The Dallas Mavericks have one of the worst records in the NBA, although they've managed to keep games close all season long.
Even without Anthony Davis for much of the season and Kyrie Irving for the entire year, the Dallas Mavericks are better than their record shows. sitting at 23-49, third-worst in the Western Conference, the Mavs have lost 12 home games in a row and are blatantly taking the best draft pick possible this season.
However, next year they don't own their own pick, and will have no reason to intentionally lose games. By then, Irving will be healthy, Cooper Flagg will have taken another step forward, and the Mavs will have bolstered their young core even more.
While going on a deep playoff run in 2027 seems unlikely, one stat this season has demonstrated why the Mavericks will take a massive leap forward next season.
Dallas Mavericks Keep Games Close
Of the 49 games Dallas has lost this season, 26 of them were "clutch" games, where the Mavs were within five points heading into the final five minutes.
This season, the Mavericks have played in 41 such clutch games already, going 15-26 in those contests. The 41 clutch appearances are the most in the NBA, and their .366 winning percentage in those games is 26th in the league.
It stands to reason that when they're actually trying to win those games, they'll finish on a stronger note, right? Plus, Irving is one of the most clutch players in NBA history, so having him finish games out should give the Mavericks a much-needed boost.
This season, despite their record, the Mavericks haven't let many games get away from them. They've lost a lot more than they've won, but after trading away Davis at the deadline, they effectively waved the white flag on the season and aren't playing to win.
How do we know that the Mavericks aren't trying to win those close games? In those clutch situations, Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard, and Max Christie are seeing the floor more than established players like Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton. If Jason Kidd and the front office were trying to win games, they'd be putting the ball in the hands of their most experienced players, instead of letting rookies and former two-way guys take the final shots.
Next season, with hopes of the playoffs running high, expect Dallas to turn to their best players when the game is on the line, giving them a much better shot.