Dallas Mavericks looking for third win this season against Denver Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks have not had the season they envisioned when they selected Cooper Flagg first overall. They're currently 15-25, and with Anthony Davis now expected to be out for at least six weeks and Kyrie Irving still likely a month away from returning, the direction the team needs to go in is clear.

They'll host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening, and despite all of the Mavs' struggles this year, they're somehow 2-0 against the Nuggets, and Nikola Jokic played in both of those matchups. He won't be available in this game as he deals with a hyperextended right knee, and the Nuggets are 5-3 without him in this stretch.

However, one thing that's been keeping them afloat is the incredible play of Peyton Watson. He had 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on Tuesday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and is now averaging a wild 24.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG over these last eight games without Jokic. No one had that kind of breakout performance from him on their bingo card. Jamal Murray has also been playing at a high level, averaging 27.8 PPG and 11.0 APG in this stretch, but even he's missed a few of these games.

Dec 29, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) holds his knee after an injury against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have recently returned to the lineup to help while Jokic is out, but they lost Cameron Johnson to injury when the Nuggets last visited Dallas on December 23rd. And yet, the Nuggets are still 3rd in the Western Conference despite these constant, lengthy injuries.

The Mavericks are fully relying on Cooper Flagg now that Davis is out for an extended time, but it could also give them a chance to display some veterans in trade talks, such as Daniel Gafford and Klay Thompson. The sooner they embrace the Cooper Flagg era, the better, and they have a lot of contracts that will weigh them down over the next few years if they don't start to offload them.