The Dallas Mavericks have been without Cooper Flagg for eight-straight games, making for some lousy viewing experiences of late. There is a good chance Flagg returns for tonight’s tip-off against the Orlando Magic, but that’s not the only reason you should be interested in seeing how this one plays out.
On Wednesday, we took a look at the remaining schedule and which games are of most interest the rest of the way, but the game against the Magic didn’t garner much attention. When viewed alongside another
game on the NBA schedule, tonight’s outcome could mean much more to the Mavericks than meets the eye. The New Orleans Pelicans are set to face the Sacramento Kings, with the outcome of both games having meaningful impact on Draft positioning this offseason.
Dallas vs. Orlando
Dallas (21-40) currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Mavs are riding a four-game losing streak and have lost eight of their last ten games. Orlando (32-28) is the Eastern Conference 7th seed, in a veritable tie with the Miami Heat (33-29). Trending better than Dallas, the Magic have won six of ten and enter the night having won their last game.
The Mavericks are an abysmal 7-20 on the road so far this season and will be without a number of rotation players even if Flagg does return. Meanwhile, the Magic have every incentive to hit the gas and hold their ever so slight edge over the Heat who will play the Brooklyn Nets tonight for a likely win.
New Orleans vs. Sacramento
New Orleans (19-44) is currently the 13th seed in the West, right behind Dallas. They have been playing better of late, getting wins in six of their last ten games. The Kings (14-49) hold the dubious distinction of having the worst record in the league and like Dallas, have only won two of their last ten games.
The Pelicans are just slightly worse on the road than even Dallas, going 8-23 away from home to this point. Still, it seems they will have a hard time falling to the Kings who have fully embraced the tank and again, hold the league’s worst record.
Best case scenario
The best-case scenario is a matter of perspective. Assuming you see the value in Dallas picking up better draft positioning, a Mavericks loss and Pelicans win would draw them a bit closer to the sixth best place in the “Tank Standings.”
In a normal scenario, the loss column is what matters as teams jockey for better position and a higher seed. For Dallas, the inverse is true with the win column taking on added importance as they seek better draft positioning. If Dallas takes the L and New Orleans gets a W, the Mavs will only be separated by a single game from the Pelicans. I’m personally not one to outright root for the Mavericks to lose games, but with only 21 games remaining in a difficult season, tonight could play a huge part in how things shake out in the upcoming Draft Lottery.
Jordan Brodess will have his latest Draft Lottery watch to round out the week, so be sure to check that out with the latest updates after tonight’s games are in the books.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
