Mavs-Wizards preview: Red-hot about to meet ice-cold

Give the Washington Wizards credit. They are lapping the field so far in the Cooper Flagg Derby.

The Mavericks will start a two-game trip in the nation’s capital to face the 2-17 Wizards, who have lost 15 consecutive games and clearly are headed to the draft lottery in the spring.

Flagg is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He’s already shown his talents at Duke early in his freshman season, despite the fact he doesn’t turn 18 until Dec. 21.

To put it bluntly, NBA teams are salivating about the 6-9 swingman’s potential.

So the Wizards, who have an assortment of solid players but no superstar, are already positioned to have a good chance to win the draft lottery and the chance to draft Flagg. They own their first-round draft pick as long as it is in the top 10. If it is 11^th or lower, it conveys to the New York Knicks.

So the Wizards have plenty of incentive to continue on their current trajectory.

That means that no matter what the future might bring, they are struggling mightily in the here and now, and it’s up to the Mavericks to extend that misery. It’s hard to believe Washington was 2-2 back in the first week of the season.

Since then? It’s been a painful ride. Of the Wizards’ 15 consecutive losses, 14 of them have been by 10 points or more. The other one? A nine-point setback at San Antonio.

So it’s been a challenge to keep the positivity going.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, are sizzling with five wins in a row and nine in their last 10 games.

One of the catalysts has been Spencer Dinwiddie, who is averaging 17.2 points and 6.4 assists in the five-game win streak. He has shot 52 percent from three-point land during that time.

A couple of moments in recent games have exemplified why Dinwiddie has been so important to the Mavericks’ hot streak.

With numerous key players out with injuries and illnesses, Dinwiddie has been rock solid.

At Utah last week, he had a play at the end of the first half that caught the eye of coach Jason Kidd.

“He’s been pretty good at getting us organized offensively,” Kidd said of Dinwiddie. “Right before halftime, Kai (Kyrie Irving) passed him the ball, he turned down a shot and re-drove it and threw it back to Kai for an easier look, so his decision-making right now has been at a high level. And we need that, especially with all the injuries we’ve had.”

The following night at Portland, Dinwiddie hit two important three-pointers at crunch time, the second one a heat-check bomb from way outside the arc.

“Just step up and take them with confidence,” he said of his uptick from long range. “The second one was a little different. But if you’ve watched my career, I’ve done stuff like that before.”

And he’s doing it again to help keep the Mavericks rolling.

Here’s what else to watch for when the Mavericks visit the Wizards:

• Washington is led by Jordan Poole (20.5 points per game) and Kyle Kuzma (15.8), although Kuzma did not play in Tuesday’s loss to Cleveland and is listed as day-to-day with a rib injury.
• In that 118-87 loss at Cleveland, the Wizards shot just 38.4 percent and an ugly 15.4 percent (4-of-26) from beyond the three-point arc.
• The Wizards do have a couple of intriguing young players in Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr. Coulibaly was the seventh pick in the 2023 draft and is averaging 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds. Sarr was taken second overall in this summer’s draft and has started every game in his rookie season, averaging 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
• After playing the Wizards and Toronto Raptors on this trip, the Mavericks will go to Oklahoma City for the 2024 Cup Nights Quarterfinal matchup against the Thunder. That game will mark the end of a 16-game stretch in which the Mavericks played 12 road games. And if they make the Cup Nights Semifinals, that game will be in Las Vegas. They haven’t played consecutive games in the same city since their five-game home stand that ended Nov. 8.
• Luka Dončić has had a smoking-hot return from the wrist injury that knocked him out for five games. In the two games since his return, he’s averaged 36.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists.
• Don’t be surprised if you see Jazian Gortman get some meaningful spot minutes on this trip. Kidd has used the 6-2 rookie in certain situations in recent games against New York and Atlanta. “We’re looking to see how he handles the situation, just like everybody else that we put in different situations, to see how they respond,” Kidd said. “And Gortman has done an incredible job in those games. We’re comfortable with him out there. He’s responded in a positive way.”

MAVERICKS (14-8) at WASHINGTON WIZARDS (2-17)

WHEN: 6 p.m., Thursday

WHERE: Capital One Arena, Washington

TV: KFAA-29, MavsTV Stream

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko