The Mavericks have had an eventful past year. They shocked the NBA world by trading a generational talent in Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, who has not been able to remain healthy. Following the trade, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was ripped apart by the fanbase and media for his actions, it was not looking good in Dallas.
That was until an absolute miracle happened at the NBA Draft Lottery that had many people questioning if it was possibly rigged. With all the negative attention surrounding the franchise, the Mavericks somehow won the Draft Lottery and received the number one pick despite only having a 1.8% chance of winning.
Dallas would now be able to select Cooper Flagg with the first pick, who many people view as a future superstar in the league. The 6-foot-9 phenom made headlines at Duke University averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in his one year at the university. The 18-year-old now starts for the Dallas Mavericks, where their season has not gone to plan thus far.
Nine games into the year, the Mavericks are sitting at 2-7, which is one of the worst records in the NBA and places them dead last in the Western Conference. In their defense, they have had some very close losses which, if a few things had gone their way, they could be sitting with a couple more wins and I wouldn’t be writing this article.
With Anthony Davis out with an Achilles injury and Kyrie Irving recovering from a torn ACL, Dallas has had to rely on the 18-year-old, which is asking a lot for someone who just arrived on the big stage. Despite the pressure, Flagg has had a solid start to his NBA career, averaging 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, but he cannot do this all alone. The biggest disappointment thus far has been Klay Thompson. Dallas signed him to a three-year, $50 million contract last July, and he has been a no-show this year.
Klay is currently playing 20 minutes a night and is only averaging 7 points per game while shooting 26% from three. One of the best shooters in NBA history has looked like a shell of himself so far, and Dallas desperately needs his help.
I think if the Mavericks continue to drop their next few games, it is officially time to panic. The Western Conference is the toughest in the league, and if they fall too far behind it will be extremely difficult to come back from. The success of this team relies on the health of Anthony Davis, who has yet to prove in a Mavericks uniform that he is able to do so. The Mavericks have a favorable matchup against the Washington Wizards tonight, which should get them back in the win column.