Mavericks' disastrous start takes shocking turn with key guard's sudden arrest

The Dallas Mavericks are 1-3 with a clear need to figure out how to get the beginning of the Cooper Flagg era back on track. Of course, we're only four games in, but it seems the slow start might be the last thing on the Mavs' minds right now, as Mavericks guard Brandon Williams was arrested over the weekend and charged with possession of marijuana.

This is from an incident report obtained by DLLS Sports, and adds that Williams was arrested at DFW Airport's C terminal on Saturday. Williams had been listed as out due to personal reasons for the last two games, but now, the Mavs clearly have another PR crisis to worry about.

Ron Harrad Jr. of DLLS Sports adds that Williams was found with <2 oz of marijuana and was granted a weekend leave from the team. The slow start is now being capped off with Williams' arrest, but either way, the Mavs need to figure out their identity before they have to play catch-up in the West.

Off-court arrest piles onto Dallas' slow start

Fans have been victims of D'Angelo Russell's woes to begin the season, as he put up an unnecessary 3-point shot when the Mavs could've gone for a quick bucket when they were down three, in what was a furious rally in the fourth quarter against the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Flagg was bothered by his shoulder in the OKC game and was never really himself. The Mavs have an obvious problem at the point guard position with Flagg still getting adjusted, Russell being inconsistent, and Jaden Hardy not providing much (outside of the last two games) on the bench. This opens the door for Williams to get some valuable minutes once he returns.

Williams has been on the court in two games thus far, playing 12 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs and seven against the Washington Wizards. Williams was bound to have a breakout season thanks to the concerns at point guard. Now, Mavs fans can't wait for Kyrie Irving to get back in 2026.

We don't know what the Mavs will do from here with Williams, but they need to get cleaned up as they prepare to face the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, and the Memphis Grizzlies in three of their next five games. This is danger territory for the Mavs, and the arrest of Williams already adds to what's been a frustrating start.

This is another PR crisis for Patrick Dumont and Nico Harrison, but it seems the early concerns for the Mavs are far from over.