The Dallas Mavericks had one of the best duos of the early 2000s, rolling out with Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, who would each win MVP awards later in their careers. The Mavs won 50+ games each of Nash’s last four seasons with the team, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003, before Nash went back to the Phoenix Suns.

Nash had an incredible run from 2000-2011, averaging 16.6 PPG and 9.8 APG while being one of the best three-point and free-throw shooters in the NBA and guided some of the league’s best offenses. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006 for his role in the Seven Seconds or Less offense which revolutionized basketball. Apparently all of those accolades aren’t good enough for one publication.

GiveMeSport.com recently published a list of the most overrated NBA players of the 2000s, which included former Mavericks Jerry Stackhouse and Antoine Walker. However, the top spot was given to Steve Nash for his lack of “failure to live up to expectations.”

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This is what GiveMeSport said of their selection of Steve Nash as the most overrated player: “Nash is undoubtedly among the most skilled playmakers and shooters of the 2000s. However, he was pushed to levels and expectations that he never quite lived up to. His accolades were many, but his inability to lead a team to a championship makes him the leader among players who won MVPs but have no NBA titles.”

Nash’s inability to win a championship wasn’t always his fault. In 2007, Robert Horry pushed Nash into the scorer’s table causing Suns players to leave the bench and cause key suspensions for a massive Game 5, as Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were forced to miss that game. What was a 2-2 series after Game 4, the Suns would lose in six games. Stoudemire also dealt with numerous injuries throughout the playoffs in his career which left the Suns undermanned.

While the Mavericks didn’t re-sign Nash after 2004, with Mark Cuban thinking (and later regretting) Nash wouldn’t hold up into his 30s, Nash’s legacy on the game is cemented. He made eight All-Star Games, seven All-NBA teams including three First Teams, and won two MVPs as the conductor of a revolutionary offense. He may not have had the gaudy scoring numbers as some of his counterparts but he was definitively one of the greatest players of the 2000s.

READ MORE: Former Dallas Mavericks Guard Ends Retirement, Signs With French Club

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Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison has done a tremendous job overhauling the roster to become a contending team. What was once Luka Doncic and everybody else is now a quality team that can go toe-to-toe with the best.

Harrison is never satisfied with his work, constantly making changes around the fringes if he thinks it will help the team. In this offseason alone, he’s turned Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, and Derrick Jones Jr. into Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Spencer Dinwiddie.

If Harrison decides to make more moves this season, these three players are most likely to be on the trade block. A.J. Lawson will not be mentioned as he is the likeliest to be waived to bring back Markieff Morris.

READ MORE: Former Dallas Mavericks All-Star Called Most Overrated Player of the 2000s

The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to sign Dante Exum last offseason has been tremendous value, signed to just over $3 million for this coming season. It will be the last year on his deal and the Mavs may not want to re-sign him which could lead to a trade. Teams are always looking for perimeter defenders that can score off the dribble, and Exum flashed an improved three-point shot last season, including a game-winner at Sacramento.

Jaden Hardy, who has potential as a dynamic scorer, is the Mavericks’ best young trade candidate, as Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper are likely off the table. Hardy has just one year remaining on his rookie contract before he enters restricted free agency and the Mavs have to be wary of the second tax apron. He could be attached with a larger salary to acquire a better player if they don’t plan to re-sign him next offseason.

Any moves the Mavericks want to make will likely start with Maxi Kleber and his $11 million salary. He has two years left on his deal which will make him a negative asset given his production recently, but he has the largest salary that can match someone else’s quality asset if attached with the right draft capital.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Starter Goes At OKC Thunder’s Chet Holmgren in Recent Workout

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We are at day 35 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 35.

The best number 35 to play for Dallas was the ever reliable, Calvin Hill.

Calvin Hill was born January 2, 1947 and was a surprising first-round pick made by Dallas in the 1969 NFL Draft. The Cowboys implemented a unique drafting strategy by utilizing computers for data analysis in order to assist in making draft selections. Player personnel director Gil Brandt demonstrated fearlessness by ranking an Ivy League player such as Hill remarkably close to Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson.

Upon arriving in Dallas, Hill experienced a positional shuffle. Initially, the team had anticipated the 6-foot-4-inch, 227-pound player to fill the tight end or linebacker position. However, with the retirement of Don Perkins and injuries to Dan Reeves during the preseason, Hill was called upon to resume his accustomed role of rushing out of the backfield.

Hill made a remarkable entrance into the league with an unprecedented rookie season that significantly surpassed the performance of O.J. Simpson, the first overall pick. Over the course of his rookie year, he finished with 942 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, which led to his selection for the Pro Bowl, recognition as an All-Pro, and the title of Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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Hill shared playing time with Duane Thomas and faced numerous injuries throughout the 1970 and 1971 seasons. Despite returning the opening kickoff in Super Bowl V, he was only given one rushing play. Hill received a championship ring for the team’s victory in Super Bowl VI against Miami the following year, but his contribution was limited to just 25 yards on seven carries. Both Thomas and Walt Garrison significantly outperformed Hill, with Thomas scoring the game’s sole rushing touchdown.

In 1972, Duane Thomas was traded to San Diego, and quarterback Roger Staubach was lost in the preseason to an injury. Hill took advantage of the new ground-and-pound approach to the season and made Cowboys history by rushing for 1,036 yards, becoming the first Cowboys running back to pass the 1,000-yard milestone.

In the following season, Hill surpassed his previous performance by accumulating 1,142 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He earned Pro Bowl selections in both years and was recognized as an All-Pro once more in 1973. However, just months prior to the commencement of the 1974 season, Hill made a decision that reverberated throughout Dallas and the broader football community. He entered into a three-year contract with the emerging World Football League to join the Honolulu Hawaiians. His NFL career would come to a sudden end.

During his tenure with Dallas, Hill participated in four Pro Bowls, received four All-Pro accolades, and contributed to the team’s victory in Super Bowl VI. He continues to serve as a consultant for the Dallas organization, providing guidance to players.