Mavericks face a harsh reality about Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving's supporting cast

The Dallas Mavericks suffered their worst loss of the season on Thursday night, as they lost by 39 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. This loss was a major gut punch for Dallas, as it came after three straight home wins, but it also exposed an ugly truth about the roster that surrounds Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving: they don't have enough offensive production outside of their superstar duo.

The Timberwolves game hit Dallas with a reality check

While Dallas' hot start has been exciting, the Mavs shouldn't have been expected to be a contender this season. It's the first season that Cooper and Kyrie have played together, and they're a young team that's focused on winning in the future rather than pushing for an NBA championship right now.

Many Mavs fans understood this going into the regular season, but some big wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets allowed some overconfident optimism to creep in. There's nothing wrong with believing in your team, and Dallas' star duo looks like one of the best duos in the NBA, but they can't do everything on their own.

Mavericks' supporting cast isn't doing enough

Flagg and Irving combined for just 22 points on 9-of-23 shooting against Minnesota's No. 1-ranked defense, and the Mavs' role players couldn't step up enough to provide a spark when the stars were struggling. Their lack of a third scorer has been glaring since the beginning of the regular season, but this issue was magnified on Thursday night.

Outside of Flagg and Irving, the rest of the starting five combined for just 20 points. P.J. Washington was the only other starter in double digits, as he finished with 10 points, and Caleb Martin had seven points while Daniel Gafford had three.

Zaccharie Risacher's 22 points off the bench deserve some credit, as his shooting off the catch and transition play stood out. However, this scoring outburst came after he averaged 4.2 points per game in the previous five games, highlighting the overall consistency that Dallas is dealing with when it comes to their supporting cast.

Washington and Naji Marshall have had some good moments as well, as they're the team's leading scorers behind Irving and Flagg, averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 points per game respectively, but neither player is consistent enough to be considered Dallas' solidified third scoring option.

Marshall has scored fewer than 10 points in four of the last six games, while Washington has had a three-point game and a six-point game in the last seven games. Naji gives Dallas versatility, slashing, and grit without always filling up the stat sheet, and Washington has had a few big scoring games, but the inconsistency of his jumper has been what sometimes makes or breaks his offensive impact.

Irving and Flagg are dangerous together

The Mavs' new-look starting five looked unstoppable over the last week or so heading into the Timberwolves game due to the dominance of Flagg and Irving. They combined for 78 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers earlier this week, and Coop and Kai's ability to take over the game stood out.

Dallas was able to overcome a 13-point deficit and win the game due to Irving and Flagg's tough shotmaking and three-level scoring, but the Mavs run into problems when their star duo isn't clicking. They shot just 27 percent from three on 48 attempts last night, and they don't have enough shooting.

Dallas' shooting and shot creation must improve

Dallas is shooting 33.6 percent from three through 12 games, which ranks 22nd in the NBA. Max Christie's slump, combined with the lack of players who are known for their shooting, puts the Mavs in a tough spot, as they don't have the 3-point firepower to counter teams that sell out on stopping Flagg and Irving.

Additionally, the same shot creation problem that plagued last season reared its ugly head. Dallas doesn't have anyone who can consistently get to their spots and create their own shot when a play breaks down outside of Cooper and Kyrie, putting even more pressure on their shoulders to go off every night.

Dallas' star duo gives the Mavericks an outstanding foundation to build upon, but the players around them have to be better if they want to take the next step and make the playoffs for the first time since 2024.

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