Author: Monojit Mandal
The NBA has launched an investigation into the Dallas Mavericks’ plan to rest many key players in their final regular season game against the Chicago Bulls. Despite still having a chance to advance to the play-in round, the Mavericks opted to rest Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic throughout the game and lost despite having an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. The defeat knocked them out of post-season contention.
The league’s investigation is centered on the reasoning behind Dallas’ personnel decisions and game behavior, as well as whether they were intentionally losing in order to gain a better pick in the draft. The Mavericks now have a 4.5% chance of selecting French talent Victor Wembanyama. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already warned that the league will not tolerate overt tanking practices and, although the specific consequences have not been published, the Mavericks could face fines if the league determines that they tried to manipulate their chances of selection.
The Mavericks have been accused of ‘tanking’ several times in the past. In 2018, the club’s owner, Mark Cuban, was fined $600,000 for statements he made in a podcast. The team finished the season on 24-58. During the game against the Bulls, the Mavericks rested many important players, including Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Josh Green and Christian Wood. Doncic played just one quarter before being substituted for the rest of the game. The absences were attributed to injuries and the team’s lack of rest.
The NBA investigation comes just days after the league denied the Mavericks’ appeal of a contentious play in a game last month against the Golden State Warriors. The setback was part of the Mavericks’ downward spiral, as they went 7-17 in their previous 24 games after being in fourth place in the Western Conference in mid-February. The Mavericks have yet to respond to the NBA’s investigation, but want to finish the season strong when they face the San Antonio Spurs in their final game. The NBA investigation is likely to be a long one.
Fans and commentators reacted differently to the Mavericks’ choice to rest their best players. Others questioned the decision, claiming that the team should have played to win and that resting the players diminishes the credibility of the game. Others supported the Mavericks, citing injuries and fatigue as valid reasons for players sitting out. The NBA has cracked down on tanking in recent years, as it weakens the competitive balance of the league and can diminish the overall quality of the product. Tanking is when a club loses a game on purpose in order to improve its position in the draft or free up space for future seasons.
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If the NBA discovers proof of the Mavericks’ manipulation, they could face fines and other penalties. But given the circumstances, it’s likely that the league will decide that the Mavericks’ choice to rest their players was justified. For now, the Mavericks will focus on the end of the season against the San Antonio Spurs. Although the result of the game is no longer important in terms of playoff implications, the Mavericks will want to end the season on a high.