The Dallas Mavericks’ preseason optimism was dashed just two games into the NBA season.
First, Victor Wembaneyama crushed the Dallas Mavericks with 40 points and 15 rebounds in a 33-point loss, despite head coach Jason Kidd saying in preseason that the Mavericks would field an elite interior defense. The Mavericks then lost to the Washington Wizards, 0-2.
Kidd cited a lack of offensive power as the reason for the defensive struggles after the opening game. It’s a confusing message after GM Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis and justified it by saying, “Defense wins championships.”
The loss to the Wizards revived the “Nico on Fire” chant that echoed throughout Dallas after the trade, and Kidd shared his thoughts on it after the game.
The Mavericks’ season is rapidly changing direction, and the goodwill the team built with fans after drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick appears to have been washed away.
But Kidd said fans have a right to express their dissatisfaction with the disappointing start to the season.
“I think they have a right to diverge. This is a different team, this is a new team. We’re just starting to understand each other and we’re going to continue to learn each other,” he said.
“I’d say be patient, but I understand the frustration. We all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level. This is a game of expression, and fans have the right to express themselves.”
What was particularly jarring about the loss to the Wizards was that the Mavericks’ star players performed well. Davis scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Flagg bounced back from a disappointing debut with 18 points and six assists.
But despite ambitions to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, there was no answer for Kyshawn George, who scored 34 points for Washington.
On this night, not a single role player scored in double figures in their second game of the season, which is a worrying sign for the makeup of Dallas’ roster.
There is no excuse for this team not being one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Between Davis, Flagg, and Derek Lively, they have an outstanding core on that end of the ball.
However, that is not reflected in the early part of the season. Kidd said he couldn’t defend the basketball because he couldn’t defend the basketball.
He said, “Our defense is not up to par. We’ve got to be better. You have to understand that there’s always somebody going in this league. Whether it’s a young guy or a veteran, George had a hell of a game tonight.”
“We’ve got to get better at our transition defense and handling the ball. We had 18 turnovers between the three of us, and you can’t beat anyone in this league. And that happened tonight.”
“It’s still early. This is Game 2. We have a lot of things to work on… We’re not hitting the ball straight. If we can’t hit the ball straight and have 21 turnovers, we could lose no matter what that team’s record is.”
P.J. Washington, Flagg and Davis had 18 turnovers, with Washington leading the way with eight. The Mavericks lost 21-15 in a turnover battle against the Wizards.
But trading Doncic gave Dallas less room for error and an inability to overcome sloppy play and bad shooting nights.