From The Archives: The Defense Promise Behind This Era's…

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Monday, October 12

The Mavericks are still 0-0 in the regular season, but this week's preseason split with Houston, a loss on October 9 and a win on October 11, echoes a rivalry that goes back decades. Cooper Flagg's rookie season now carries the scoring load this franchise has always built around.

Mavericks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

The Defense Harrison Promised

When Dallas sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis in February 2025, general manager Nico Harrison stated the plan straight: I believe that defense wins championships. Last season argued it both ways. Dallas's defense ranked 19th in the league, respectable, but the offense sank to 27th and the net rating landed at -5.2. Cooper Flagg's rookie season, 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 70 games, is the clearest sign the offense now runs through someone new, not through the defense Harrison promised. Houston, this week's opponent, finished last season with a net rating of 5.4 built on a 117.5 offensive rating, the two-way balance Harrison still wants from this roster.

From Aguirre To Flagg

Dallas built its first winning identity on scorers. Mark Aguirre averaged 24.6 points over seven years after the 1981 draft, and Rolando Blackman added 19.2 points over eleven. Flagg's 21.0-point rookie mark across 70 games slots into that lineage immediately. The 19-year-old now anchors a payroll topped by Kyrie Irving's $39.5 million deal inside a $197.9 million total, over the cap and under the $200.4 million luxury tax line.

The Rivalry Renewed

Houston has been a measuring stick for Dallas since the franchise's early decades, including a 2014 playoff series Dallas lost in seven games, closed out 119-96. This month's preseason series split the same way that history suggests: Houston won the opener 117-135 on October 9, and Dallas answered 132-115 on October 11, with Kyrie Irving scoring 17 points in the rematch. Neither game counts, but the pattern of trading blows holds ahead of the October 21 regular-season opener at Houston.

Is Cooper Flagg already Dallas's leading scorer?

Yes. His rookie average of 21.0 points over 70 games last season topped the roster, ahead of Naji Marshall's 15.2 and P.J. Washington's 14.2.

Has Dallas ever won an NBA championship?

Yes, in 2011, the franchise's only title, won behind Dirk Nowitzki, who played a franchise-record 21 seasons in Dallas.

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.