The Dallas Mavericks came into the 2025-26 season with high hopes of winning. Since then, Dallas has been in the bottom half of the Western Conference, with fans praying for Kyrie Irving to get back from his ACL tear as soon as possible. Nico Harrison, the mastermind of the Luka Doncic trade, was also fired, but in a way, his philosophy of defense winning championships is actually working, but not at all in the way Harrison intended.
The Mavs are third in the NBA when it comes to defensive efficiency. At one point, the Mavs were second in that category, only trailing the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.