By james art After a 109-84 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, the countdown to the regular season has officially begun for Dallas Mavericks fans.
Despite ending the preseason on a high note, the Mavericks still had to finalize their 18-man roster, which they did the following morning. With the team’s 18-man roster finalized before the end of the regular season, that means the Mavs will have to give up one of their favorite forwards, AJ Lawson.
After shining in all four preseason games and making a name for himself early in training camp, guard Jazian Gortman was given the final spot on the two-way roster. Gortman has done a great job of protecting the opposing team’s ball handler while hitting shots from behind the arc with elite speed.
With the Mavericks regular season roster finalized, fans can now focus on the top half of the team and how well superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will look together on the court. After leading the team to their first Finals appearance in over 13 years, fans are eager to see these two superstars share the field again.
Like the fans, the media has already started speculating how Doncic and Irving will play together.
While some outlets disrespected the star duo, former Maverick fan favorite turned analyst Chandler Parsons called the Irving-Doncic backcourt duo “arguably the greatest backcourt in the history of basketball.”
“@luka7doncic and @KyrieIrving is perhaps the greatest backcourt duo in basketball history.” – @ChandlerParsons
Do you agree with Chandler? If the NBA’s best backcourt isn’t the Dallas Mavericks’ 1 and 2, then who is? 🤔
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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 18, 2024
Parsons has long been a supporter of the Doncic era in Dallas and even appeared on the same Fan Duel TV talk show “Run It Back” to discuss why the Mavericks were contenders last season because they had one of the best players in the world in Doncic.
As a former player himself, Parsons understands the magnitude Doncic and Irving bring when they’re on the floor together, and how adding one of the best shooters in NBA history in Klay Thompson to that backcourt could be potentially dangerous .
Last season, Doncic and Irving proved that they are not only two of the best guards in the league, but that as a duo they can lead a team to a championship. While many analysts disagree with Parsons’ opinion, it can be argued that the backcourt of Doncic and Irving may be one of the most skilled backcourts in basketball history.
During the two-minute clip, Parsons not only calls the Mavericks backcourt one of the best in basketball history, but also discusses how the team has improved as a whole. Parsons would later talk about how the additions of Naji Marshall and Quintin Grimes only allowed an already stacked Mavericks team to deepen this offseason.
While Parsons may not have said it directly, it was clear in the way he spoke about the Mavericks that he believes this team can potentially compete for a championship. Not only does Parsons agree that the Mavericks went deep over the summer with the addition of Thompson, but with a backcourt duo like Irving and Doncic, the Mavericks’ chance to win a championship is now.
Thanks to his experience playing on good playoff teams in the past, Parsons understands what it takes for a team to be great. Not only do the Mavericks have the tools to compete for a championship, but with Irving and Doncic leading the team, they could win their first title in over 13 years.