Both of the following statements about the Dallas Mavericks can be true: These are the somewhat inherently contradictory ideas that govern modern championship pursuits. It seemed like a certainty that the Denver Nuggets would make it back to the NBA Finals this season after winning it all last June,

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving remains optimistic about the organization's long-term direction with he and Luka Dončić despite suffering a one-sided

Boston cements its season-long dominance behind a star pairing that ultimately proved prior missteps were taken in the right direction all along.