The last NBA dynasty is that of Golden State. Injuries kept them out of the Playoffs the last two years, but since 2015 they are the team with the most titles (3) and Finals (5). The Curry-Klay-Draymond trident is over 32 years old, which does not leave this core for too long in the elite, and the next two weeks could be remembered as the change of post.
Los Mavshis opponent in the Western final that begins Wednesday, They are the ones indicated to be contending for the next decade, by virtue of having Luka Doncic, who already has a place at the table of the best players in the NBA at just 23 years old. He is a decade younger and has already reached the threshold of the Finals.
Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and the rest of the Dallas rotation have stepped up, but there are a handful or even a dozen templates with top rated supporting actors right now in the league. That further highlights what Doncic and the Mavs have accomplished this season: they arrived a year or two earlier than expectedsomething that has been a hallmark of the start of the containment period for other teams.
This is how it happened to these same Warriors in 2013, when they snuck into the West semifinals against the Spurs and came within a hair’s breadth of putting them 0-2 out of San Antonio. They lost the series, but they sent a message that they would be contenders, and two years later they won the ring. It also happened to the Spurs in 2003with Ginobili and Parker very young, but still finished the Lakers three-time championship on the way to three titles in five seasons. LeBron with the Cavs in 2007 has many parallels with these Luka Mavs, ending the period of dominance of the new ‘Bad Boys’ from Detroit.
Dallaswin or lose the series, has a great future ahead with the simple presence of Doncic. In the NBA, more than in any other sport, having a transcendent figure has you in contention. History is marked by those super stars: George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Magic y Bird, Jordan, Shaq y Kobe, Duncan, LeBron, los Warriors de Curry. It remains to get him a squire. They tried it with Porzingis, but MJ needed Pippen, James needed to go to Miami, Steph needed Durant, Jabbar needed Magic…
The West will be quite competitive in the coming years. Clippers and Nuggets will recover injured stars, the Suns will try to tighten the rope as much as possible with Chris Paul, Ja Morant’s Memphis, the Warriors will continue to be there for a couple of years, the Pelicans have already given positive signs even without Zion Williamson. The Mavs have the best and youngest player of them all.. He had already shown signs of magic in the past two seasons in the Playoffs, but 2022 is the definitive sign that the Slovenian is here to stay. Fans, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy a series, hopefully seven games, in which the ‘king’ in turn will try to keep the young contender at bay.
