When the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, the season felt over. The team sat at a lowly 5-15, and had a brutal stretch of games that awaited them. But somehow the Mavericks won 4 of their 5, and sit just outside of the Play-In tournament. This stretch of wins reignited the debate of whether the Mavericks should tank, or try and win.<\/p>\n
The answer may not be the one many Mavs fans want to here. After all, the 2026 draft is being heralded as an all-timer, with 4 elite prospects headlining the class. The idea of pairing Cooper Flagg with another elite young prospect is tantalizing, as having two great players on rookie contracts is a perfect way to start a rebuild. And while finding great players in the late lottery is possible, it isn\u2019t likely. Tanking would be the best long term option, but it probably won\u2019t happen, at least not to the degree some fans want.<\/p>\n
Simply put: the Mavericks are too good to tank.<\/p>\n
This may be seen as a reactionary take, as 5 games is a very small sample size. But it isn\u2019t just the last 5 games.<\/p>\n
The Mavericks have been competitive all season, as they lead the league in clutch games with 18. While their record in those games is abysmal, it shows how they very rarely get played off the floor. And this takes us to the first reason.<\/p>\n
Their style of basketball.<\/p>\n
The Mavs play an incredibly fast brand of basketball. Not only do they rank 8th<\/a> in pace, per NBA stats, but they are also 6th<\/a> in fastbreak points, per NBA stats. This type of transition excellence allows them to avoid halfcourt offense, which they are dreadfully bad at. This fast style can be very effective in the regular season, as most teams don\u2019t feel like matching this speed every night.<\/p>\n The other component is their defense, which while not elite, can be dominant in certain matchups. The Mavs are 7th<\/a> in defensive rating, but average 14 STOCKS per game. This defensive playmaking directly ties into their fast approach; they are very adept at turning turnovers into points. Saturday\u2019s game against the Rockets is a perfect example of this. The Mavs forced 20 turnovers, and turned them into 34 points. This type of margin allows the Mavs to not lose the math battle every single night.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise that this uptick in success has coincided with the return of Anthony Davis. While I am a self admitted AD hater, his presence in certainly felt, specifically when playing center. The Oklahoma City Thunder game was a pathetic performance, and one that sticks with you. But since returning he has looked like the player that most Mavs fans expected. The Davis, PJ Washington, and Flagg is so good defensively that you can almost make out Nico\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t change the fact that he should be traded, and I still expect the Mavs to eventually move him, but will that be enough to truly tank?<\/p>\n Even after the Mavericks jettison some of their vets, this team be be annoyingly good, and it\u2019s all because of one 18 year old superstar in the making.<\/p>\n Flagg has been everything that was promised, and maybe even more than expected. His defense has been superb, his hustle and effort infectious. But it his offense that truly has me excited. Everyone knew that Flagg would be immediately impactful defensively, but no one expected him to be the number one option offensively this early into his career. Its most clearly seen in the clutch numbers. In his last 11 games, Flagg is averaging five points per game<\/a> in the clutch, ranking 7th in the league. This level of clutch scoring is rare, even among the elite players in the NBA , and goes to show his startling development as a scorer.<\/p>\n This is extraordinarily important.<\/p>\n Looking at the teams that are currently tanking, none of them have a player as good as Cooper Flagg. This exact same scenario happened with Luka Doncic, as he became too good too fast, and that prevented the Mavericks from slowly building a team around him. While Flagg and Doncic are very different players, Flagg\u2019s playstyle and demeanor leads to winning, as his relentless motor and effort are infectious. The only conceivable way for the Mavericks to be as bad as the true bottom feeders would be to sit Cooper Flagg, which wouldn\u2019t happen for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n So, is that it? Are the Mavericks doomed to repeat the failures of the Luka era, with rosters that drag down their young phenom?<\/p>\n Maybe. But there is hope, even if they do effort and hustle their way to 35 wins. The hope is that Cooper emerges as an All NBA level player next year, and that Kyrie Irving can return to all star form, bolstered with pieces acquired from an AD trade.<\/p>\n Or Kyrie Doesn\u2019t ever return to form, and Cooper takes longer to reach that level, and AD is traded for peanuts.<\/p>\n Either way, this team is fun right now. They play hard, and are led by young exciting players. So try and enjoy the team right now, even if they are actively destroying the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, the season felt over. 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