Dallas Mavericks early-season statistical trends, Digi Mart USA News: Coming into Sunday’s game, Max Christie had made only 10-of-38 three-point shots this season. Cooper Flagg had averaged 10.5 points per game in the first half of games so far, but in the second half he has scored just over 15 points per game.
Flagg shot barely 40 percent in the first half, compared to better than 55 percent in the second. For stats like those, Mavericks coach Dusty May has two words: it’s early.
As the Mavericks reached the 10-game mark of the season on Sunday, some trends have begun to show themselves. But by and large, it is still too early to put any real meaning on specific players and what they have done, or haven’t done, at this point.
“It’s so early, the sample size is so small,” May said before Sunday’s meeting with Brooklyn. “We can be No. 4 one day in a category and then two games later we’re 17th.”
“I don’t even like looking at our three-pointer percentages now. Early in the season, I don’t put a lot of stock in it.
Look at Max. For his career, I think he’s a 40 percent three-point shooter (40.4 percent last season) and I know based on the eye test that he’s not shooting anywhere near that now.
But early in the season, all these stats, it’s too early to have any conclusions.”
Christie, in particular, has had a rough start to the season, which is completely opposite of the way he started last season, when he was the one Maverick who was rolling from long range right out of the gate. This year, nothing has fallen for him, at least not on a consistent basis.
May said last week that water tends to find its level in an 82-game season and that it takes at least 15 or 20 games to make any analysis.
Flagg had back-to-back clunkers in the first half of two games last week, but he found other ways to impact the game and eventually found his offensive rhythm after halftime. “Just more peanut-butter-and-jellies,” May joked about what has changed from first half to second half for Flagg.
“He said it’s the Maine power bar.”
“No, with Coop, when you look at his body of work (points, rebounds, assists), he’s having a phenomenal year. Sometimes, this quarter’s a little better than others.
We’re just trying to really focus on the process of getting incrementally better. Our plan with Coop is just have an obsessive approach to getting better.”
May said it is not all on Flagg: “He’s going to see a little bit of everything (from opposing defenders) and our plan has to be flexible enough to make adjustments. And I think we’re getting better at that.” Flagg also had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter on Sunday.
Injury updates: Kyrie Irving played his normal allotment of minutes on Sunday night against Brooklyn, but May did not address whether the 34-year-old point guard would be available for Monday’s second half of back-to-back games. “From the beginning, it’s been: Play this game and see where we are tomorrow, see how we are when we wake up, see how the body feels, talk to the medical staff about the scientific approach to it,” May said.
“And then, we’ll make our decision after that. It’s much more fluid on the second day of a back-to-back.”
The Mavericks play Indiana at American Airlines Center Monday. It is only the second time this season they have played back-to-back games, and Irving sat out the second night of the Indiana-San Antonio back-to-back last month.
Backup guard Sergio De Larrea, who has been out with a right knee sprain, is progressing but not ready to return. “I know he looks stronger,” May said.
“He’s been in the weightroom. He’s still got a brace on his leg.”
Tactful approach: With the Mavericks getting healthier, May was asked how he handles communicating to various players when and how much they can expect to play. “Each guy’s different,” he said.
“Obviously, we’re very empathetic (that) we have a deep roster and a deep roster means no one’s going to be satisfied with their minutes. We just communicate as best we can with what our vision is.
But each guy’s a little bit different.”
Former Wolverine passes through: May coached Danny Wolf when he transferred from Yale to Michigan for the 2024-25 season. Wolf went on to be the No. 27 overall pick in the 2025 draft, taken by the Brooklyn Nets, and he was in the starting lineup Sunday against May and the Mavericks.
“Proud of Danny,” May said. “When we got him, he was an Ivy League five man (center) and by necessity, we essentially turned him into a 7-foot point guard.
It’s a credit to him. He had the skills and we had the right pieces around him.
He’s a hard worker. I’m happy for his success.”
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said Wolf has had a steady rise. Wolf had a double-double on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.
“I think 10 points, 10 rebounds is very good and I don’t think he tried to do too much with the ball,” Fernandez said. “It was simple play after simple play.
And he gives us size, playmaking and rebounding. That’s important.”
