Dallas Mavericks: Looking Back & Forward

The Dallas Mavericks came about in 1980 after "Mavericks" beat out the Wranglers and Express in a team name contest. In the first ever draft for the franchise, top pick Kiki Vandeweghe refused to sign with the team and instead linked up with the Denver Nuggets, causing the team to stand up against an immediate rocky start in history. As expansion teams have done historically in the NBA, they finished their first season with a horrible record of 15-67.

Players such as Adrian Dantley, Jason Kidd, and Antwan Jamison have all passed through the dark blue and silver uniforms, but the Mavericks have had limited success in the league despite being a present day force in the Western Conference. Hall of Fame player-turned-coach Avery Johnson built the team up into the NBA finals in the 2006/2007 season, where they reversed their first-year record at 67-15. Avery Johnson managed to win the Coach of the Year award that year, despite losing to the Miami Heat in the finals.

Today, the Mavericks are trying to fight back into the ranks of a top 3 NBA team with star Dirk Nowitzki, who had been captain of the team for several years, winning the NBA MVP award in 2007. Recently, the Mavericks traded for Jason Kidd, a player they once drafted and then eventually traded. Other players putting up good numbers for the team are Josh Howard, a young and very physical player, and Jason Terry, a lethal shooter who has moved from the point guard to the shooting guard upon the reappearance of Jason Kidd. Rick Carlisle is now coaching the Mavericks at American Airlines Center, and the Mavericks have struggled so far in the early season. With the number of powerhouse teams in the Western Conference, it's doubtful that the Mavericks will be able to grab homecourt advantage in the playoffs.