The past few months have been a bit of a roller coaster ride for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans. Things seemed to be going south when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers midway through last season, but they miraculously landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which they used on Cooper Flagg. However, the team has crawled out to a 2-7 start, and one of their franchise legends, Dirk Nowitzki, isn’t happy.
With Kyrie Irving recovering from a torn ACL and Anthony Davis struggling to stay on the court, the Mavericks have been awful, even with the highly touted Flagg on the court. It’s continued a stretch of misery for Dallas, less than two years after making it to the 2024 NBA Finals, and Nowitzki put the team on blast for its lackluster play on the court.
Dirk Nowitzki Takes Aim at the Mavericks
Back in the 2023-24 campaign, it seemed like the Mavericks had put together a core group that would lead them to a title. Doncic and Irving led the way in the frontcourt, with a slew of big men and wings playing alongside them. Everything was thrown into disarray when Doncic was traded for Davis, though, and then when the team somehow landed Flagg in the draft, everything changed again.
The future of the Mavs appears to be better than it was just a couple of months ago, thanks to the arrival of Flagg, but in the present, it’s tough to ignore just how short-suited this roster is without Davis and Irving on the floor. Flagg is being forced to learn quite a bit on the fly, and he’s appeared overwhelmed at times to begin his career.
With very little help alongside him, Dallas has found itself in a tough spot, and the play on the court has been quite ugly. Nowitzki isn’t exactly pleased with what he’s seen, and he even went as far as to say he feels bad for the team’s fanbase, saying that the results simply have not matched the expectations to this point.
“I feel bad for my Mavs fans,” Nowitzki said on “NBA on Prime.” “This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there’s a hole at the point guard and playmaking position. We knew that that hole wasn’t filled this summer. There’s a hole at shot creating, there’s a hole at shot making … They can’t shoot; they can’t make plays … nobody can make shots. It’s just been tough to watch.”
What Can the Mavericks Do to Get Back on Track?
GettyDALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 29: Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the first half of a game against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on October 29, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Right off the bat, things would be going better for the Mavericks if they were simply healthy. In addition to Irving and Davis, Dereck Lively III, Daniel Gafford, and Klay Thompson are all dealing with various ailments that have limited their availability to begin the season, too. Dallas didn’t have a lot of depth to begin with, and it’s been tested very early in the year.
It’s tough to know what the Mavs are truly capable of because they have rarely had a fully healthy squad since pulling off the Doncic trade last season. With public opinion of the team at an all-time low, even in the wake of adding Flagg, it’s tough to see this situation improving in the immediate future. Dallas will look to get back in the win column when it takes on the Washington Wizards on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
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