Mavericks Red Flags: Game 1 Raises Questions As Rockets Cruise To Easy Win

The Dallas Mavericks walked into Houston on Wednesday with plenty of questions after a less-than-stellar preseason. The offense wasn't clicking; 3-point shooting hadn't improved much, and the defense was still an afterthought.

Unfortunately for Mavs fans, this game against the Rockets didn't leave much room for hope as Dallas suffered a 128-110 loss.

As Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving took the floor for the first time this season, the Mavericks quickly realized there were still glaring problems going forward as they found themselves facing a 38-70 deficit going into the break.

In other words, Game 1 to launch this NBA season created more questions than answers.

Flagg had a decent start to the game, knocking down his first 3-pointer of the year; however, the real story of the first quarter was P.J. Washington, who hit a pair of triples and got Tari Eason ejected for a shove in the back.

Past a somewhat dramatic first quarter for Dallas, there was little to be excited about as Houston quickly asserted themselves, forcing the Mavericks into mistakes on defense and a total stall on the offensive end.

Houston was on an extended 51-16 run heading into the third quarter and had two other 8-0 scoring runs in the first half. Meanwhile, the Mavericks had a stretch where they missed 17 consecutive 3-point shots and only scored 12 in the second quarter.

While Dallas outscored the Rockets by eight in the third, their offense was too inconsistent to play catch-up by the final buzzer.

Forcing turnovers in the open and half-court was part of the Mavericks' early identity heading into opening night; however, the Rockets took care of the ball and turned the tables on the Mavs, scoring 32 points off turnovers to Dallas' 19.

With Fred VanVleet back in the lineup for the Rockets, the offense flowed very well as multiple players ended up with 20+ points, and VanVleet had a double-digit assist night.

Alperen Sengun was getting whatever he wanted inside against the Dallas interior on his way to an opening night double-double as Daniel Gafford and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. had no answer for his skill inside.

The Rockets blitzed Irving and made him uncomfortable early, which exposed another Mavericks flaw: the lack of shot-creators on the roster. 

With Irving having an efficient 15-point night, going 6-for-9 from the field, and Flagg scoring 32, there isn't a clear third option on the roster yet for Dallas.

Finally seeing these two in action together was a sight to behold, however the result on the court was anything but.

Dallas will stay on the road to start the year as they head to Indiana to play the Pacers on Friday.

It is the earliest point in the season; however, the red flags are staying raised.

Dusty May and his squad have a lot of soul-searching to do, and it has to be fast, because the gauntlet Dallas has to start the year isn't going to be forgiving.