Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell drives to the basket. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mavericks point guard problem has no quick fix

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling in the point guard department as they await Kyrie Irving's return from injury.

Bleacher Report contributor Zach Buckley thinks the Mavs may regret not spending more on a point guard this offseason.

"They knew they'd spend at least the first portion of this campaign without Kyrie Irving, who suffered a torn ACL in March, so shouldn't they have prioritized the position? That would have felt like a logical approach, but they instead thought signing D'Angelo Russell and adding Ryan Nembhard as an undrafted free agent sufficed," Buckley wrote.

"Obviously, that wasn't enough, and tasking top pick Cooper Flagg with playing out of position to cover up that spot only added to his challenge of transitioning to this league as an 18-year-old.

"The Mavs are a mess (13th in the West), former general manager Nico Harrison is out of a job, and this offense is less efficient than everyone other than the Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers. So much for winning now."

Mavs need to make point guard changes

The Mavs are limited in what they can do at the point guard position for now, but they may need to just try and get the best selection possible for the 2026 draft at this point. That's probably the best spot to go out and get a point guard.

Irving will be back in a couple of months, and that could make things better in the interim, but the Mavs could draft a point guard to learn behind him and try to become the floor general that Flagg will work with throughout his career.

In the meantime, the Mavs are back on the court to take on the New York Knicks. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on ESPN or stream it on the ESPN app.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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