This week marks the time the Mavericks move forward, and the storm clouds clear for fans. While the move to fire Nico Harrison doesn’t solve or restore anything, it matters to the health of the franchise in the short and long term, and lifts the collective mental health of those who follow them.
This week’s Power Rankings Watch is a stark reminder that the product on the floor hasn’t changed. Not yet, at least. But it does alleviate any pressure that Harrison’s moves needed to prove a contending team.
Now every move is about building for the future, building around Cooper Flagg.
ESPN
Rank: 25
Last week: 22
Needless to say, this isn’t the situation that Cooper Flagg envisioned for the start of his NBA career, as the chaos that led to GM Nico Harrison’s firing has weighed on everyone within the franchise. But there is a lot to like about the 18-year-old rookie’s promise, and his recent production has provided plenty of hints at his promise. Flagg has upped his box scores since coach Jason Kidd pulled the plug on the experiment of having him start at point guard, averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in the past four games. “He’s going to be an extraordinary player in this league, and he’s going to continue to do great things,” Mavs forward P.J. Washington said after Flagg’s career-best 26-point performance, highlighted by a clutch finish over Giannis Antetokounmpo, in Monday’s loss to the Bucks. — MacMahon
The Athletic
Rank: 27 (Tier 5: Basement floor)
Last week: 26
Say something nice: The Mavericks have a top-five defense!
This was the vision all along, right?! Perhaps teams aren’t scoring much on the Mavericks because they don’t need to; the Mavericks average 106.5 points per game. But the saying wasn’t defense wins games, now was it?
Bleacher Report
Rank: 25
Last week: 25
Well, it finally happened. After another home game packed with “Fire Nico!” chants, the Dallas Mavericks did it.
Nico Harrison is gone, and it’s time to fully lean into a rebuild around Cooper Flagg. Winning the lottery was a gift from the basketball gods, and it gives the Mavericks a chance at a future they might not otherwise have.
A post-prime Anthony Davis, who’s extension-eligible next summer, makes little to no sense next to Flagg. Even Kyrie Irving, who’s still out with a torn ACL, should probably have his trade value explored.
Dallas needs to add a high-level young talent to Flagg. Another top draft pick is the best way to get that, and 2026 is the last year when the Mavs control their own first-rounder till 2031.
It’s time to move Davis and possibly Irving (who can’t really impact a tank one way or another). It’s time to explore the trade value of just about every other veteran on the roster.
Dallas needs a core around Flagg that makes sense, and it has an immediate opportunity to chase it.
NBA
Rank: 23
Last week: 22
Anthony Davis has missed the last five games and the Mavs’ offense continues to struggle. But they have climbed out of the basement on that end of the floor and won the battle of last-place teams on Saturday night in Washington, edging the Wizards with a big fourth quarter.
Three takeaways
- The Mavs finally put a point guard in their starting lineup, with D’Angelo Russell starting the last three games. But he’s averaged just 18.1 minutes over those three games, and the Mavs have been outscored by 57 points in those 54 minutes total. All three games were within five points in the last five minutes and Russell was on the floor for clutch time in only one of the three (not the win).
- Injuries to the starting bigs have provided an opportunity for two-way rookie Moussa Cisse, who had 15 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks in 33 total minutes in Memphis and Washington over the weekend. That included a ridiculously athletic, end-to-end sequence against the Grizzlies and an incredible block where he met Cam Whitmore at the summit. The Mavs have allowed just 89.3 points per 100 possessions in Cisse’s 55 total minutes on the floor.
- The game in Washington on Saturday was a matchup of the teams that ranked 29th and 30th in shooting-opportunity differential, and the Mavs won the possession game for just the second time this season, committing five fewer turnovers and grabbing four more offensive rebounds than the Wizards. They still rank in the bottom 10 in both turnover differential (22nd) and total rebounding percentage (23rd).
Coming up: All three of the Mavs’ wins have come against the Eastern Conference, and they’ll have a rest advantage when they host the Bucks on Monday. That’s the start of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight at home.
