Mavericks' off-court unity is a weapon in pursuing NBA championship

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Kyrie Irving (11). Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Mavericks' off-court unity is a weapon in their pursuit of an NBA championship

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Aug 28, 2024 8:28 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals last season before falling to the Boston Celtics in five games. This summer, the front office has moved to plug some of the team's biggest gaps, adding Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall and Spencer Dinwiddie.

According to Marc Stein, the Mavericks roster has already started ramping up ahead of the new season. Except for their two non-US-based talents, the Mavericks roster has recently been in Los Angeles, where they've been working out ahead of training camp and preseason.

"Everything I heard about the minicamp was that the on-court stuff was great, but maybe the off-court stuff was even better," Stein told Kevin Gray Jr. "The fact that they’re all getting together in late August, a month before camp really starts, I mean, I don’t see how you would look at that as anything but encouraging."

Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks recently gathered in Los Angeles for offseason workouts- @TheSteinLine reports on what he’s heard about how it all went and updates us on Kyrie’s health and if he’s been cleared for contact all on @DLLS_Mavs on @DLLS_Sports #MFFL pic.twitter.com/5zDQpJXmjJ
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) August 28, 2024

Jason Kidd's team has proved it has the talent to compete at the highest level. Led by Luka Doncic, the Mavericks will be a threat to return to the NBA Finals in the coming years. However, talent can only get you so far.

One of the Celtics' biggest weapons last season was their locker room chemistry. Everyone on the roster was willing to sacrifice so the team could succeed. It would appear that Dallas learned from its opponents and is already putting in the work to help bridge that gap. If everyone is already working out together, they're building a unity and togetherness that will help them once the season begins.

Whether a minicamp in Los Angeles is enough to get everyone on the same page remains to be seen. Still, it's a good sign for the Mavericks coaching staff and will certainly give the fan base reason to be excited heading into the new season.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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