3 takeaways from Mavericks' shocking loss to lowly Nets

The Dallas Mavericks dropped one of the most disappointing games of the season on Monday night, falling at home to the lowly Brooklyn Nets 113-109. Dallas is hoping to make the Play-In Tournament, and while the Kevin Durant injury news will likely keep the Phoenix Suns from being too competitive down the stretch, this is a BAD loss.

Brooklyn shot the lights out, going 20/51 from three-point range while the Mavericks were just 17/29 from the free-throw line. That's a bad recipe against a bad team, and it cost the Mavs on Monday night.

Here are three takeaways from this loss.

1. Anthony Davis should not be playing

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks to move the ball past Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis is not close to 100%. It's understandable and admirable that he wants to push through and try to lift a grieving fanbase, but he's not making things any better with his individual play. In the four games he's played since returning from the adductor strain, he's averaging 14.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG while shooting 23/61 (37.7%) from the floor, 1/14 from three (7.1%), and 10/18 (55.6%) from three free-throw line. He's not helping on offense and his effort on defense is lacking because he doesn't have all of his mobility. Shelf him and look to next season.

2. This team desperately misses Brandon Williams of all players

Mar 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic guard Cory Joseph (10) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The horrific Luka Doncic trade left the Mavericks without reliable ball-handlers beyond Kyrie Irving. Irving's and Dante Exum's injuries put the guard situation in a horrible spot. Spencer Dinwiddie has performed admirably on a minimum contract, while Jaden Hardy has mostly been bad, outside of a few flashes here and there. It was Brandon Williams on a two-way contract that provided some juice off the bench, but he's no longer eligible because he reached his game limit for his contract. If they want a chance at contending in the Play-In Tournament, they'll need to sign him to a standard contract on April 10th, which is a scary sentence.

3. Dallas could not defend the Spain pick-and-roll

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Drew Timme (26) celebrates making a three point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Spain pick-and-roll is not a new concept in the NBA, and it's something the Mavericks ran a lot when Luka Doncic was on the team. And Brooklyn TORCHED the Mavericks with it. If it wasn't the players in the main action scoring, they were kicking out to wide-open shooters, leading to 51 three-point attempts. Whether it was poor coaching or poor effort, both are inexcusable at this stage in the season.

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