A hopeful Dirk Nowitzki still has faith in his 10-24 Dallas Mavericks.

Despite an awful 3-15 start to the season, the 38-year-old remains confident his team can make a playoff run, as they're only 4.5 games back from the last postseason spot.

“We obviously know we still have a legit shot,” Nowitzki told reporters Monday.

“We gotta put a little string together, we gotta play better, gotta find ways in games that we're there to close some of those out, and not always come out on the losing end. But I feel like the last, whatever, couple weeks, I think we're playing like .500 ball, which is OK, which is a lot better than when we started off.”

The Mavericks have been a walking hospital this season with injuries to all three point guards, center Andrew Bogut, as well as Nowitzki. Offseason acquisition Harrison Barnes has been the lone bright spot for the team, averaging 20-plus points per game, but ultimately falling short of the wins.

“And now hopefully we are more healthy and can take it another step, and just let it all rip,” Nowitzki continued. “We're all competitors and coach (Rick Carlisle) obviously is pushing us every day. I don't think we're really playing for draft position. We're playing to win every night.”

Mathematically speaking, it's all possible, as it's not even halfway through the season and there's time to make up the ground needed. The problem begins with the 6.5 games of difference between the last playoff spot and the seventh-seeded L.A. Clippers (22-14) — making a vast difference between losing teams in eighth-seeded Sacramento (14-19).

Dirk Nowitkzi signed a two-year, $50-million deal this past summer, but admitted he could retire after the season if his body can't hold up.