Luka Dončić no longer is the face of the franchise and that building a new brand behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving is the Mavericks’ new mission.
“You never think a player of that caliber will get traded. But it’s a business,” said Quentin Grimes. “He made everybody’s job easier out there on the court.
“(But) we can’t control that. We got to be professional about it. Just be ready for AD and try to make his transition as easy as possible.”
That transition will happen soon, possibly before this long trip ends Thursday in Boston. That nationally televised rematch of the NBA Finals would be a natural launching spot for Davis’ first appearance as a Maverick.
But the unveiling of Davis and Max Christie will only be the start.
What we can take from the colossal news is that this is, indeed, a new start. Two years ago this month, the Mavericks traded for Irving and it took until the following season for the Mavericks to become a championship contender.
It could happen faster this time around. But make no doubt that it won’t be an easy transition. As good as Davis is, he’ll have to find his niche. And remember, Dereck Lively II will remain sidelined for a considerable time with a stress fracture in his ankle.
That leaves Daniel Gafford – possibly the unsung MVP of this season so far – to pair with Davis and build a defensive fortress with P.J. Washington.
The bottom line is that it’s going to be entertaining to watch Jason Kidd and his staff mold this new team. He and general manager Nico Harrison have stressed that this is a move designed to give the Mavericks their best shot at a championship.
Now we get to watch the building process toward that begin.
Here’s a few other takeaways from Sunday’s craziness:
Taking the high road: Give Harrison and Kidd credit. No matter what the critical reasons were why Luka was determined to be expendable at age 25, they weren’t going to delve into the details. “I’m not going to talk bad about any players,” Harrison said. “That’s not going to do us or me any good. I’ll just say there’s levels to it. And there are people that fit the culture and people who come in and add to the culture. And those are two distinct things. And I believe the people coming in are adding to the culture.”
Cleveland is a beast: As you might suspect from a team that is 40-9, the Cleveland Cavaliers are pretty stout. They whooped the Mavericks’ skeleton crew 144-101 and the game honestly wasn’t that close. The Cavs scored 50 first-quarter points. And had 90 at halftime. Time will tell if the Cavaliers have a legitimate shot at unseating the Boston Celtics as Eastern Conference champions. But there’s a lot to like about that team, particularly their big men.
Speaking of which: The pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is the blueprint the Mavericks are hoping to follow with Davis and Lively (and/or Gafford). They’re big and they play good defense. And one of them (Mobley) is a threat to score at all levels on the floor. The Mavericks envision their big men providing the same challenges to defenses and being able to protect the rim at the other end.
X: @ESefko
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