Dallas Mavericks young core gives both hope and concern

The Dallas Mavericks are a team looking towards the future with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, among other young players.

Flagg is the north star, but other players like point guard Ryan Nembhard provide hope for what's to come.

"The Mavericks infamously started the season without a true point guard, leading to copious offensive struggles, but Ryan Nembhard has been a revelation: Since the undrafted rookie joined the starting lineup on November 28, Dallas' offensive rating has jumped by 12.0 points per 100 possessions," ESPN contributor Zach Kram wrote.

"Before then, the Mavericks were 5-14 and ranked 30th in offense, 29th in effective field goal percentage and 28th in turnover rate. But with Nembhard running the offense, Dallas is 7-6 with the No. 9 offense, No. 8 eFG% and No. 9 turnover rate."

Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard drives to the basket past Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mavericks have pros and cons to young core

While the Mavericks are excited about what Flagg and they heart can bring to the team in the coming years, concerns are beginning to grow about third-year pro Dereck Lively II.

Lively's foot injury will keep him out for the rest of the season, marking the second straight year with a significant ailment.

"The Mavericks are playing for the future rather than the present. So it's a major concern that 21-year-old Dereck Lively II, who looks like the team's long-term center, played just 55 games as a rookie, 36 games last season and seven games before his 2025-26 campaign ended early because of foot surgery. In all, that's only 98 games, or 40% of the available games in three NBA seasons," Kram wrote.

"Lively, Cooper Flagg, and possibly Nembhard should form a great young core who can grow together over the course of a decade. But it's growing harder to count on Lively to stay on the court."

The Mavericks are a team that is tussling between competing for this year or punting for the future. While players like Flagg, Nembhard, and Lively bring optimism, there's a catch. That's why the Mavs haven't fully committed to a full-on rebuild quite yet. However, if Lively can get healthy, it could lean towards that direction.

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