Mavericks' brutal start fuels possibility fans can't stop talking about

Heading into tonight's game versus the Memphis Grizzlies (3-6), the Dallas Mavericks (2-6) are in desperate need of finagling a win on the road. The Mavericks have had a pretty weak schedule up to this point, yet still sit last in the Western Conference with a league-worst offensive rating of 103.2. Dallas' lack of playmaking and shot creation without Kyrie Irving has been extremely evident, and with the schedule getting tougher quickly, the Mavericks are in serious jeopardy of losing their season.

If the Mavericks can't turn things around quickly, the optics of the Luka Doncic trade will be pouring down on the Mavericks heavier than ever once again, especially with the Los Angeles Lakers (7-2) sitting at second in the West, so Mavericks fans may get what they are asking for in terms of Nico Harrison being relieved of his duties if the Lakers continue to thrive while Dallas slopes down.

Of course, this all hinges on Patrick Dumont, which isn't promising considering the blind trust he's instilled in Harrison, though it's clear Dumont has a keener eye on Harrison following the Doncic trade, so it will be interesting to see how much of a leash Dumont gives Harrison at the end of the day.

Harrison could be fired in a few weeks if Mavericks' dry-spell continues

Make no mistake, the Mavericks losing a few more games probably won't spur this change, but once Dallas is at the quarter-to-halfway point of the season, Dumont would need to seriously consider firing Harrison if Dallas' state of affairs hasn't changed by that point. In that instance, the Mavericks would probably need to consider throwing the white flag on the season, and Dumont would need to bring in a new GM ahead of the trade deadline.

There are plenty of ripple effects that could stem from the Mavericks continuing to lose, but Harrison's position as GM is definitely the most prominent domino to watch, as his decision to trade Doncic put an inescapable microscope on his moves and the team's success. The Mavericks and Harrison have insisted they are trying to compete for a championship this season, even though they are in the midst of balancing two timelines with 18-year-old Cooper Flagg coming in.

Needless to say, the Mavericks are very far from playing even close to a championship level, and simply re-inserting Irving into the lineup will not patch all their issues, especially since one of their biggest issues has also been the lack of health in their big man department.

It's still early enough in the season to where it's not totally doom and gloom for the Mavericks quite yet, but a quick turnaround will be required in the next 15-20 games if Harrison wants to maintain his job security, at least if Dumont is someone sane enough to understand how badly Harrison will have screwed the franchise in such a short time span if that scenario presents itself.

Things aren't looking good in Dallas or for Harrison, but up to this point, there hasn't been anything reported in regard to Dumont's disdain for Harrison's performance at GM this season. However, one would like to think the clock is certainly ticking for Harrison, and it's without a doubt that Dumont is the only governor out of all 30 teams that would've let the Doncic trade slip through the cracks with such a feeble return package.