How Mavericks and Luka Doncic went from fourth seed to out of playoffs in 3 weeks?

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs after their 115-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday. It was a disappointing result for the Mavericks, as they were fourth in the Western Conference before the All-Star Weekend.

The Mavericks' fall from grace might be surprising for some, but the acquisition of Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline was always a risky move. Dallas traded two key rotational pieces and future first-round pick for Irving, who could end up being a half-a-season rental.

So, how did the Mavs, Doncic and Irving go from being one of the top teams in the West to being out of the playoffs? There's plenty of blame to go around for the Mavericks, but it will likely go down as a fault of the front office.

First, the Dallas Mavericks could have always extended Jalen Brunson last season before his father took over the negotiations. The Mavs went from Western Conference finalists to tanking for a top-10 pick in less than a year.

Some might blame Kyrie Irving for the Mavericks' downfall, but the Mavs traded two key role players to acquire him. Dallas has not been known for their depth, which got depleted since the Irving trade.

Their defense has also been affected by Irving's acquisition, given that Dorian Finney-Smith is their best perimeter defender. The combination of Luka Doncic and Irving always equals more points. The Mavs are tenth in scoring since Irving arrived.

However, the defense has been atrocious, with a team defensive rating of 119.7 since the Irving trade. It's the seventh-worst defense in the NBA. It doesn't matter how many points you score if you're allowing more points at the other end.

Should Mavs fans blame coach Jason Kidd? Some probably will, but Kidd coached the same team and made them one of the best defensive outfits in the NBA last season. A few personnel changes made by the front office, and the Mavs became one of the worst defensive teams in the league.

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What's next for Luka Doncic and Dallas Mavericks?

Luka Doncic (left) and Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks now own a potential top-10 pick in this year's draft after getting eliminated from playoff contention. The Mavericks will need the pick to be inside the top 10 to avoid giving it to the New York Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Mark Cuban will have some very tough decisions to make regarding the roster around Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood and Dwight Powell are all unrestricted free agents, while Josh Green is due for an extension.

It will be interesting to see how Cuban and Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison move forward. They will have limited options to improve the team's lineup, with the primary focus being on the defensive side of the ball.

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