NBA gifts Mavericks exactly what they desperately needed on a silver platter

The end of the Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 season did not go as planned, as they missed the playoffs for the second time in three years after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament, and fans are begging for the team to get back on track in the 2025-26 season.

Dallas was already in a great spot to have a bounce-back year after they selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, and with next season's schedule being released earlier today, the NBA did the Mavericks a massive favor by giving them an easier stretch to begin the season and plenty of national TV games after the tsunami of emotions they endured after the Luka Doncic trade.

Dallas begins the year with a five-game homestand against the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Indiana Pacers, and even though Dallas plays both teams from the NBA Finals from last season in a three-game stretch, they should be able to stick some wins in these seven days at the American Airlines Center.

Mavericks have a cakewalk waiting for them to begin 2025-26 season

Excitement is going to be through the roof, as Flagg will have five games in a row to show out for his new city, and with games against both the Raptors and Wizards within his first three games as an NBA player, he should have plenty of chances to show Mavericks fans why he is the real deal.

After this five-game homestand to begin the year, the next 10 games aren't looking too bad for Dallas either.

After playing the Pacers at home on October 29, the Mavericks will play the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Wizards again. The elephant in the room in this case is the game against the Rockets in Houston on November 3, as they are set to give the Mavs a run for their money in the Southwest Division, but the rest of the matchups shouldn't be much of a problem.

While the Pistons did have an excellent season last year, Dallas is 7-3 against them over the last 10 games, and Anthony Davis is poised to have a field day against their bigs. The same case could be said for the Grizzlies, as Jaren Jackson Jr. could end up being out for this game on November 7, as he underwent surgery to repair a toe injury earlier this offseason.

The games against the Pelicans and Wizards are bound to be easy, as they are both poised to be two of the worst teams in the NBA, and Dallas getting to knock out both of their matchups against Washington within the first 10 games is a major blessing from the basketball gods. Starting hot is crucial in today's NBA, as you can't afford to fall behind quickly, and Dallas can use all the help they can get while Kyrie Irving is out of the lineup with his ACL tear.

After their 10th game of the season against Washington on the road, Dallas then has a four-game homestand against the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, and Portland Trail Blazers. This four-game stretch could very well end up with the Mavs going undefeated or winning three of the four games, as the Bucks and Suns are poised to take a step back next season. The Clippers game is the toughest one in this group, as they finished with 50 wins last season, but the rest of the games shouldn't be too hard.

After this four-game stretch at the American Airlines Center, Dallas will then travel to Minneapolis to battle the Minnesota Timberwolves, capping off their first 15 games of the season with a tough game at the Target Center. The Mavericks and Timberwolves have had some great duels over the years, as Dallas took them down in the Western Conference Finals in 2024, and Anthony Edwards and company will undoubtedly be looking to take down Davis, Flagg, and the Mavericks.

The Timberwolves haven't beaten the Mavericks in a game at the Target Center since January 31, 2024, and they have only defeated Dallas twice in Minnesota since the beginning of 2023.

The Mavericks could quickly begin to erase their disastrous end to the 2024-25 season with a strong start to next season, and if they play their cards right, they'll be in the perfect spot to emerge as a playoff team over the first 15 games on their schedule. Dallas, having 10 of their first 15 games at home, can't be overlooked, and the AAC needs to be rocking every single game to help welcome Flagg to the city.