Given that he's currently a paid employee of Amazon Prime Video in its NBA coverage, it's Dirk Nowitizki's job to watch and analyze the game he once played. Some of those games, as Nowtizki admitted on Friday night, are harder to watch than others. Unfortunately for Nowitzki, the games played by his former team, the Mavericks, fall into that category.
Nowitzki, after the Mavericks‘s 118–104 loss to the Grizzlies in NBA Cup group play Friday, didn't hold back on the current state of the team.
“Yeah I feel bad for my Mavs fans,” Nowitzki said. “This has been a disastrous start. Obviously, there’s a hole at point guard and playmaking position—we knew that hole wasn’t filled this summer. So there’s a hole at shot-creating, there’s a hole at shot-making ...”
Nowitzki fairly pointed out the Mavericks‘s less-than-ideal injury situation, with nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving still recovering from a torn ACL, 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis sidelined due to a calf injury and fellow big men Dereck Lively II dealing with a knee injury. Given that context, Nowitzki noted how difficult a watch the Mavericks have been.
Dirk Nowitzki on the Mavericks:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 8, 2025
“I feel bad for my Mavs fans…. They can't shoot, they can't make plays... Nobody can make shots. It's been tough to watch.”
(via @NBAonPrime, h/t @ohnohedidnt24)pic.twitter.com/S1hp5w6MmK
“... They can't shoot, they can't make plays ... nobody can make shots. It's been tough to watch,” Nowitzki said.
Why have the Mavericks struggled so much?
As Nowitzki pointed out, injuries certainly haven't helped the Mavericks, as Davis, the centerpiece of Dallas’s return in the much-maligned Luka Dončić trade this past season, has appeared in just five games. Irving’s absence, while anticipated, hasn’t hurt any less. It has forced much of the playmaking and scoring duties into the hands of journeyman point guard D’Angelo Russell and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who has shown flashes of his immense talent but has also endured the understandable highs and lows that come with a rookie finding his way in the NBA.
The Mavericks defense, which ranks inside the top 10 in points allowed per game, has largely been able to withstand the absences of Davis and others. The offense, which ranks dead-last in points per game and three-pointers made per contest, has not.
Dallas on Saturday will look to end a four-game losing streak against the Wizards.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Even Dirk Nowitzki Can't Bear to Watch the Struggling Mavericks.
