Mavericks are quietly earning more respect around the NBA despite early doubts

After notching only 26 wins a season ago — their lowest win total since 2018 — things are looking up for the Dallas Mavericks. Despite some early doubts surrounding Dallas' 2025-26 campaign, an oddly constructed roster and a first-time head coach heading into 2026-27, pundits around the league are starting to take to the Mavs.

NBA voices are starting to believe in the Dallas Mavericks

In an episode of the Hoop Collective featuring ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon, both pundits picked the Mavericks to go over 34.5 wins. And it was without hesitation. Neither Windhorst nor McMahon took much time to exclaim “over,” pointing to Dallas' veteran-laden roster led by 19-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg as a reason to believe the Mavs can exceed 34.5 wins.

Nonetheless, the praise didn't stop there.

In an article on Bleacher Report predicting whether each team will be better or worse next season, the Mavericks were picked to be better. Writer Greg Swartz projected Dallas to be a better team than a season ago and even went as far as to write, "If Flagg plays like an All-Star and Irving looks fully healed from his injury, this group should be significantly better than last year's."

This higher praise comes after various pundits and outlets doubted Dallas' chances to stand out in the 2026-27 campaign. For starters, ESPN placed Dallas at No. 23 in its offseason power rankings… even after the draft and much of free agency. The Mavericks notably ranked below the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

Moreover, DraftKings' paltry over/under win total, which Windhorst and McMahon used on the Hoop Collective podcast, is hardly a vote of confidence. For what it's worth, Dallas' 34.5 is 24th league-wide and, again, lower than both the Jazz and the Wizards.

All in all, aside from Bleacher Report and, recently, the ESPN pairing, not many outlets have heaped much praise on the Mavericks. CBS Sports' Sam Quinn gave Dallas' offseason moves a C, while Yahoo shelled out a B for Dallas. While not entirely indicative of next season's success, both grades go to show that there isn't a whole lot of optimism for a team coming off a 26-win season.

Dallas has a chance to flip the narrative

That is, of course, until now. The narrative is beginning to shift, and could shift even further come the preseason. A pressing question heading into Dallas' season, besides its revamped roster and first-time head coach, is Kyrie Irving's health. The Mavericks' second-best player hasn't suited up in over a year, and we still haven't seen him alongside Flagg.

There's more to this team than the pundits and outlets are giving credit for. With Flagg leading the way, a healthy Irving, and a roster fit for the modern NBA, a quick turnaround is well within reach, with the Mavericks potentially getting back to being a .500-level team, just as McMahon, Windhorst, and Bleacher Report have projected.

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