March 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome (2) and forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18) reach for a loose ball during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Image The Dallas Mavericks are in disarray.
Entering Thursday’s road game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Mavericks have lost eight straight and 18 of their last 20, including Tuesday’s 124-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
But Dallas coach Jason Kidd isn’t too worried. He understands that difficult stretches like the one the Mavericks are going through during the rebuild are possible. And he knows that grooming a projected star like Cooper Flagg also comes with growing pains.
Flagg, the team’s first-round pick at Duke, played a combination of point guard and wing during the season. Kidd moved Flagg to point guard early in the season and watched that decision attract its share of critics.
“The people who were critical never played,” Kidd said. “I’ve seen it. I saw it in Milwaukee (with Giannis Antetokounmpo). Even there, people would have been critical. If you’re trying to challenge or change or help someone succeed, there’s going to be critics. You need critics because they’re not always right. That’s the nature of the beast.
“But that’s basketball. There are no positions anymore. What are your skills? Can you handle it? If you can handle it, you can play. KD (Kevin Durant) caught the ball early in his career (in Seattle). Was PJ Carlesimo (Durant’s coach at the time) criticized for that? Yes, maybe. But it worked out.”
Flagg will also benefit from this experience, Kidd promises.
“There are no limits to this young man,” Kidd said. “Time and power. If you get those two things, you’re done.”
Flagg has dealt with a few injuries recently and said his focus is “playing basketball and trying to focus on defense.”
He’s also trying to shake off some of the rust from last season’s injury layoff.
“When I got injured, I was in really good rhythm,” Flagg said. “Now it’s about finding my rhythm and getting my (shooting) touch back.”
Like Dallas, Memphis is also experiencing a slump in the second half of the season.
The Grizzlies lost their fifth straight game, losing 139-129 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. Memphis has lost 12 of its last 15. In the loss to the 76ers, the Grizzlies were only able to use 10 players due to injuries and load management issues. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Walter Clayton Jr. were among eight players to miss the game.
Memphis was led by Ty Jerome, who spent the first half of the season on the sideline recovering from an injury. He had 26 points for the Grizzlies against the 76ers before being ejected in the final two minutes after committing a technical foul.
Rookie Cedric Coward looked impressive in his return after suffering a knee injury just before the All-Star break. He finished with 13 points and a career-high 16 rebounds against Philadelphia.
If Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo took anything away from the game, it was the aggressiveness on the boards his team displayed.
“I think one thing we didn’t do really well (against the 76ers) was we weren’t as disruptive defensively,” Iisalo said. “We didn’t defend well enough. We didn’t get enough friction in the backcourt. We only forced 10 turnovers. But I think we did a great job on the offensive boards for a very small team.”
The Grizzlies have won all three of their previous matchups this season and have held Dallas to under 106 points in all three contests.
–Field level media
