Dallas Mavericks fans still aren’t moving past management’s decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, and that observation was made clear during the final minute of Friday night’s 117-107 home loss to the Washington Wizards.
Mavericks Fans Calling For GM Nico Harrison’s Job
Mavs fans continue to call for the termination of general manager Nico Harrison.
“Fire Nico!” chants are still being heard in the American Airlines Center since the Doncic trade on Feb. 2, months after the homegrown superstar had led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.
Although the Mavericks won the draft lottery and selected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg over the summer, the club has continued to struggle with the former Duke star and Anthony Davis.
After Dallas was routed by 33 at home by the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday’s opener, the team lost by double digits to a Washington team coming off an 18-64 season.
“I think they have a right to vent, but there’s a patience [needed],” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s a different team, it’s a new team. We’re just getting to understand each other. We’re going to keep learning each other. So I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration.
“We all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level, but it’s a game of expression, and fans have a right to express themselves. But that doesn’t stop us from coming to work tomorrow and getting better and getting ready for [the next game].”
No Contract Extension Talks Between Mavs, Harrison
Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kidd signed a multi-year contract extension during the preseason, shortly after the Mavs denied the New York Knicks permission to pursue him for their head coaching vacancy in the offseason.
Sources close to the team told MacMahon that “there have not been any discussions about a contract extension for Harrison, who has two years remaining on his deal,” he reported.
Flagg scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and closed out his outing with five rebounds, six assists, and five turnovers. He finished 6-of-14 (42.9%) shooting from the field and 2-for-5 (40%) from deep.
“The fans showed up. They were amazing tonight. I thought we were competing at a high level in that fourth quarter. A lot of things were right — getting stops, playing the way that we want to play, and that kind of sums it up,” Flagg said.
“It was just periods tonight, and we got to be able to sustain that for the whole game. I think we took somewhat of a step in the right direction, but it has to be a lot better.”
Anthony Davis Not Fretting About 0-2 Start
Meanwhile, Davis posted 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. The five-time All-NBA member shot 9-for-19 (47.4%) from the floor and 9-of-12 (75%) at the foul line.
However, he also missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
When asked about his concern level after the 0-2 start, Davis said, “Zero.” He reportedly shot down a question about how the Mavs and Flagg would handle adversity, per MacMahon.
“This is adversity? What’s adversity?” Davis said. “We’ve got 80 games left. You can run off 10 straight [wins] and then what? This is how I look at it and I’m sure that’s how he looks at it, and that’s what we talked about. We know we have to be better on both ends of the floor, but the NBA season is a roller coaster, so we’re staying positive.”
The Mavericks continue their six-game homestand on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.