There comes a point in every NBA season when reality sets in when a team has to take a hard look in the mirror and decide whether to keep fighting or cut their losses. For the Dallas Mavericks, that moment might have arrived sooner than expected.

At the start of the season, expectations were sky-high. Luka Doncic was playing at an MVP level, which ended early. Kyrie Irving brought a new dimension to the offense, and the mid-season addition of Anthony Davis was supposed to help them smooth over the loss of Luka. On paper, this was a team built to contend. But basketball isn’t played on paper, and reality has a way of humbling even the best-laid plans. Then came the injuries—Kyrie banged up AD dealing with setbacks. The losses started piling up, and frustration began bubbling to the surface.

Now, Tim Hardaway Jr. has had enough. The veteran sharpshooter is reportedly pushing head coach Jason Kidd to make a drastic decision, and shut everybody down. In a recent conversation with @runitbackfdtv in a post shared on Instagram, he said, “With Dallas, that’s tough, that’s just tough, Kyrie going down, you know, AD going down, and I agree with a lot of people…you know what? We not gonna make the play-offs this year. I don’t wanna be in a play-in game this year, you know, let’s just shut everybody down for the rest of the season and everybody come back fresh, ready to play 100% even though they not gonna have Kyrie,” echoing the sentiment that most fans share.

In his mind, there’s no point in fighting an uphill battle when the deck is stacked against them. Instead of chasing a dream that may no longer be realistic, Hardaway Jr. wants Kidd to play the long game and start preparing for next season. Let us see what the season is looking like for the Dallas Mavericks.

Tim Hardaway on Mavs’ Season: A Rollercoaster That’s Lost Control 

To say the Mavericks have had a turbulent season would be an understatement. At times, they’ve looked like legitimate contenders, taking down some of the best teams in the league. But just as quickly, they’ve suffered frustrating losses to bottom-tier squads, leaving fans and analysts wondering which version of the team will show up on any given night. But with a 33-33 record, the Mavs are clinging to a mid-tier play-in spot in a cutthroat Western Conference, but with their roster battered and momentum slipping, the road ahead looks bleak.

A major reason for their inconsistency? The blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. It was a franchise-altering move, Dallas bet on building a defensive powerhouse around Kyrie Irving and AD, hoping to create a balanced squad capable of competing deep into the playoffs. But now, with AD dealing with injuries and Kyrie missing over 20 games this season, the Mavs are struggling to find stability.

Their offensive production has taken a major hit since losing Luka, dropping to 10th in offensive rating, 115.6, despite Irving’s efforts. Defensively, the Mavs hoped AD’s presence could help them climb the rankings, but his injury has sent them tumbling back to 18th in defensive rating, 115.2. Even their home record, usually a strong point, sits at a mediocre 19-15, showing they haven’t established a true fortress at the American Airlines Center.

With Hardaway Jr. pushing for a shutdown and Jason Kidd facing mounting pressure, Dallas is at a crossroads. If they keep fighting, they risk more injuries and an early playoff exit. If they shut it down, they live to fight another day. For now, all eyes are focused on Kidd to see whether he’ll take Hardaway Jr.’s advice, or push forward and hope for a miracle.