The Dallas Mavericks are in deep, deep trouble this season. Many expected them to struggle to start the season, especially with Kyrie Irving set to return in 2026. However, few foresaw the Mavs being this… bad. They are 2-7 to start the year, struggling to string together wins.
The Mavericks' struggles have drawn the ire of many fans. That includes Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki, who laid into his former team during a recent appearance. Nowitzki lamented the fact that Dallas doesn't have a proper point guard to guide them through this early part of the season without Kyrie Irving.
“I feel bad for my Mavs fans,” Nowitzki said on Amazon's “NBA on Prime” show. “This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there's a hole at the point guard and playmaking position…at shot creating, at shot making. They can't shoot, they can't make plays…nobody can make shots. It's been tough to watch.”
Irving suffered an ACL injury last season, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. The timeline for Irving was initially set for him to return in 2026 to allow him to heal. The Mavericks have relied on D'Angelo Russell to be their starter in the interim. That experiment hasn't worked out well, as Russell is averaging just 12.3 points and 5.6 assists while shooting 38.3% from the field.
First overall pick Cooper Flagg is experiencing similar struggles in his first year in the league. The Mavericks rookie is averaging 14.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting just over 40% from the field. It's been a rough season for Dallas, as no one has stepped up in Irving's absence.
To make matters worse, Anthony Davis has been out for some time due to a calf injury. The former first-overall pick has been the Mavericks' best player this season, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest.
