The 1-8 Washington Wizards are taking on the 2-7 Dallas Mavericks, in a matchup between two of the worst teams in the NBA. This marks the second, and final, time these two teams will match up this season, with the Wizards winning their only game of the season back on Oct. 24 in Dallas.

This time around, both teams are banged up, with Mavericks star Anthony Davis and Wizards stars Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly’s health being in question. With both teams suffering from the injury bug, this could be the perfect opportunity for Washington to sneak out their second win of the season. 

If Davis plays, then he will be at the top of the Wizards’ scouting report. His ability to operate as an offensive hub whilst simultaneously being one of the best defenders in the NBA makes him one of the more potent players in all of basketball. However, if Davis doesn’t play, rookie sensation Cooper Flagg will top the Wizards’ report. 

Although Flagg has struggled with offensive consistency throughout the early skirts of his NBA career, that doesn’t make his impact any less felt. Flagg is an elite athlete and open floor playmaker, making him a formidable threat in transition.

Along with that, Flagg has elite touch around the basket, allowing him to finish from a variety of angles. Flagg’s shooting touch has wavered throughout the early portions of his rookie year, but he has proven in the past to be more than capable of stepping out and hitting threes — along with having a smooth mid-range game. Flagg is also an elite defender, considering his age, making him all the more impactful to a struggling Mavericks team. 

The Mavericks’ lack of secondary creators is what has held them back the most this season. Although they have a plethora of guys that could get hot at any point and impact a game, their lack of consistency makes the team offense waiver from game to game.

PJ Washington and D’Angelo Russel have been the team’s most “consistent” threats, providing a constant offensive gravity. Washington thrives off of playing others —- hunting open space with cuts and relocation —- in turn setting himself up for clean looks. Russell, on the other hand, is the team’s starting point guard, getting the team set in actions and operating as a lead ball handler. 

Max Christie, Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall are three guys who make an impact every night, along with being capable of taking over games. Christie and Marshall are both creative scorers who have proven defensive prowess, allowing them to gel into any lineup. Gafford is a prototypical play finishing big, who catches lobs and blocks shots on the other end. Gafford did exit the Mavericks’ last matchup versus the Memphis Grizzlies early with reported ankle soreness, though, leaving his availability up in the air. 

As previously mentioned, the Mavericks have a plethora of guys who can get hot at any moment. Brandon Williams stands out as the most consistent threat in the second unit, using his speed and ball handling skill to get to his spots in a hurry. Klay Thompson, although well past his prime, is still one of the best shooters in NBA history, making him someone the Wizards must keep track of if they wish to pull this one off.

The Mavericks have proven the ability in the past to take down the Mavericks, making this a more than winnable game. Both teams being banged up means that others will have to rise to the occasion, filling the shoes of those who are absen’t. In Washington’s case, they will need consistent play from their best player, Alex Sarr, along with a few other guys capitalizing on the moment in hopes of propelling the team to victory. 

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The Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to bounce back as they take Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks.

To learn more about Flagg and the Mavs, we spoke with Dallas Mavericks On SI contributor Austin Veazey.

He’s been… fine? Jason Kidd tried rolling him out at point guard to start the season, which was leading to poor results for the entire offense, but specifically Flagg. He just isn’t a point guard. He may have good playmaking instincts, but he’s best as a secondary playmaker. It’s no surprise that he then turned in arguably his best performance on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, because Kidd didn’t start him at point guard.

The question isn’t how much they miss Kyrie Irving, it’s how much do they miss Luka Doncic. And it’s a lot. Even Kyrie Irving has been at his best in his career when he has a better playmaker on the roster, and he can do what he does best: score. Even if Irving were here, there’s no guarantee this would even be a league-average offense, because the offense has no spacing as it’s designed right now.

I kind of doubt it, unless they were to move Irving as well. Doncic and Irving worked so well together because Doncic was a bigger body and could guard other teams’ power forwards. A backcourt of Morant and Irving probably wouldn’t work well, but that wouldn’t stop Nico Harrison from trying something crazy.

Maybe not being the worst offense in the NBA? Just an idea. But how they go about doing that is beyond me. This team just lacks the natural playmakers and shooters to survive in this era of the NBA.

The vibes around both of these teams are horrendous right now. Between the Ja Morant suspension, Anthony Davis’ calf strain, and the Mavs losing to teams such as the Pelicans and Wizards, I think most Mavs fans want a close loss with Cooper Flagg developing so it gets one step closer to firing Nico Harrison.

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