Mavericks' brutal early-season marathon gets a major break at the end

The Dallas Mavericks' first eight games of the 2026-27 season are going to be a nightmare.

They play the Houston Rockets in their first and sixth games, the San Antonio Spurs twice, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Indiana Pacers in their home opener. This is not an easy path by any means to begin the season after losing 56 games last season, but the end of their schedule will offset this uphill battle in late October and early November.

Dallas' late-season schedule will be a breath of fresh air

In the final 12 games of the season, the Mavericks have eight games against bottom-13 teams from last season. This includes two games against the Sacramento Kings, one game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and one game against the Washington Wizards.

These teams lost a combined 181 games, and none of these teams has much promise for next season either. The Wizards are poised to be a bit better, especially if Anthony Davis stays healthy, but it won't be anything Dallas can't handle. The Mavericks should be much better than people think, and a 40-win season is within reach.

This light schedule at the end of the season gives them the perfect chance to gain momentum before the playoffs, assuming they're in a position to at least make the Play-In Tournament, as many of these teams likely won't be playing for anything in April and the end of March. The new tanking rules change this a bit, but it likely won't stop teams from resting their star players when they're already out of playoff contention.

The Mavericks were one of these teams last year, as they were tanking some games at the end of the season, but this year should be a different story.

Mavericks will have a chance to build momentum at the perfect time

Dallas does not own their first-round pick next season thanks to the P.J. Washington trade in 2024, meaning they have no incentive to tank. The Mavericks aren't in a rush to become contenders either, as they're taking a patient approach while building around Cooper Flagg.

This is the smartest path forward for the new-look team, and the Mavericks having a three-week runway of easier matchups before the end of the season should help them put their pedal to the metal and separate themselves from teams they're near in the standings. This is the exact opposite of what Dallas dealt with last season, as they played Denver, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio in the last 10 games of the year.

The Mavericks are in a spot to bounce back after a disappointing season, and while the beginning of the season will bring some challenges, the end of the year easing up should help them get on track when games matter most.

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