The fate of the Dallas Mavericks' season took a drastic turn last season when Kyrie Irving tore his ACL on March 2 in a game against the Sacramento Kings. From the jump, it was easy to see how Irving's injury could have easily derailed the Mavericks and their playoff hopes; however, the team kept fighting and almost grasped the eight seed after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the final play-in game.
While Irving's absence seemingly set the Mavericks up for a dark future, as he won't likely return to the hardwood until after the All-Star break, the Mavericks caught a huge break when they won the NBA's Draft Lottery and selected Cooper Flagg with the No.