Dallas Mavericks could become only the fifth team in the last 25 years to miss the playoffs after making the NBA Finals in the previous season.
The Dallas Mavericks have been hit with a string of bad luck, with injuries piling up, the most devastating being Kyrie Irving’s ACL tear, which will sideline him for the rest of the season.
With their star guard out, making a deep playoff run seems highly unlikely, and even securing a playoff spot will be a major challenge for the Mavs.
If Dallas fails to make the postseason, they will become only the fifth team in the last 25 years to miss the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals the previous season, per ESPN.
The last team to suffer this fate was the 2019-20 Golden State Warriors, who were decimated by injuries to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry while also losing Kevin Durant in free agency.
A year prior, the 2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers finished with the worst record in the NBA after LeBron James departed following their Finals appearance.
Other teams on this rare list include the 2004-05 Los Angeles Lakers, who missed the playoffs after trading Shaquille O’Neal, and the 2014-15 Miami Heat, who struggled after LeBron James left for Cleveland.
Currently, the Mavericks sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 32-30 record. Given the competitiveness of the West, holding that spot without their star guard will be tough, especially with the Phoenix Suns just four wins behind in 11th.
However, they remain just one win behind the Warriors, who sit sixth, keeping their hopes of securing a playoff spot alive.
