The NBA regular season is filled with numerous peaks and valley’s. 4 game winning streaks can become 6-game losing skids, dominant wins can be followed by embarrassing losses.
You will find no better example of this phenomenon than the Dallas Mavericks in their two-game stretch against the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. The Rockets game was an announcement to the rest of the NBA.
Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Iriving have brought the Mavericks back, and they will no longer be a punchline in NBA culture.
Losing to the Kings by 15 points is a reminder that this team won 26 games in the 2026-2027 season, and that their superstar is still only 19-years-old.
The feeling among the fanbase was already negative hours before tip-off when the Mavericks ruled Irving out with left-knee injury management. This left many (myself included) very confused, seeing as the Mavericks had not played since Friday.
But Irving’s absence is not the reason for their performance, nor should it excuse the frankly embarrassing effort the Mavericks showcased Monday night. Flagg had, in my estimation, the worst game of his NBA career, shooting 3-19 from the field with 6 turnovers. But the stats don’t illuminate just how poor Flagg was. He was lazy in transition, didn’t show any interest in boxing out, and struggled to generate any advantages for his teammates.
Flagg was not alone in his lack of intensity, as the rest of the Mavericks roster (save for Walter Clayton Jr. and Morez Johnson Jr.) played like they had forgotten what a three-pointer was. The Mavericks shot 7-33 from three, and were 3-28 outside of Clayton Jr.’s shooting. They struggled to execute any sort of offensive set, nor could they effectively space the floor at any point. The Kings, of all teams, exposed many of the flaws this team possesses, all of which were amplified by the lack of Irving.
But the players weren’t the only ones at fault.
For the first time this season, Dusty May showed that he is a first-time NBA coach. The starting lineup was a baffling decision. Starting Flagg alongside no other ball-handlers or shooters is a proven terrible strategy, and yet, May fell into the same trap that Jason Kidd fell into last season. Flagg is simply much better when he can play off of another ball handler, and not when he is next to Caleb Martin and P.J. Washington.
Losing games like this is reminiscent of last year’s team, which triggers dark memories for all Mavericks fans.
Now, this game could simply be a mirage. An off-night where your best player simply played terrible. But the Mavericks have to break their bad habits of years previous. These losses are unacceptable for a team that should have playoff aspirations. And this isn’t simply a one-year focus point. Good habits are the things that lead to championships in the future, and those good habits need to be built as early as possible.
Hopefully the Mavericks use this game as a learning experience, because if they don’t, the season could turn ugly before the blink of an eye.
