We’ve mentioned it many times before on The Dream Shake, but it bears repeating: expectations get people fired.
The Dallas Mavericks surprised a lot of fans last year by advancing past the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals. Instead of pushing the Suns to the brink and being able to come back this season with the goal of making the Western Conference Finals, the entire narrative shifted. The expectation became top 2 in the West at a minimum. The Warriors were getting old, and Luka Doncic is entering his prime and would have more time to develop chemistry with Spencer Dinwiddie and the shooters.