The 2022-23 NBA season did not end the way the Dallas Mavericks anticipated when the year began. Just after they had reached the Western Conference Finals, the Mavs were unable to make it back to the playoffs, casting a lot of doubt on what their future looks like with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge.

This past year snapped a three-season streak in which Dallas owned a winning record and their 14 less wins compared to the 2021-22 season was the biggest drop this organization has seen in over a decade.

Success is an expectation for this organization and owner Mark Cuban is always looking to put his team in the best position possible to win at the highest level. Recently joining Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley on “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone,” Cuban explained where things went wrong during the 2022-23 season, claiming that Kyrie and Luka were not the problem.

“When you look at last year, we had issues that had nothing to do with Kyrie or Luka playing together,” Cuban stated.  “Just between injuries and everything, we just didn't have a team that committed to their roles. The year before when we went to the Western Conference Finals, everybody knew their role, everybody just played their role perfectly. This past year, that wasn't the case.

“And it wasn't Kyrie or Luka, as they knew their roles, but once other guys start playing for themselves or not playing for the team, every mistake that you could possibly have is just magnified to no end.”

One of the biggest differences between the conference finals team and last year's Mavs squad was their defensive intensity. During the 2021-22 season, the Mavs established themselves as a gritty, hard-nosed defensive team at the very start of the year. After finishing sixth in defensive rating that season, Dallas finished 24th in the league in defensive rating during the 2022-23 season.

Outside of Doncic, the Mavericks had secondary contributors on the offensive-end of the floor when they went on their deep postseason run. For a vast majority of this past year, Luka was their only source of scoring, and that only changed when Irving arrived at the trade deadline.

This offseason for Dallas was all about adding depth and impactful players who could make a difference on both ends of the court. The Mavs lacked role players who could compliment their two stars this past year, which is why talents like Grant Williams, Seth Curry and Richaun Holmes could all hold significant roles as secondary contributors heading into the 2023-24 season.

As long as Doncic and Irving are healthy, the Mavericks will have a chance to bounce back in a big way, which is why Cuban and those running this organization are excited for what's to come.