The 2011–12 Dallas Mavericks season was the 32nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Mavericks entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in six games in the 2011 NBA Finals. They were attempting to win back-to-back NBA Finals, but were swept in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder (the team that the Mavericks defeated in last year's Western Conference finals in five games) in four games. The Thunder would go on to lose to the Heat in the Finals in five games.
The season officially began once NBA players and owners signed a new collective bargaining agreement to end the 2011 NBA lockout.
At the Draft night the Mavs acquired Rudy Fernández for their 26th pick, Jordan Hamilton, who was sent to Denver.[2]
Following their championship-winning 2010–2011 season, the Mavericks entered the offseason with six free agents; only one of those six players returned to play with the team in 2011–2012. Starting center Tyson Chandler was traded to the New York Knicks in a three-team sign-and-trade deal;[3] the Mavericks received guard Andy Rautins in return[4](in addition to a 2012 second-round pick and a traded player exception) and waived him shortly thereafter.[5] Forward Caron Butler signed a three-year deal worth $24 million with the Los Angeles Clippers.[6] On December 14, reserve guard José Juan Barea announced that he would join the Minnesota Timberwolves.[7] On December 19, reserve forward Peja Stojaković announced his retirement.[8] Guard DeShawn Stevenson signed a one-year deal with New Jersey.[9] Backup forward Brian Cardinal re-signed with the Mavs.[10]
The Mavericks acquired several new players during the offseason. On December 9, the Mavs signed power forward Brandan Wright.[11] Vince Carter signed a contract on December 11, while Lamar Odom came to the Mavs through a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.[12][13] Drew Neitzel and Jerome Randle were signed on December 11;[13] Neitzel and Randle were both waived on December 21 after playing in the D-League for the Texas Legends.[14] The Mavs signed guard Delonte West on December 12 to a one-year deal.[15] The Mavericks traded Rudy Fernández and Corey Brewer to the Denver Nuggets for a future second-round pick (and a traded player exception).[16] The Mavericks signed Sean Williams on December 21 to a two-year deal.[17] Free agent Yi Jianlian was signed on January 6 to a one-year deal.[18]
The Mavericks lost their first preseason game to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with both Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd sitting the game out. With Kidd and Nowitzki back in the lineup but without Jason Terry (illness),[19] Vince Carter and Delonte West they also lost the second and last preseason matchup against the Thunder. The Mavericks ended the preseason with a 0–2 record.
The 2011–12 NBA season began on December 25, 2011, and ended on April 26, 2012. Due to a lockout agreement, the season consisted of 66 games, rather than the standard 82. The Mavericks entered the season as defending champions. At the conclusion of the season, their record consisted of 36 wins and 30 losses. They finished seventh in the Western Conference and third in the Southwest Division.
The Mavericks opened their series against Oklahoma City Thunder on the first day of the playoffs. The game was close throughout and the Mavs took the lead by seven with 2 minutes to go. Dirk Nowitzki turned the ball over several times in the crucial stretch and the team stayed scoreless on four straight possessions. With nine seconds to go, the Mavs had a one-point lead, when Kevin Durant hit a shot that bounced a couple of times on the rim and backboard and fell through with 1.5 seconds to go. Shawn Marion's attempt for a half court shot came too late and the Thunder took Game 1.[20] Game 2 was closeout again, even though the Mavs were down by 16 in the first half. They came back and took the lead in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was much of a freethrow contest, James Harden made all of his late in the game and both, Nowitzki and Jason Terry missed his threes. Terry had two tries to send it to overtime, but missed. Thunder were up 2–0.[21] The Thunder took a commanding 3–0 lead after their blowout win in Game 3.[22] Despite having a 13-point lead going into the fourth quarter the Mavs lost by six in Game 4 and were swept.[23]
Shawn Marion fractured his left little finger during the opening game against the Miami Heat but did not miss a game.[32] Marion was ill but played against the Phoenix Suns.[33]In a game against San Antonio, Jason Kidd was subbed out with under a minute to go in the first quarter and went straight into the Mavs' locker room and was diagnosed with a lower back injury and did not return to the game.[34] He missed the game at New Orleans[35] and two more games.[36] He then missed the game at home against Milwaukee[37] before returning versus the Sacramento Kings.[38] Vince Carter injured his left foot, x-rays showed that it was a sprain.[39] He missed the next four games.[40] He returned against Utah.[41] Dirk Nowitzki sat four games because of a sore knee.[42] Delonte West was out against Utah due to a harmstring injury.[41] Kidd left the Game versus Utah due to a strain calf[43] and missed more than a week.[44][45][46] Marion injured his knee against Oklahoma but did not miss a game.[47] He, Lamar Odom and Brendan Haywood, the latter two missed the game against Oklahoma, returned to play against Indiana.[48]Jason Terry and Rodrigue Beaubois were out against the Denver Nuggets.[49] Terry joined the team at New York.[50]West went out against the Nuggets before halftime and had fractured, dislocated finger and missed 4–6 weeks.[51]Nowitzki left the game against Memphis with a back injury and was listed day-to-day but returned for the next game.[52]Brandan Wright missed the game against Utah due to a concussion.[53]Haywood sprained his ankle at Oklahoma.[54] He sprained his knee against Charlotte and missed five games.[55][56]Marion missed three games with a sore left knee.[57][58] Kidd and Odom both missed the Game against the Clippers, Kidd with a groin injury which kept him out for a week and Odom was ill.[59] Odom returned against Memphis, one game later.[60] Beaubois missed the games at the Los Angeles Lakers and Jazz due to a right calf strain. He returned the next game against Houston. He dislocated his finger against Chicago but was able to return to the game.[61]