The Dallas Mavericks missed the playoffs last season, but with Kyrie Irving back from his ACL injury and Cooper Flagg entering his sophomore season, there’s plenty to look forward to when the Mavs meet the Rockets on Oct. 21 for the season opener.
How did Irving and Flagg stack up amongst the league’s top 100 players? ESPN started evaluating that Tuesday in its annual countdown.
Coming in at No. 39 is Irving, who was unranked ahead of the 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL late in the 2024-25 season. Irving was ranked No. 25 before his injury, and is expected to improve the Dallas offense this season. At the time of his injury in March 2025, Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
The next Maverick on the list jumped nearly 20 spots from last year. Flagg went from No. 52 in 2025 to No. 23 ahead of his second season in the NBA.
The 2025-26 Rookie of the Year averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, leading the Mavs in each category.