1999 dallas mavericks roster1/25/2024 But Ja Morant’s off-court issues have lowered the ceiling for Memphis, and right now this one is just on simmer. Memphis and Dallas was looking to turn into a very real rivalry because the Grizzlies are actually good. But if Zion Williamson ever reaches his full potential, this could turn into fun interstate feud. A division rival that can’t seem to get it together. But if you live in the Dallas area, the last thing you want to do is run into someone from the Oklahoma City area and get to hear about how the Mavericks lost to the Thunder. They’ve only met in the playoffs three times (we’re not counting their time as the Seattle SuperSonics, that history stays in Seattle, because we’re ethically sound here at Mavs Moneyball), and they’ve never matched up when both teams were serious contenders. Just a three hour drive north of Dallas-Fort Worth, the Thunder are a natural rival for the Mavericks. Add in the fact that Denver’s best player, Nikola Jokic, is a friend of Doncic, and it makes it really fun to beat the Nuggets. It gives you a measuring stick, lets you know how you stack up to the best. You’re always looking to beat the reigning champs. Draymond Green can be very annoying to lose to, so you’re always pulling for the Mavericks to knock them off. The Warriors have put together one of the best runs in NBA history since 2015, so it’s always nice to beat them. ![]() But this isn’t a real rivalry, because the Clippers have never even made the Finals and their two best players can’t string together six games without a DNP. And I don’t have to worry about Clippers fans getting mad because there aren’t any Clippers fans. Honestly, I just put the Clippers ahead of Phoenix in case any Suns fans read this, just to annoy them. So what we’re left with is a Booker-Doncic rivalry and a franchise that’s never won the Finals. Phoenix has also completely dismantled that team. But the Mavericks vanquished the Suns in one of the most anti-climatic Game 7’s in NBA history and that was two years ago. ![]() Yes, Doncic and Devin Booker have a fun little back and forth going right now. Recent playoff foes but not really rivals But there’s a bit of irritation between the fanbases and losing to the Knicks kind of sucks right now, even if it’s in the short term. Due to transactional history-the Mavericks trading for Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Brunson signing with New York-this has become a mini-rivalry that will probably fizzle in time. Has become a slight rivalry for some weird reason When you add in the Celtics’ history, you can conjure up a bit of a rivalry here. Jayson Tatum and Doncic are still going after their first MVP trophies. This holds true for Boston as well, but with some added heat. But Doncic will always be measured against Giannis Antetokounmpo since they’re both chasing the MVP award and a championship every year. Similar to the 76ers, the Mavericks have no real rivalry with the Bucks. There’s no real beef here, just the clout that comes with Doncic prevailing over someone he’ll be competing with for the MVP trophy year after year. There’s always going to be this desire to beat teams with perennial MVP candidates, and Philly has one in Joel Embiid. What we learned from Mavericks Media Day MVP rivals But the rivalry is quickly fading as it becomes obvious that Doncic is on a different level than Young. ![]() Each matchup between these two teams was a big deal-at first. The Hawks and Mavericks will be linked as long as Trae Young and Luka Doncic are on their rosters. Sorry, but I just can’t muster up much animosity. Portland was the 2011 Mavericks’ first step on the way to a title, but it wasn’t a very close series, despite going to six games. Rick Carlisle coaches them now, and it’s always fun to be the old coach. You could fall back on the old Canada versus the U.S. I guess you could muster up some feelings due to Kyrie Irving and Dorian Finney-Smith, but be honest.no you can’t. Disagree? Drop who you hate the most in the comments. ![]() So with the new season just over the horizon, I decided to rank the Mavericks’ rivalries, from non-existent to most hated. Stuff like this is always fun and totally subjective, but I can tell you objectively that the Dallas Mavericks fans lurking on Reddit got this completely wrong. This started with a post on Reddit with a cool graphic showing who fans considered their favorite team’s biggest rivals, which you can find here. At the beginning of the summer, a big debate broke out on the internet (surprising, I know) over which NBA teams were rivals.
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