Overview
- Dallas is last in the West at 2-7 and ranks No. 30 in offensive rating, with another loss Friday in Memphis underscoring scoring woes.
- Anthony Davis was ruled out Saturday for a fifth straight game with a calf strain, while Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II remain unavailable.
- Without Irving, the team lacks a steady creator as rookie Cooper Flagg takes on unfamiliar lead-guard duties and D’Angelo Russell struggles to steady the role.
- Dirk Nowitzki called the start “disastrous,” pointing to holes in playmaking and shot-making as the offense sputters.
- League chatter has intensified about GM Nico Harrison’s job security after the Luka Dončić trade and the team’s lopsided roster construction.