The Mavericks have had an incredibly difficult start to their 2025-2026 NBA season. At 4-13, they are currently sitting at the No. 13 spot in the very competitive West. Anthony Davis is out injured. Kyrie Irving’s still gone with a torn ACL. And the morale from fans is at an all-time low.
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The organization did make one big move, which was firing Nico Harrison, whose shadow still loomed over the franchise after his horrific trade a year ago that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Things are getting out of hand quickly, and don’t look to be getting better anytime soon.
Yet the NBA campaign is a long one, and despite being down their main weapons, Dallas continues to fight. They could have just as easily folded under the incredible string of bad luck that they’ve had. They’re not winning, but they’re not giving up either.
That fight has caught the eye of retired NBA veteran Richard Jefferson, who defended the team’s poor start on the latest edition of the Road Trippin podcast.
“Show me one team that can take away their best player, not have their second best player all season long, and then their third best player, who is also a rookie, he’s so talented, but he don’t know d**k about the NBA right now,” stated RJ.
The ex-Cavaliers star then clarified that he likes Flagg and thinks he could be a great piece for the Mavs in the future, but that rookies, LeBron James aside, are just too inexperienced at first.
“He’s talented, but understanding the game and how to manipulate the game, that only comes with experience. You can’t do that as a rookie. LeBron was like a phenom. These guys are next level. He’s just not there yet.”
“What team could be good missing all of that?” asked RJ. It’s a solid point, considering that the Mavs are far from the worst team in the league. Jefferson made sure to mention how, while the Mavericks fight, teams like the Pelicans are just accepting the fact that they are abysmal.
“They’re still fighting. That shows me that their competitive culture is still there. Unlike what we saw with the Pelicans, where they just let go of the reins. First three games you lose by 30.”
The good news if you are a Mavs fan is that there are building blocks for the future. Dallas has a great prospect in Flagg, Irving, who when he returns will make an immediate impact, and AD. And even if AD is only playing to up his trade value, that still means he plans on putting in good minutes on the court.
But Dallas fans are not interested in the future. Luka was their future and had taken them to the Finals just two seasons ago. This should have been the window when they could have gotten it done. Now, it’s just a window into what could have been.
