The Dallas Mavericks have faced a rocky start to the 2023-2024 NBA season, losing their first two games, including a disappointing 117-107 defeat against the Washington Wizards. The team’s abysmal start has left many fans feeling exasperated. Now they’re the ones most vocally calling for “Fire Nico!” following the moves of current general manager Nico Harrison.
In their first two contests the Mavs finished with an average of 18.5 turnovers. That loss to the Wizards was the most troubling of all. Turning the ball over 20 times was the biggest factor in their loss. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is at least aware of how bad this looks. He called the nearly five-minute stretch of scoreless play to start the game his biggest concern.
Even with the early struggles, Kidd sounded hopeful about the Mavericks preventing an early season disaster. He stressed that he understands fans’ desire for immediate results and their right to be critical of the team.
“You got to give ’em something to cheer for,” – Klay Thompson
Luka Doncic is too young, he is the Mavericks’ main star. To date, he leads the NBA in scoring, having already put up an impressive 46.0 PPG. His performance has at least given us some hope during this shaky and chaotic opening. It hasn’t been able to make up for a team-wide failure to produce.
The Mavericks’ issues extend beyond turnovers. Penalties, missed assignments, and poor communication were regular topics for the Cowboys, especially on defense and often to the detriment of Dallas’ 0-2 start. As intoxicating as it may sound, Kidd cautioned that “we are bashing ourselves,” and he is intent on fixing these bash-yourself mistakes.
The team’s recent defeat came as they faced off against the Wizards, who capitalized on Dallas’s errors. Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers highlighted the importance of learning from losses, stating, “We have to learn from it and be ready for Sunday.” The Mavericks will look to build on this performance when they host the Toronto Raptors next. They’re hungry to claim their inaugural victory this season!
Kidd, who inked a multiyear contract extension in the preseason. This latest move not only raises the expectations for the upcoming season, but increases the pressure. The Mavericks pulled off a shocking win in the draft lottery. This impressive win set them up to pick Cooper Flagg as their No. 1 overall pick, and #NBATwitter can’t contain their excitement for the team’s bright future.
As fans continue to express discontent with the team’s performance through chants and social media, Kidd remains steadfast in his belief that improvement is possible. What will be most important, he said, through the inevitable early-season pitfalls is consistency in hard work and effort.
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