The 2025-26 season didn’t get off to a great start for the Dallas Mavericks. Most in the NBA community felt the Mavericks would be a stronger team this season, but the Mavericks lost both of their opening games this year, including one against the lowly Washington Wizards.
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, the Dallas Mavericks were named one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They weren’t at their best during the second half of the 2024-25 season, as they were still reeling from the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a package centered around Anthony Davis.
Davis was injured shortly after the trade, causing the Mavericks to miss the playoffs despite appearing in the play-in tournament. With the exception of Kyrie Irving, who is sidelined with a torn ACL, they are currently healthy and expectations were high. Unfortunately, we have lost both games so far.
In many of these losses, the Mavericks’ performances were underwhelming. Klay Thompson knows these losses are hard to forgive as he wants his team to take responsibility for the losses.
The Mavericks’ loss forced fans to focus once again on general manager Nico Harrison. He is the main architect of this team and has been in the spotlight since trading away Doncic.
He has been under the microscope since early 2025. This is an even bigger blow considering the Mavericks are not off to a strong start and Doncic is playing his best basketball ever to start the season with the Lakers, who are happy and settled.
Thompson, one of the leaders and a four-time champion, has been more outspoken about his team. He hopes they bounce back and have a strong season, but things don’t look good for coach Jason Kidd’s core group right now.
“You’ve got to give them something to root for. I’ve got to give them something to cheer for. That’s the nature of the game, hey, I’ve been there. I was a fan for 20 years before I got into the NBA. I definitely would have criticized the players. I mean, we deserve a lot of the criticism. We’re the ones making it happen,” Thompson told ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
“There’s always this sense of urgency. We’re all competitive. It’s embarrassing, especially for myself, after talking about championship preseason and stuff like that. But I mean, it’s all I’m going to play at this point.”
“So, it’s not fun, but there’s only one solution, and that’s to come together and improve and work harder every day. I know I will too, and the rest of the players will too. So it’s just a matter of trying, not holding back.”
Of course, the Mavericks only have two games left to open the year. The results may not have been very encouraging, but Dallas still has a strong team. With a coach like Kidd, anything is possible once this team gets going.
Irving will be back soon, and the rest of the team will have to step up as well. Davis is the superstar of the group, so he is responsible for helping the team recover from losses. Rookie Cooper Flagg will have to pack a punch because he’s not the typical top pick who gets thrust into a weaker team.
Flagg will need to contribute and show why he is the unanimous top prospect in the 2025 draft. If they can live up to expectations, Thompson’s comments could work. He wants to hold his team accountable and help it continue its run as one of the top teams in the Western Conference once again.