The Dallas Mavericks’ woeful start to the 2025–26 season came as a surprise considering the talent they possess on paper. But serious injury problems — Anthony Davis is struggling with calf issues, and Kyrie Irving is still recovering from an ACL tear — jeopardized their campaign.
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There is also a crisis within the Mavericks organization. The man behind Luka Doncic’s trade to the Lakers, Nico Harrison, has been fired. But that does not fix their immediate issue, which is winning games.
Currently, they are 3–8 and sitting in 14th place in the West. Now that Nico is gone, what happens if the team still does not improve? This was the topic of discussion on the latest edition of SiriusXM NBA Radio, where Stephen A. Smith insisted that Dallas’ immediate success would depend on Irving’s return.
Smith was asked if the Mavs should blow everything up and start focusing on a proper rebuild around Cooper Flagg. The analyst, however, was optimistic about the current set of players.
Smith believes the team still has enough firepower to contend. It all depends on Kyrie playing like a demon when he takes to the court again. “I don’t think they have to blow it up if Kyrie Irving comes back healthy, and balls,” he said.
“Because I think the combination of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson’s shooting ability with the other pieces they have in place, particularly in their front line, Anthony Davis is still there. Gafford’s still there. Lively’s still there. You can look at them and say, ‘Okay, they can do something. They have that potential,'” added Smith.
“I don’t think [the Mavericks] have to blow it up, if Kyrie Irving comes back healthy and balls”@StephenASmith on the challenges Dallas faces moving forward.@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 pic.twitter.com/lbJzVzpbyS
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) November 12, 2025
Smith’s point is pretty valid. Klay Thompson has been frustrated with the team’s performance, but a Hall of Fame shooter like him doesn’t take long to get hot. And Davis is always good when he’s healthy.
Mix that in with Irving, who is hungry to get back into the swing of things, and this squad could easily rally off some wins and move higher up in the standings. The thing is that even with all of those elements, including Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, and Flagg, the Mavs are still contending in the tough West.
Will they be able to catch up with the Nuggets, Lakers, Thunder, Rockets, or Timberwolves? There’s no guarantee, especially if they fall far behind.
Smith, even though optimistic, could also foresee the possibility of this ending badly for the Mavs. “In the same breath, what if they don’t? What do you do? I think they got one first-round pick over the next 5-6 years or something like that. I mean, my goodness, it’s a real precarious situation for the Dallas Mavericks to be in,” he stated.
Dallas needs to take things one game at a time. Thursday night, they host the Suns, then the Clippers in an NBA Cup game. They complete their home stretch by taking on Portland.
Things get a little dicey after that as they travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, then return to Dallas to host the Knicks. If they can win three out of those five games, they may regain some of their confidence.
At this point, the Mavericks just need something to hang their hats on. They need a big win, a breakout performance, or a spark from someone not named AD.
The fanbase has been through the wringer since the Luka trade, and patience is wearing thin. Hopefully, Jason Kidd has them ready for Phoenix. Again, one game at a time.
