News Mavericks Team Notes

[Dallas Mavericks]

A new look coming for Mavs Moneyball in August

Our coverage remains the same but with a new look

In just a couple of weeks, Mavs Moneyball is switching to a new platform as part of SB Nation’s network-wide move to a new publishing platform. This will change the look of the site and also make it faster and more reliable on any device you use. This is an upgrade.

When you land on the site, it will look cleaner – less clunky, with more white space, a better ad experience with faster load times – but will still have all the usual articles, analysis, and news by all the folks you know.

Community discussion and content created by you will be more prominent in the new design. The best comment threads will be easy to find, and staff and commenters alike will be able to start conversations whenever they like with a brand new tool.

We’re planning on an early August reveal, so we wanted to give you a heads up. You’ll hear more from us when it’s almost here. The site will look a little different, feel a little faster, and, most importantly, have a bigger role for you, the community.

So, stick around and check it out!

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/7/24/24472167/a-new-look-coming-for-mavs-moneyball-in-august

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Cooper Flagg’s mom helped develop him into the multidimensional player he is: “I never beat her one-on-one”

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Just like the case with another Mav and former Duke player, Dereck Lively, Cooper Flagg’s mom has been key in his development.

“My biggest supporter? Probably my mom. She’s been there every step of the way,” Dallas Mavericks draft pick Cooper Flagg said on draft night.

And Kelly Flagg is not your normal mom. She is a former college basketball player for the Maine Black Bears and a very accomplished one at that. Not only did Kelly Flagg (Bowman at the time) co-captain the team’s first ever NCAA tournament win where they upset Stanford 60-58 in 1999, she also led them to three America East championships.

Kelly Bowman Flagg was a co-captain for @BlackBearsWBB for their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, where they upset Stanford 60-58 in 1999

Her son Cooper Flagg was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2025 @NBA draft tonight.#NCAAWBB x @NBA, @BlackBearNation pic.twitter.com/nMzWZsoBIK

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) June 26, 2025​

Before that, she was a high school standout in Newport, Maine. Her high school coach, Charlie Wing, described her like this: “She’s a very well-rounded player who does everything well. She also has a tremendous desire to succeed and is very coachable. I wish I had a dozen Kelly Bowmans.”

Sound familiar?

And according to Cooper, he never managed to beat her one-on-one.

Both Cooper’s mom and dad played college basketball, Ralph Flagg for Eastern Maine Community College, so Cooper was born into a basketball family, though it was Kelly who worked with Cooper and his brothers on-court, while she coached her former high school girl’s varsity basketball team.

And Kelly Flagg had a very active hand in developing what will probably be the next American superstar, Cooper Flagg. Actually, a hand is not giving her enough credit, she coached Cooper from being a tall boy in Maine to the biggest story in American basketball.

Cooper is quick to give his mom credit, and the way he speaks about her reveals that she is a big presence in his life and development.

“I still missed a bunch of free throws. I bet my mom probably wasn’t very happy with that,” he said with a smile during the Summer League.

Even more telling about just how important Kelly has been in getting Cooper ready for the biggest stage is this story on why he reclassified to graduate high school in three years and position himself as the youngest number one NBA Draft pick since LeBron James:

“A quote my mom likes to say a lot: ‘If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym.”

This, along with stories about how he manages to stay calm during pressure, like this comment from Kelly Flagg, are signs that Cooper already is a mentally very strong player. That comes with experience and it comes with guidance and is helped along by mentors who have been in similar situations, like Kelly has.

“Very proud of him for drowning out the noise and continuing to get better!” Kelly wrote after a tough game last year.

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 13: Kelly Flagg, mother of Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils, looks on during the quarterfinal round of the ACC men’s basketball tournament against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Spectrum Center on March 13, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And the difference it makes to have the guidance of a parent, who has been through a lot of big moments themselves, is real. It gives a teenager a big advantage when they have someone at home to talk to about the pressure of the moment and the mentality needed to succeed on the highest level.

Another player, who has been outspoken about how important his own mom’s basketball experience and support has been to his development, is Dallas Maverick center Dereck Lively.

Kathy Drysdale, who tragically passed away from cancer last year, had been Dereck’s coach and rock all through his childhood, Duke tenure, NBA draft and rookie year on the Mavericks. She was a former Division 1 player herself, a standout at Penn State, who went on to work for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1993-2008, while coaching, guiding and supporting her son. Dereck never missed a chance to talk about how important she was to him, and still is. A few months after her passing, he credited his first NBA career threepointer to her.

“It’s for her. She helped me make it, she’s going to help me make a lot more.”

Another example from this year’s draft is Ace Bailey, who was selected fifth overall by the Utah Jazz. He recently talked about how his mom, Ramika Mcgee, who played basketball at West Virginia Mountaineers, was a big part of him getting to the NBA:

“Her giving me advice, giving me goals, what you gotta do, how dedicated, sacrifices and all that. It poured in and it worked and I listened.”

This trend of more and more former competitive basketball players turned mothers taking over as their kids’ coaches, developing and guiding them all the way, is a significant shift. Until recently, it was mostly fathers who coached their kids, especially sons, but as more and more girls and women in the US have and have had access to organized sports, more mothers take on the task, as well. Christine Brennan, who is the author of the new book, On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports, talked more about that on a Maine radio show earlier this week.

Brennan, who is an award-winning sports columnist, is convinced that this trend is here to stay. In the future, we can look forward to seeing even more excitement around women’s sports, women’s basketball and more women involved in the business surrounding sports - as well as mom coaches, guiding their sons and daughters all the way, like Kelly Flagg, Kathy Drysdale and Ramika Mcgee have done to great success.

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...opment-duke-maine-basketball-dallas-mavericks

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Before, While, and Future: Kyrie Irving

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

How has Kyrie shaped up in Dallas?

Believe it or not, Kyrie Irving has been one of the Dallas Mavericks‘ longest tenured players. He is third on the list after Dwight Powell and Jaden Hardy. There are a lot of things he’s been a part of as a Maverick and a lot of experiences he’s had as a result of it. He’s certainly still here, with a new contract and hopes to come back ready to compete, even though a lot of the roster he came on board with is no longer here.

Kyrie has done a lot for this organization, and it may seem a little difficult to take a step back and actually see what he’s done for this team. He was the first superstar to sign with Dallas in a very long time, helped take the Mavs to the NBA Finals, and taught the front office it’s okay to take a swing on a player as talented as Irving. So, let’s see how exactly he’s impacted this team.

“Before” Kyrie Irving​

The 2022-2023 pre-Kyrie Dallas Mavericks were alright, floating around .500 (28-26). They were always a team that could step on the gas pedal and upset anyone on any given day; however, it was really just Dončić, a few “three-and-D” guys, and two playmakers in Dinwiddie and a then-rookie Jaden Hardy. It was a good team, yet one that was never going to take the next step to title contention status. We’ve seen it before: a helio-centric offense run by Luka the year prior, with everyone hitting their stride at the right time. They proceeded to get gentlemen-swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, who would go on to win a championship.

The Mavericks needed someone other than Luka Dončić to take the load off him and be a 1B option every night. Someone who could be a secondary ball-handler and generate shots for himself and his team. Someone who could make this team take the next step.

Enter Kyrie Irving.

The second that trade went through, a lot of people had a lot of thoughts racing. Did the Mavs give up too much? Should they have run this Doncic-led offense one more time? What if Kyrie misses half of this season and leaves as soon as it’s over? What if Kyrie’s off-court antics catch up to him here, affecting himself and everyone else in the locker room? What if we gave up too much defense and won’t be able to compete even though everything else goes right?

Some other thoughts may have been: What if Kyrie is exactly what we needed? What if the package we gave up for Kyrie (Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick) was worth it? What if he develops a better relationship with the Mavericks than with any other team? What if he’s on the floor, averaging 30 a night, and is the perfect complement to the Dallas Mavericks, helping them do what they hadn’t done in over a decade?

High risk, high reward was the best way to describe putting Kyrie Irving on this roster.

“While” Kyrie Irving​

The rest of the 2022-2023 season wasn’t ideal; far from it in fact. The Mavs had a 10-18 record following the trade for Irving, and had an 8-12 record with him in the lineup. Luka and Kyrie also went 5-11 together, and the Mavericks tanked the final two games. There was much speculation regarding the fit of these two players specifically, and how often Irving was in and out of the lineup. However, he signed with Dallas over the summer to a 3 year, $126 million dollar contract. He was ready for another year, another chance to win a chip with this team.

Kyrie started the new season with a different roster: no Reggie Bullock, but he now had rookie Dereck Lively II, Richaun Holmes, Grant Williams, and Danté Exum. Fast forward to the trade deadline, where Dallas was 29-23 and looking good, but wanted to take it a step further. They traded Grant Williams, Seth Curry (who the Mavs also signed), and a first round pick for PJ Washington; they traded Richaun Holmes and a first round pick for Daniel Gafford. With Kyrie in the lineup, the Mavs were in a win-now timeline, and even though a lot of picks were dealt away in the grand scheme of a year, the front office believed that this team could be one destined for success. Success in the near future.

Following that trade deadline Dallas went 21-9, including an end-of-regular-season stretch of 12-1. Through all this Kyrie had played 58 games (decently close to most people’s hopes of him playing at least 65 games), averaged 47.3/41.1/90.5 splits, hit 25 points per game, and most of all, he became a key part of the Dallas culture. There were no obscure “personal reasons” as to why he wasn’t on the court. There weren’t (many) injury concerns on the season. He was there when he could be, and played exceptionally. And we loved it.

OH MY GOODNESS, KYRIE IRVING WINS THE GAME WITH A LEFT-HANDED FLOATER

SPECIAL. #TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/NJiVbYtV7p

— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2024​

Then came playoff time, and Kyrie continued to play basketball. He averaged 26.5 points per game in the first series against the Los Angeles Clippers, and came up big in Game 6 to close it out: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and this:

KYRIE FOUR-POINT PLAY

UNREAL.

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/zjXDk0xyxe

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2024​

He took a step back as he and the Mavs went against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He didn’t do as much, but he didn’t need to, as PJ Washington dropped 20-plus points in three games and everyone else pitched in and did their job to take the series home in six.

He put on an offensive clinic against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, averaging 27 points and 4.6 assists as he and the Dallas Mavericks put down the Wolves in five.

This magical run, starting from the trade deadline in early February, ended in the NBA Finals as the Boston Celtics shut down the Mavericks in five. Kyrie put up 19.8 points and 5 assists per game; He had some good showings, but overall couldn’t keep up with the Celtics as he had more bad games than good ones.

Even though the teams didn’t win a chip, Kyrie did exactly what everyone expected and even went above and beyond in bringing this team to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. After that 22-23 season and the first half of the 23-24 season, no one could have imagined how far the Mavs would go, in no small part thanks to Kyrie.

Kyrie Irving started the 2024-2025 NBA season with arguably (or inarguably) a better roster with Klay Thompson for Josh Green and picks, Naji Marshall, and Quentin Grimes for Hardaway Jr. and some picks.

Kyrie averaged 24.7-4.8-4.6 for the season. He played well, helping the team to a 32-29 record. He would continue to excel even as his running mate Luka Doncic got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. He averaged almost 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists the month after the trade.

Unfortunately, his injury luck had run out. He suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3rd that the Dallas Mavericks would eventually lose, dropping them to 32-30. Kyrie would miss the last 20 games of the regular season as well as the 2 play-in games, before the Dallas season finally ended after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kyrie’s Future​

It is important to state that no one could have predicted exactly what Kyrie Irving brought to the Mavericks. No one expected the Mavericks to accomplish what they did just a season after missing the playoffs, and Kyrie was a catalyst. He ended the narrative of being a toxic presence and seemingly built a tight bond with everyone on the team. He signed with the Mavs again this offseason for 3 years, $119 million. He is a great basketball player, a superstar worthy of the name.

He is also 33 years old, and this isn’t the first time he’s had a season-ending injury. One can’t help but wonder how much he’s got left in the tank, and even if he does, is it enough? Along with having another injury-prone player on the roster and the best rookie the Mavs have gotten since Doncic, how is Kyrie Irving going to slot in? On top of that, how is he going to look coming back from injury in the middle of the season? Is he going to be a positive asset if the Mavs are looking to make a playoff push come early 2026?

There are a lot of concerns. Though these concerns have a lot of merit to them, they’re pretty similar to the ones that were there when the Mavs first traded for him. They’re also ones that I believe he’ll dispel as he comes back to the court for this 24-25 NBA season. Kyrie has proven time and time again that the Mavericks can rely on him.

It isn’t too much to expect for him to come back and be a solid 20-25 PPG scorer. He may lose a step, but his accuracy from the field shouldn’t be impacted. He doesn’t take enough shots at the rim to say that his injury will affect that profile of his offense. His handles are etched into the very fiber of his being and that shouldn’t take a hit either. Though his defense was already compromised by his size, this injury may take him even further away from being able to compete on that end. How the Dallas Mavericks perform as he gets back will be heavily dependent on his teammates, but Kyrie will surely put his best foot forward and compete with the team, regardless of circumstances.

We should all expect him to hit the ground running, being the Mavericks’ primary ball-handler and their clutch iso player. He’s had no previous indication of not being able to compete after a season-ending injury, and this time should be no different. Even if we won’t see him for the first half of the season (or more), we should still expect great things from him.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...ving-dallas-mavericks-acl-past-present-future

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

‘He’s an @%#-kicker:’ NBA sources reportedly sound off on Cooper Flagg, Mavericks’ off-season moves

Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

What unnamed league coaches and executives think about Flagg, Ryan Nembhard, D’Angelo Russell and more.

NBA Summer League 2025 has come and gone, and most of the biggest free-agency moves have been made at this point. We basically know what the Dallas Mavericks will be for the 2025-26 season. Short of a last-ditch trade of LeBron James (and/or Daniel Gafford in our case), the pieces are largely on the board for the upcoming season league-wide.

League officials gathered in Las Vegas from July 10-20 to watch their youngsters get acclimated to a new level of competition, wow the crowds of NBA sickos and compete for each team’s last few roster spots, and the folks over at Spotrac had their recorders rolling courtside and in hotel lobbies up and down the strip.

The following quotes from a recent Spotrac article come from unnamed sources, which in some cases allow the league coaches and executives cited to offer a little more latitude in discussing what they saw on the court and their reactions to the big offseason moves of the summer. If some of these seem a little rote, they at least allow a small window into what the Mavs’ front office and other league officials think about Dallas’ offseason moves and their takeaways from individual performances in Vegas.

On Flagg, who played two games with the team in Las Vegas, one Mavericks front office executive reportedly said: “Since we selected him, he’s been everything we thought he’d be and even more. Tremendous kid on and off the court. Here’s a good story for you: He shot like crap in his first game here (Las Vegas). Second game he dominated. We had a plan to play only two games. Cooper comes to us and the coaches and asks to play a third game. We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great.”

Flagg’s killer instinct should fire up Mavs fans with less than three months left before the start of the season. He wants to prove it and then he wants to prove it again, even when the competition is virtually meaningless. Win for winning’s sake. He wants to put his boot firmly on the neck of whoever’s in front of him, with the line forming to the left for whoever wants some next. He’s got instant stud written all over him, and you could even see it in his poor shooting debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, when Flagg’s poise and athleticism set him apart from the rest of the competition even while throwing up bricks on a 5-of-21 night.

Flagg followed it up with an amazing 31-point performance on 21 shots against Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs. He showed off a great physical presence at just 18 years old and was engaged with his teammates during his first weekend of NBA work. Yes, there are holes in his game, but at the ripe old age of 18 and equipped with the mentality the unnamed coach cited, those holes merely identify the opportunity for greatness that lies before Flagg with a long career ahead.

“It pays to be lucky, right?” one Eastern Conference GM told Spottrac. “Dallas got a generational talent when those lottery balls bounced their way. That kid is unbelievable. You knew after he played like crap in the first game out here that he was going to be great the next time out. He’s an ass-kicker. Wish we had that kind of luck.”

Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 14, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Two-way signee Ryan Nembhard also impressed at NBA Summer League, scoring 21 points on 14 attempts in the team’s opener against the Lakers and dishing eight assists in 25 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets, adding weight to his (at least according to our own David Trink) claim as the steal of NBA Draft night 2025.

“We were so excited to get him as a two-way guy,” an unnamed Mavs executive told Spotrac. “He’s so damn tough. A lot like his brother (Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard) in that way. We love Miles [Kelly], too. We feel like we’re starting to get really good development out of the two-way process now.”

Check out the glowing review our other Summer League correspondent, Tyler Edsel, gave Kelly after taking down sportsbooks everywhere on his whirlwind tour through Vegas, here.

Even with the addition of Nembhard to the roster, the Mavericks were still in need of help at guard while the two-way rookie (hopefully) comes along. To that end, and aided by a little salary cap room made when the team signed Kyrie Irving to a new three-year deal, the team brought on wayward NBA soul D’Angelo Russell. Here’s what one unnamed Mavs coach said to Spotrac about that signing as Summer League wrapped up.

“We had to get a guy who could play in place of [Irving] while he’s out. But that guy also needed to play with Kyrie, too. We feel like DLo fits that perfectly. We also like that he can shift off the ball with Cooper (Flagg) handling the playmaking, too.”

I was personally not on board with Russell when the move was being floated before the move was made, but, let’s be honest, with limited cap space to work with and even more limited options available in free agency, he was probably the right choice as a one-year bridge.

How good can the team be next season, with Irving out for most of the year and depending on the oft-injured Anthony Davis and an 18-year-old for big-time scoring production? Here’s how one Mavs’ front-office member put it:

“Whenever you trade a truly great player, it’s going to hurt. We love [Davis], and we feel like we’re in a good position to have a great team moving forward. With better health this year, we’ll be near the top of the conference going into the playoffs. That’s the goal.”

“Near the top of the conference” is certainly a lofty goal, making the quote all the more maddening when you consider that the Mavericks were already at the top of the conference, having just made an NBA Finals run the season before getting rid of said “truly great player.”

NBA expansion was another hot discussion point at Summer League, apparently. It’s a “when,” not an “if” situation if the sources quoted by Spotrac are right. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

“It’s coming. That much seems clear. When? That’s the big question. My guess is that we’re at least three years away from the process starting, as far as roster-building goes,” one Western Conference front office executive said.

“I think we’re ready for expansion. I have clients who are NBA guys, but even with the third two-way spot, roster spots are still hard to come by. Adding another 36 total roster spots (Note: Assumption is two teams at 15 standard spots and three two-way spots per team) would be huge,” a longtime agent said.

“It’s been a pretty open secret that we’re going to expand. My guess is that it will be [Las Vegas] and Seattle, but that’s just a guess. They seem to be the best candidates. I have no idea how the league will rebalance the conferences. One team moving to the East makes sense, but maybe they blow it all up and relook at the entire conference structure?” an Eastern Conference GM said.

Bring back the Seattle Supersonics now, dammit.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...ff-on-cooper-flagg-mavericks-off-season-moves

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Aces Bolt past Wings, 106-80, as Bueckers sits

Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

With Usain Bolt among those in attendance, the Dallas Wings dropped the first game of their four-game homestand to the Las Vegas Aces.

The Dallas Wings returned home for their first post-All Star home game to a roaring crowd, with Olympian Usain Bolt among those in attendance. But the crowd’s energy and noise wasn’t enough to slow down A’Ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and the Las Vegas Aces.

Las Vegas defeated Dallas 106-80 in Arlington on Sunday in Dallas’ first game of a four-game home stand. The Wings will play five of their next six games in the Metroplex. with Friday’s game against the Indiana Fever slated for the American Airlines Center instead of College Park Center.

Wings rookie sensation Paige Bueckers sat out Sunday’s contest, continuing her streak of not playing back-to-back games. Head coach Chris Koclanes said pregame this was something the league was seeing more and more, especially with rookies coming off long college seasons. Koclanes said the team is being “extremely cautious and doing everything [they] can to make sure that [they’re] putting everybody in positions to be healthy.”

Dallas struggled to find offense without their star guard, who’s taken over the lion’s share of the ball handling responsibilities when she does suit up. Sunday was Bueckers’ sixth missed game of the season. Dallas is 1-5 without her and 6-14 with Bueckers. The Rookie of the Year favorite is averaging over 18 points a night in 20 contests this season.

Koclanes said he felt the team did a better job defending Wilson this game compared to last — she scored 37 the last time these teams met, compared to 14 points Sunday — but said they struggled to contain the Aces’ shooting and Wilson’s playmaking.

“We have to be able to do both [slow down Wilson and her teammates]. That’s what defending is all about. Right now we’re very one dimensional,” Koclanes said postgame. “We need to be able to do more than one thing defensively.”

Guards Arike Ogunbowale and Haley Jones led the team in scoring with 19 and 15 respectively. The 15 points for Jones is a season-high. DiJonai Carrington and Teaira McCowan were the other Wings to score in double figures as McCowan tallied a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Koclanes said he was excited that McCowan was ready when her number got called and thought she helped the team with their rebounding, an area he felt the team was struggling with early on. He said Jones was a good spark off the bench and complimented her motor and tempo she plays the game at.

The Wings will play the second night of their back-to-back Monday when they host the defending WNBA Champion New York Liberty.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/7/27/24475592/aces-bolt-past-wings-106-80-as-bueckers-sits

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

The Dallas Wings may have a keeper in Haley Jones

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

The former top prospect is finally playing her ideal role in Dallas

When the Dallas Wings signed Haley Jones to a hardship contract on June 12, the move was met with little fanfare. Dallas, fresh off a miserable opening month of the WNBA season, was dealing with a rash of injuries and EuroBasket absences, and warm bodies were needed. Jones, who had recently been waived by Phoenix, played two games for Dallas and then was waived again. It appeared as though she was just passing through.

But General Manager Curt Miller later explained that the Wings, who fully intended on signing Jones to a rest-of-season contract, had to waive her once her hardship deal expired due to league rules. Then, they were forced to wait the mandatory 10 days to re-sign her to a new deal. So, Jones signed with Dallas again on July 4th, this time for the remainder of the 2025 season. And based on her play since then, she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Jones has been nothing short of revelatory since returning to the Wings. She’s really broken out over the past four games, averaging 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks over that time. Her stellar play has earned her an increased role, and she’s averaged 31 minutes per game over the last three contests.

When Jones is on the floor, the Wings have resembled a very good basketball team. Per PBP stats, Dallas has a Net Rating of +8.7 when Jones is on the floor (162-minute sample). In the 883 minutes the Wings have played without Haley Jones, their Net rating is -9.2. Essentially, the Jones minutes transform Dallas from lottery team to championship contender. Of course, the sample here is very small, and you can expect some heavy regression in these figures; but Jones’s contributions have been immense thus far.

So, what gives? How did Dallas pluck a player with this kind of impact off the scrap heap? How is Jones doing this? After all, Jones was waived by Atlanta (the team that drafted her) in training camp, signed a hardship deal with Phoenix, was waived again, and had to sign with Dallas twice before she stuck. Before this recent stretch, it seemed as though Jones was fighting tooth and nail just to stay in the league. How have things flipped so quickly?

Well, Jones has always had special talent. Her four-year career at Stanford was filled with accolades, including a First Team All American selection and a national championship. For much of her college career, Jones was considered a top WNBA prospect. There was just one big question for her: what exactly is her position?

Legendary coach Tara VanDervee ran a Princeton system at Stanford, and within that structure, Jones operated as a de-facto point guard. One of Jones’s strongest attributes is her playmaking and processing ability, and that shined in VanDervee’s system. At 6’1”, Jones seemed to have potential as a big, playmaking guard at the next level.

But Jones lacked the guard skills necessary for success in the WNBA. She couldn’t shoot, she couldn’t self-create, and she wasn’t quick enough to beat guard defenders off the bounce. Some teams were wary of this, and Jones fell slightly from a projected lottery pick to No. 6 overall in the 2023 WNBA draft. Jones landed in Atlanta under head coach Tanisha Wright and ended up assuming a backup combo guard role.

This was likely the worst possible outcome for Jones’s development. The Dream kept trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with Jones, who wasn’t having any success trying to create as a guard against WNBA defenders. In her two seasons with Atlanta, Jones averaged a meek 3.8 points and 2.2 assists on .365/.214/.727 shooting splits. She had a rotation role, averaging 16.2 minutes per game during that time, but never produced. Though Wright was fired after the 2024 season, Jones had already fallen out of Atlanta’s plans, and the front office decided it was time to move on.

And it’s fortunate for Dallas that they did, because Wings coach Chris Koclanes instantly figured out something the Dream never could: Haley Jones is not a guard. The Wings are heavy on self-creators: Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, and DiJonai Carrington all demand the ball in their hands. With all of those players handling creation duties, the only way for Jones to get minutes was to play a different position. So far, Jones has been used exclusively in a frontcourt role. She’s played everything from the three to the five, and she is not being asked to handle guard duties. And that has unlocked the talent that made her such an enticing prospect.

Consider this: in her two seasons in Atlanta, Jones had just one (1!!!) total possession as a pick-and-roll roller compared to 128 total possessions as a pick-and-role ball handler (per Synergy Sports). Jones was running nearly two pick-and-rolls a game for Atlanta, but they literally never thought to use her as the roll player. In 2025, she’s already totalled eight possessions as a roller (including her Phoenix stint).

Jones is averaging less than one possession per game as a pick-and-roll ball handler in Dallas. She’s also spending a lot more time cutting; per Synergy, Jones is averaging 1.3 cuts per game in Dallas and has gone 6-8 on field goals off those cuts. Compare that to her first two seasons in Atlanta, where she had just 42 total cuts (0.5 per game). The shift is clear; the Dallas coaching staff sees Jones as a roaming, playmaking forward who can utilize her vision and passing talent in the middle of the floor against a reactive defense.

These changes have been reflected on the defensive end, too. Jones is averaging career highs in Steal and Block rate (2.5 and 4.1%, respectively) and she’s defending a lot more post action. For Dallas, Jones has already defended eight shots in the post, and opponents are 1-7 on those attempts (per Synergy). In 2023-2024, Jones defended just 11 total shots in the post. There’s a clear pattern here on both sides of the ball.

Though Jones is going to be undersized against most WNBA fours and fives, she’s tall and strong enough to hold her own. She might be more Boris Diaw than Draymond Green, but that is the kind of archetype Jones fits into. On the W side, think discount Alyssa Thomas. While comparing Jones to one of the best players of all time isn’t fair, there aren’t many others who can fit this mold. Jones is unique, and the early returns indicate that Dallas may have unlocked something special. You have to give the coaching staff credit for recognizing it and putting her in a position to succeed.

The biggest thing for Jones going forward will be improving her spot-up three-point shooting and getting more comfortable as a play finisher. There are some encouraging signs there, as Jones has hit her last three attempts from distance and looked comfortable taking them. If she can improve there, look out.

Wins and losses don’t really matter for the Wings in the 2025 season. This is a year of evaluation, and all of these players are auditioning to see who fits with rookie megastar Paige Bueckers. Bueckers and Jones have displayed great chemistry together thus far, and Jones has been an effective safety valve for Bueckers when she gets blitzed. Jones’s play has highlighted the importance of surrounding Bueckers with good processors of the game who can make good, quick decisions. If Jones can keep this up, it’s a massive organizational win for the Wings, who need all the young talent they can get.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/7/28/24476158/dallas-wing-have-keeper-in-haley-jones-wnba

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks announce preseason games against Lakers and Thunder, plus training camp destination

Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Mavericks have an important preseason leading up to the regular season with Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks have announced their preseason schedule, as well as a destination for this fall’s training camp, ahead of the 2025-26 regular season. The four October games begin October 6 with the Mavericks playing host to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. But rather than playing at the American Airlines Center the game will be played in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.

The Dallas Mavericks announced their 2025 preseason schedule today, which tips off against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. CT at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. pic.twitter.com/DdmxThGHhj

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) July 30, 2025​

Of the four games, which are split between home and road, the other notable matchup is the final one against the Los Angeles Lakers, which will be played in Las Vegas on October 15.

Before games begin, the team announced they will host their training camp in Vancouver, Canada, on the campus of Simon Fraser University. The closed sessions will take place September 30 to October 4. Choosing a destination away from home is a follow up from last season, when the Mavericks held camp in Las Vegas.

While the Mavericks have made few on-paper changes to last season’s roster, both camp and the four exhibition games will be vital for a group who spent the back half of last season banged up and never at full strength after the middle of February. Even by camp the team won’t be fully healthy — at minimum they will be without starting point guard Kyrie Irving. And while reports indicate that both Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II should be fully recovered from their offseason surgeries, the possibility always remains that they will be recovering.

All this plus the addition of rookie Cooper Flagg, who impressed in his two summer league appearances in Las Vegas, but could possibly be taking on playmaking responsibilities the moment of his Mavericks debut. Getting Flagg run with the core of the Dallas roster ahead of games that matter may make this the most important preseason in some time.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-camp-destination-thunder-lakers-cooper-flagg

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Throwback Thursday: Dirk’s debut in February 1999

This day in Mavericks’ history, Dirk Nowitzki played his first NBA game

February 5, 1999 is one of the most important days in the history of the Dallas Mavericks franchise, and arguably the NBA as a whole. It marked Dirk Nowitzki’s first NBA game in what would become a legendary 21 season career. Nowitzki officially began his NBA journey at the NBA Draft seven months prior, on June 24, 1998. Though very few could have predicted what a defining Draft that would be for the franchise, the foundation for the new millennium Dallas Mavericks was indeed being set that night.

Draft night deals​

Nowitzki was selected ninth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, three picks after the Mavericks chose Robert “Tractor” Traylor with the number 6 pick. Shortly after the Bucks chose Pat Garrity with pick 19, the two teams made a trade. The Mavericks received both Nowitzki and Garrity from the Bucks in exchange for Traylor. The wheeling and dealing wouldn’t stop there, however. Garrity, along with Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and the Mavericks’ 1999 First Round Pick would be shipped to the Phoenix Suns for Steve Nash.

At the time, no one (except maybe Don Nelson) could have predicted that the Mavericks had just acquired two future league MVPs and an NBA Finals MVP in Nash and Nowitzki. In fact, what has somehow come to be known in current times as an epic trade fail on the part of the Bucks, was in reality anything but. The Bucks were very interested in Traylor’s services, as they needed a big man down low to fill a hole in their roster. The Mavericks meanwhile, with Don Nelson at the coaching helm (with his son Donnie having also joined the team in January of 1998), had their eyes on Nowitzki prior to Draft night. So much so, that Don Nelson is on record having claimed they literally hid Nowitzki in Donnie’s basement so he would not work out for other teams in the weeks leading up to the draft!

Keep in mind, this was a much different era in the NBA. European players were much less prolific on NBA rosters than they are today (but the Nelson’s would see to it that those tides would be shifting). The Nelson’s were onto something, and they were keen on keeping a tight lid on Nowitzki. Despite how the narrative has changed over the past quarter century, the reality is that Nowitzki to the Mavs was not due to a Bucks failure of judgment. The Bucks had no interest in Nowitzki because they had no idea who he was. In reality, the Mavericks choreographed one of the most franchise-defining nights in team history. The Mavericks easily could have, and would have, drafted Nowitzki number 6 if they hadn’t pre-arranged the Draft night swap which ultimately set them up to also acquire Nash. Through a series of moves, they massively overhauled their roster. Still, nobody really believed in the greatness to come.

Don Nelson: Genius or insane?​

The trade for Nowitzki was generally criticized as typical Don Nelson quackery. It puzzled most pundits that the Mavericks would skip over Paul Pierce, a future Hall of Famer and Champion in his own right, to select an unheard-of Nowitzki. Making matters worse, Don Nelson’s recent track record was not viewed all that favorably at the time. He was relatively fresh off a stint as the New York Knicks head coach, which lasted all but nine months. According to Nelson in an interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, he suggested the Knicks trade franchise stalwart Patrick Ewing in order to acquire Shaquille O’Neal. What seems like the obvious choice decades later, was anything but at the time. According to Nelson, his idea was not met with much enthusiasm and when word of this got back to Ewing himself, it was the beginning of the end of Nelson’s Knicks tenure. As we know now, Nelson wasn’t quite as crazy as everyone thought back then. Still, the start of the journey for the new look Mavericks wasn’t exactly pretty.

The start of a legendary career​

The 1998-1999 NBA Season didn’t begin until February 5, 1999 due to a lockout that ended less than a month prior. While the NBA headlines were dominated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement up until that point, Dirk Nowitzki was in Germany refining his game, hoping he could overcome his own self-doubts to in fact make the jump to the NBA. By the time February, 1999 rolled around, he was back in the states preparing to start his NBA journey on the actual hardwood.

The Mavericks opened the season in Seattle against the Supersonics (the team now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder), with Nowitzki in the starting lineup alongside Steve Nash, Michael Finley, AC Green and Shawn Bradley. In what would prove to be a close game decided in over-time, Nowitzki did not fare well in his sixteen minutes of play. Shooting 0-for-5 from the field, including a missed three-point attempt, Nowitzki logged two points after going perfect from the stripe. He also dished four assists and committed a single personal foul. His two counterparts on what would eventually become Dallas’ Big 3 didn’t look much better. Combined, the trio shot an abysmal 7-for-35 (20%) from the floor in the loss.

The Mavericks did experience a reversal of fortune two nights later in Golden State, where they defeated the Warriors in double overtime. Nowitzki went 6-for-10 from the floor, including 2-for-4 on threes, notching his first career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Mavericks ended the season with a 19-31 record in the lockout-shortened campaign, but in the coming years, neither the franchise nor the league at large would ever be the same. The Mavericks would become one of most dominant teams of the 2000s, logging the second most regular season wins from 1999-2000 through 2008-2009 with 548 (San Antonio; 576) over that ten-year span, good for a 66.8% winning percentage. Nowitzki of course proved to be a primary catalyst of a league-wide paradigm shift that saw power forwards hoisting three-point attempts, which ultimately paved the way for the so called “positionless” game played today.

Nowitzki ended his career as a 14-time NBA All-Star, 12-time All NBA selection, 2007 MVP, 2011 Finals MVP, 2011 NBA Champion and 2023 inductee into the Hall of Fame. He also managed to drop 31,560 career points. We may not have known it back on that February night, but a new world order was being ushered in for the Dallas Mavericks at the turn of the century, led by a young man from Germany that would go from unknown to NBA legend.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...ame-dallas-mavericks-debut-on-february-5-1999

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

LeBron is not coming to Dallas

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Please stop with this annoying trade speculation

Just like every summer, there’s currently a bevy of articles being posted with NBA trade rumors and speculation. But the last few seasons, it’s not just limited to rumor-mill type stuff anymore. As of this year, in fact, if you haven’t noticed, a growing majority of it has turned into just absolute trash clickbait. Maybe most of it, actually. That doesn’t stop fans from clicking, though. Sometimes it doesn’t stop me from clicking, even though I want to set fire to the internet after I read whatever garbage trade idea someone just cooked up to grab attention.

A lot of you are probably well aware of this, but it’s downright theatrical when you look at some of the more refined purveyors of BS content creation now at our fingertips. One website, The Wrightway Sports Network LLC (TWSN), routinely posts NBA articles online with headlines that indicate that a major trade has just been made, typically involving a well-known superstar or two.

“Breaking News”, it starts, so and so has just been traded to the… I dunno, Sacramento Kings, in exchange for these other guys. But when you click within the link to gather details, in search of context, one of the first things you’ll read is:

“This is a prediction, not a report.”

Ohhh… Haha. Well, then why the hell did you make it appear to be a report in the headline, friend? Oh, right. Your content is clickbait trash.

When I ran a Google search on the TWSN website to try and learn more about who they are, I noticed that the very first thing that pops up (after their website) is a Reddit post called “WTF is TWSN Sports? They seem delusional.”

Well, their website insists that their “commitment to quality journalism ensures that you are informed and engaged with all the action that unfolds on the court”.

Ugh…

But this is the kind of crap that is flooding the online news cycle almost constantly right now, now that we’ve reached the deep, suffocating desert of the NBA offseason. I think a lot of people out there consider it to be “fresh” material to ruminate on. (God forbid the world continue spinning for even 5 minutes without new wastes of time). Some MMB readers are even tired of reading unflattering things about Nico Harrison (apparently, that was only was a fad for some). (Not me).

Here’s an example of a highly unlikely trade scenario, and one that you’re sure to be aware of. One of the newest ideas concerns none other than the Maverick’s headache-in-chief himself (and the rest of the Mav’s brass, collectively, for those in the peanut seats who like to nitpick) trading for Los Angeles Lakers superstar… LeBron James.

With all of the media on Bron’s next steps after he opted into his player option, many fans want to see something crazy happen. They almost expect something crazy to happen. We’re kind of being conditioned to crave it, like everything else. And I get it. LeBron has never been anything but super accommodating in stoking speculation about where he’s going to take his talents next. He obviously enjoys the attention. And readers want something juicy. This time of year can be tedious for basketball fans.

But this particular trade scenario is perhaps the most maddening of all of them that are currently out there. Several sites have posted similar angles on this stupid LeBron to Dallas trade idea and are trying to convince people of the likelihood that the Dallas Mavericks, just months after trading Doncic to LA, would consider sending major rotational pieces P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and another role player AND some draft capital for soon-to-be 41 year old LeBron James so that he, Kyrie, and AD can make some Top Gun 3 reunion tour together in Dallas. (Wouldn’t that just place the finishing touches on clearing out all the remaining integrity from the Nowitski era?)

The organizational leadership may be guilty of making questionable moves, but those are in the past. There’s absolutely no way they’d derail the functionality of the team they’ve just taken absurd risks to construct.

Right?

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/7/30/24476870/lebron-is-not-coming-to-dallas

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Kon Kneuppel models his game after Klay Thompson, who he calls the best off-ball mover ever

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Don’t think Klay Thompson can’t guard anymore, Klay Thompson says to Kon Kneuppel, who wants to model his game after Thompson on both sides of the floor.

At first glance, Kon Kneuppel and Klay Thompson do look similar. Both large shooting guards at 6-5, who are known for their elite shooting and defense.

They are different generations, of course, one hasn’t even proven yet that he can play in the NBA, but his Summer League MVP award gives us a good idea of his ceiling.

The other is one of the best shooters the league has ever seen, a talented and effective off-ball mover and has four titles, a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree, and once named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

The younger one, Kneuppel, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the number four pick this year, has previously talked about Klay Thompson’s influence on his game, and if you watch him play, you can see similarities.

Like playing off two feet, which helps balance and strength, and it creates more ways to score and create space. Thompson is very good at that - and here is Kneuppel, doing the same. He keeps balanced and under control, finishing on two feet:

Kon Knueppel has been open about Klay Thompson's influence on his game, and this whole play is a good example of that mold. Footwork to reverse pivot into space and maintain balance for a middie, stays in the play after shot and waits for a second chance, mechanics consistent. pic.twitter.com/mGmxiYmXbt

— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) June 4, 2025​

And as an elite shooter himself, Kneuppel points out one of the things Thompson is able to do on a very high level that most players are not.

“He’s so efficient with his movements,” Kneuppel told Kevin O’Connor. “He’s shooting the ball the same, even though his feet aren’t facing the right way, his shoulders are.”

Here’s a good example:

Check the beautiful in-air turn as Klay, a righty, goes to his right on the catch and shoot. While it’s harder to make shots in this direction because the shooting hip and elbow aren’t naturally aligned, the in-air turn is crucial to get the proper alignment pic.twitter.com/ApWHyDPcKw

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) February 23, 2024​

And then there’s the two-way part. Kneuppel can’t stop gushing about Thompson’s defense, which he’d like to replicate:

“Just the way he used to defend when he was younger, before the injuries,” Kneuppel elaborates.

Kneuppel’s talk of wanting to model his game after Klay Thompson was noticed by the Dallas Mavericks vet, who made a video for the rookie.

“It makes me feel kinda old,” Thompson said in the video, as Kneuppel watches with a smile, “but also appreciative of great young athletes like yourself.”

“And I heard you aspire to be a two-way player and that’s something I prided myself on for a long time. I can still guard now! Don’t think my days of guarding are long gone,” Thompson responded to all the talk of how he used to guard.

“I can still get out there and switch on a point guard or four-man if I have to.”

Kneuppel had a message for Klay Thompson, as well:

“Tell him he’s the best off-ball mover. Ever. That he’s better than Steph. In my opinion,” Kneuppel said with a smile.

And he continued the praise, though still in the past tense: “People don’t realize how good of a defender he was.”

Thompson, who made NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2019, was an impressive two-way player before his injuries. Just watch this from 2020:

Klay Thompson is the best defensive guard in the nba pic.twitter.com/qCHIkUDxIL

— Antonin (@antonin_org) October 3, 2020​

But as the elite and experienced shooter that Thompson is, he points out the one key skill it takes to be a consistently good shooter:

“Never lose that confidence that got you here. Especially when shooting the basketball.”

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...r-ever-dallas-mavericks-golden-state-warriors

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Frustration boils over as Wings fall 88-78 to Caitlin Clark-less Fever at AAC

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The game, moved to AAC for the second time in hopes of a Paige Bueckers-Caitlin Clark Matchup, was a sellout as Indiana swept the “Nights in Dallas” series.

Friday’s Dallas Wings-Indiana Fever game was the second game this season originally planned for Arlington’s College Park Center before the WNBA moved both to the American Airlines Center in hopes of capitalizing on a matchup between two of the league’s young stars — Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark.

In both games, Clark didn’t play, Bueckers did and shined, but the Wings fell short: an unfortunate case of deja vu for the 8-21 Dallas Wings. Friday’s 88-78 loss was the team’s eighth loss in 10 games. After starting the season 1-11, Dallas had won five of seven to build momentum heading into July, but this recent stretch has the team in 11th place, seven games back of the 8th and final playoff spot.

Friday’s game came with an extra level of frustration directed at the officiating crew. Bueckers was sent to the floor multiple times in the game with no foul calls, one of which resulted in her only turnover in a brilliant 22-point, 4-assist, 2-steal night. She said postgame the team didn’t match the Fever’s physicality until the fourth quarter.

“We’re just building reps and we’re a very young team,” Bueckers said. “This is a new experience for a lot of us playing together, growing together.”

The team is indeed one of the youngest in the WNBA and Bueckers highlighted the importance of gaining quality reps in close games as an opportunity to grow. Her head coach offered similar sentiments.

“You have to win games,” Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said. “We have to sit in this and it’s not going to feel good, but you learn and you have a positive mindset and you don’t let one game try to affect the rest.”

But that positive mindset may be cracking. Players were visibly frustrated at times throughout Friday’s game, not just at officiating, but at the scoreboard. Dallas shot just 2-15 from behind the arc, and one of those makes was a last-second three-pointer by Li Yueru after the game was long decided.

In the 38 or so competitive minutes of the game, Dallas shot just 14 three-pointers. Indiana, by comparison, shot 28 and made 12 of them. Bueckers said she wanted to hunt more threes in transition moving forward, but Indiana did a good job limiting their three-point opportunities.

In addition to the 30-point differential from behind the arc, Indiana outrebounded Dallas 44-30, including 14 offensive rebounds compared to Dallas’ 4. Yueru, Dallas’ 6’7” center, played just eight minutes as Dallas got killed on the boards. Koclanes said he liked what Haley Jones was bringing and wanted to get the team’s tempo up. Indiana had 14 fast break points to Dallas’ 10.

Aziaha James, another young bright spot for the Wings, played just 16 minutes Friday. Her minutes have fluctuated from 38 in early July down to just seven in Wednesday’s 88-85 loss to the Atlanta Dream.

“We had 10 available tonight, when Maddy comes back, we’ll have 11. If you divide 200 by 11, no one’s going to be happy,” Koclanes said postgame. “That’s what I’m trying to say, but that’s on me each night. You want to try and establish rhythm and normality with your subbing and rotations and you go into every game thinking that’s going to be the case and then the game unfolds...and things change.”

Another interesting minutes situation Friday was Arike Ogunbowale’s playing time. The franchise’s cornerstone for the better part of a decade played 26 of the game’s first 30 minutes before playing zero fourth quarter minutes.

When asked about the decision to play the 4th without Ogunbowale, Koclanes stood by his decision and said the group on the floor had momentum and he wanted to see what that group could do. However, in an answer to another question about rebounding, that resolve started to crack as Koclanes appeared to take a shot at his guards’ defense. He said his team is getting beat at the point of attack and that is affecting the team’s rebounding position.

“Our guards are getting beat off the bounce, [so] our posts have to rotate to protect the rim. Now their posts are rolling three down to rebound,” Koclanes said. “It takes everybody being in there when we throw two people at the point of attack because our guards can’t guard one-on-one so we’ve got to send two people behind the ball.”

Round it all up and it’s a disappointing loss in a season filled with them. Koclanes and the team have preached about staying the course and gaining experience with a young group, but Friday’s game showed the harsh reality of professional sports: team chemistry and growth don’t feel as good as wins.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-voices-frustration-caitlin-clark-misses-game

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Wings Things: Aziaha James is Paige Bueckers’ best backcourt partner — where has her playing time gone?

Getty Images

The future is now for the young, rebuilding Dallas Wings. Friday’s 88-78 loss to the Indiana Fever is further evidence that the team needs to play fellow rookie Aziaha James more.

DALLAS, TX — Paige Bueckers was Paige Bueckers again on Friday in the Indiana Fever’s (16-12) second and final visit of the season to American Airlines Center. She was lethal in the midrange against whichever defender Fever head coach Stephanie White sent her way.
Bueckers scored 15 of her 22 points in the first half of the Wings’ 88-78 loss.

The problem? No one in the starting lineup rode shotgun alongside Bueckers. The rest of Dallas’ starting five scored just 12 points in the first half, and Dallas shot 0-for-5 from 3-point range in the first two quarters (2-of-15 for the game), as the Fever took a 48-42 lead into the break. Indiana built on that lead and held the Wings at arm’s length throughout much of the second half, again without Caitlin Clark, who sat out with a groin injury in the Fever’s second swing through Dallas.

Make no mistake, Bueckers’ buckets didn’t come easy. Her defenders were draped all over her all night long, forcing the rookie phenom to come off multiple screens and work hard for every inch of space she got.

She needs someone to run with who consistently brings some additional scoring punch.

You know who has been instant offense for this 8-21 Wings team, despite her workload being cut nearly in half since the Dallas roster worked its way closer to full health? Fellow rookie Aziaha James, who the Wings selected with the 12th pick of this year’s WNBA Draft.

James shook Sophie Cunningham out of her shoes in the mid-range, issuing a series of crossover jukes to work her way to the basket for her first score of the game with 3:55 left in the first half. She scored in transition a minute later on a nice find from Arike Ogunbowale to keep the Wings within five, down 41-36 at the time.

“I’m just trying to be that instant offense off the bench — that energetic rookie,” James said. “Do what I’ve got to do and get the ball in the basket. You’ve just always got to stay ready.”

COOK ROOK

Aziaha James gets busy in the lane with the hesi plus the finish

DAL-IND | ION pic.twitter.com/CBNE9w5pkR

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 2, 2025​

With Ogunbowale back and firmly entrenched in the starting lineup, it’s a good thing to have a weapon like James available off the bench. JJ Quinerly, the third member of the Wings’ Draft Class of 2025, may be the closest thing to a pure point guard on this Wings roster, despite her lack of size defensively, and Dallas needs someone dependable to bring the ball up among the overstock of off-guards on the roster.

So I get the decision-making calculus facing Wings head coach Chris Koclanes when it comes to the distribution of minutes among this group of guards. The fact remains — James can no longer be the odd guard out in this rotation.

“You want to try to establish rhythm and normality with your subbing and rotations, and you go into every game thinking that’s going to be the case,” Koclanes said. “And then the game unfolds, and things change. And I loved Aziaha’s answer, when she said, ‘No, you just have to stay ready.’”

When Koclanes put James in the starting lineup out of pure necessity earlier this year with both Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington on the shelf with injuries, she immediately blossomed alongside Bueckers and Quinerly. James scored in double figures for seven straight games in late June and early July, including a 28-point outburst in the Wings’ 98-89 upset win over the Phoenix Mercury, which was sandwiched between two 15-point outings.

James proved she can make a difference for the Wings in that span. The team can’t afford to let that kind of potential and production wilt on the bench any longer.

News flash: Dallas isn’t making the playoffs. The name of the game is building for the future, especially when the starting lineup brings zero juice in winnable games. James needs to be featured more prominently. She needs to, at very least, be the first guard off the Wings’ bench.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
DiJonai Carrington #21 of the Dallas Wings handles the ball as Sydney Colson #51 of the Indiana Fever defends during the second half at American Airlines Center on August 1, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.

There is no reason Carrington should be getting more minutes than James on this team. After winning the W’s 2024 Most Improved Player Award, Carrington has been underwhelming, then injured, then underwhelming again this season. Are the Wings playing the more established Ogunbowale and Carrington heavier minutes in hopes of drumming up potential value in the market with the WNBA trade deadline next Thursday? Who’s to say?

“Yea, they sure do,” Koclanes admitted, when asked whether trade rumors swirling affect the locker room vibe this time of year.

James didn’t play in the third quarter on Friday after coming in and making two plays right off the bat in the second. She started the fourth and immediately pulled down a defensive rebound and then pulled up for a 3-pointer near the top of the key with nine minutes to play to keep the Wings within shouting distance, down 70-60 at the time. To that point, James had played seven minutes and netted seven points. She finished with nine points in 16 minutes and hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in any of the Wings’ last seven games.

It should be noted, however, that nine of those 16 minutes on Friday came in the fourth quarter. Those nine minutes came at the expense of Ogunbowale, who didn’t play at all down the stretch and scored just eight points on 1-of-6 shooting for the game. It was the eighth game this year in which Ogunbowale, who scored 22.2 points a year ago, was held to single digits. Koclanes, who was uncharacteristically animated and showed some frustration in Friday’s postgame press conference, said Ogunbowale’s absence wasn’t due to any kind of injury.

“She’s fine,” Koclanes said. “That group got it rolling there, so we went with them. That young group — I like their fight, their tenacity, their grit that they were applying in the fourth quarter, so we went with them.”

It’s becoming more and more clear to everyone involved. The offensive efficiency and defensive tenacity this team is begging for is seated at the end of Koclanes’ bench. The rest of Friday’s starting lineup certainly didn’t bring any. Bueckers finished with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting in 34 minutes, while the rest of the Wings’ starters shot 8-of-26 for 25 points in the loss to Indiana.

The future is now for this team. It’s time for the Wings to get on with it.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...nba-guards-playing-time-lineups-indiana-fever

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

How High is O-Max’s Ceiling?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

And can he get the necessary minutes to develop?

As he enters his third season in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (or O-Max, as he’s lovingly referred) is beginning to fill a place of respect and esteem in my heart which has been a void since the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith over two years ago. The more I’ve thought about it, the quicker the comparisons between the two begin to offer themselves for consideration.

While Finney-Smith’s minutes played average hit the 20 minute mark right off the bat in his rookie season, O-Max has so far averaged only 10 during his first two seasons in the league. This is obviously a factor that could be detrimental to his development, but it’s certainly not something that can be blamed on his abilities or level of effort. It just happens to be the case that O-Max joined a Mavericks team that was lengths and bounds more talented - and much deeper - than the squad Doe-Doe joined in 2016.

Be that as it may, I still believe that O-Max has a very comparable ceiling to the one Finney-Smith created for himself. While comparing them side by side, it should obviously be pointed out that Doe is 10 years older than O-Max, so we’re looking at where DFS was when he first entered the league, and comparing that with where O-Max currently is to see what factual basis there might be that could stoke the expectation for similar player development and success.

They’re very similar from a size standpoint. O-max may be a little sturdier, but the athleticism, strength and high-motor are unique to both. As such, Dorian has proved to be a work-horse in the minutes played category for over a decade now, offering elite defense as a means to securing starting roles on all the teams he’s suited up for. While O-Max may have a ways to go, this is where the strongest similarities are visible.

O-Max has shown clear flashes of what he could eventually become, from a defensive standpoint, and if he’s ever provided with the on-court time to develop, he could well reach that next level that Doe eventually did. Unfortunately, he faces the challenge of being on a very deep Mav’s unit, one boasting an undeniably strong front court that has him buried behind AD and PJ Washington for third spot on the PF rotation (unless situations call for AD to slide to the 5). This solid depth, at any rate, will continue to make it hard for him to break into the rotation as a key piece, if only because there aren’t enough minutes to go around. But it became clear last season the Coach Kidd likes this kid. His minutes came a little more frequently, and he was able to start cashing in on them, making the most of his on-court time and beginning to carve a reputation for himself as an extremely hard worker with a growing skillset and ceiling.

While his percentage from behind the arch suffered a bit last year, there’s no reason to believe he can’t work his butt off to eventually make it a strong-suit, just like every other 3&D wing is expected to do these days. Doe improved on his at a pretty steady clip for the first several years of his career, making himself a strong enough shooter to avoid being a liability on the offensive end.

Not only does O-Max have this potential, he also showcases the ability to get to the basket. This is where developmental time will be crucial to his success, though, because while he has the raw ingredients: length, speed, athleticism and the beginnings of confidence, those are often undermined by his balance issues and clumsiness. It’s almost as if he moves too quickly for his own good at times. But those things can definitely be ironed out. (Remember when Josh Green first entered the league? My friend used to call him a giraffe on roller skates). It can be frustrating to see him flailing around at times, but you have to focus on the fact that he’s a very young guy, and he’s still learning to live inside his own frame. And if he does achieve a greater rhythm and fluidity to his game, I think he can become something similar to the high-level role-player Finney-Smith became.

The important thing is that O-Max shows the right instincts. His timing improved greatly during his second season campaign. He was almost always in the mix for rebound attempts, and he put himself into position to fight for the ball wherever he could. His defensive acumen began to display itself more prominently, which added a great deal of value to his potential as a trade asset (I don’t want him to leave Dallas; just stating the obvious).

Time will tell if he’s able to build on the momentum he began to establish last season. I think he has the pieces in place to put it all together and turn himself into something special. All it takes is an injury (knock on wood) and the depth chart can change drastically. Here’s hoping he can improve without anyone getting hurt.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/8/2/24478550/olivier-maxence-prosper-ceiling-skills-development

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Dallas Wings trade DiJonai Carrington to Minnesota Lynx

Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Wings land Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, 2027 pick

The Dallas Wings traded forward DiJonai Carrington to the league-leading Minnesota Lynx Sunday, receiving forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson and a second-round pick in 2027, according to a press release from the team.

The deal fortifies 24-5 Minnesota, runner-up for the championship last year, as it prepares for another Finals run. Carrington averaged 10.4 points per game on 35.4% shooting, playing a variety of roles for the Wings in her fifth WNBA season. She brings Finals experience to the Lynx, having reached the brink of a title with Connecticut in 2022.

Miller, a 6’3” forward who was the second pick of the 2023 draft, brings some floor-stretching potential as her accuracy from deep has skyrocketed this year to a career-high .538 in a role that has been reduced significantly since her rookie season. After averaging double figures in 2023 she was all but out of the rotation in the Lynx’ playoff run last year after a knee injury. Although Miller’s marksmanship has come on only one attempt per game this year, the Wings need all the shooting help they can get. The Wings have been prevented at times not only from making threes, but from taking them, as evidenced by Friday’s 2-15 showing from deep.

Following Friday’s 88-78 home loss to an Indiana team playing without Caitlin Clark, the deal for 8-21 Dallas seems an acknowledgement that trying to erase a 6.5-game deficit for eighth place with 15 games remaining would be a difficult ask for the team as currently constructed.

Carrington was one of two Baylor alums the Wings brought aboard this offseason while building around top overall pick Paige Bueckers. The other, NaLyssa Smith, was dealt to Las Vegas June 30 for a first-round pick in another forward-looking move.

To free up roster space for the new acquisitions, Dallas waived center Teaira McCowan, who averaged double figures for three of her four seasons in Dallas and whose old-school skill set often stood in contrast to league-wide styles of play trending towards speed and athleticism. McCowan’s .570 field goal percentage as a Wing is a record for the franchise.

Samuelson, limited to 16 games this season after a left foot injury June 29 and subsequent surgery, is not expected to play again in 2025. The veteran is a career .392 shooter from deep. She previously played for the Wings in 2019 and her sister Katie Lou Samuelson played for the Wings in 2020.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...gs-trade-dijonai-carrington-to-minnesota-lynx

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Dallas Wings topple defending WNBA champion New York Liberty, 92-82

Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings handles the ball during the game against the New York Liberty on July 28, 2025 at the College Park Center in Arlington, TX. | Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX — The Dallas Wings (8-19) served up a rare treat on Monday at College Park Center.

The Wings thumped the defending WNBA Champion New York Liberty (17-8) in front of a sellout crowd. Breanna Stewart or no Breanna Stewart, the 92-82 win over the Liberty was easily the best thing the Wings have done all season. They played their best first quarter of the year, then followed it up with an even better second quarter. They refused to wilt in the second half, and even when their shooting went cold in the fourth quarter, they found a way to get enough stops to outlast the New York run. They were fundamentally sound, minus six missed layups, which continue to be a problem. But that can be excused when you dominate one of the league’s best teams in every other facet of the game for three quarters or so.

Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale both hit pull-up jumpers to kick-start the Wings’ offense early in the first quarter. Bueckers caused a turnover after Ogunbowale scored her second bucket on a broken play going to the rim, then cashed in another pull-up from the extended elbow to put Dallas up 11-2 and force a New York timeout with 7:04 left in the first.

“We made it a point to communicate with each other more — pick each other up more,” Ogunbowale said of the budding on-court chemistry with Bueckers. “Building that relationship, that chemistry and knowing that we’re two leads on this team, a lot goes through us and we’ve got to be on the same page — we’ve just been really intentional about it.”

The timeout couldn’t cool Ogunbowale’s touch from the outside, as Dallas’ star guard has turned a corner on offense in the past three games. She hit her first 3-pointer of the game with 6:15 left in the first on a swing pass from Bueckers to put the Wings up 14-2. Then Luisa Geiselsoder took advantage of the extra room in the lane with Stewart missing for the Liberty due to a leg injury for Dallas’ next two scores. Then, DiJonai Carrington came into the game midway through the first and immediately scored on a driving 3-point play over Sabrina Ionescu to extend the Wings’ opening run to 21-4.

“Energy. Defensive tenacity to get up and get into people,” Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said. “We got stops, then we could run, then we could play in transition. Proud of our start that way. We found some disruption early, we were aggressive at the point of attack, and our flow behind was good as well.”

Ionescu got off to a slow start for New York, turning the ball over on her first two touches before fouling Carrington to create the 3-point play opportunity. Jonquel Jones and Stephanie Talbot each hit corner 3-pointers late in the first to inch New York closer, but Monday’s first quarter was still probably the Wings’ best opener of the year. The team shot 13-of-22 from the floor (59.1%), and Bueckers and Ogunbowale combined to shoot 7-of-10 between them.

Dallas led 31-19 at the end of one, then shot themselves out of a cannon again to start the second. Li Yueru scored her second put-back of the game, then Bueckers crossed Talbot into oblivion along the baseline to set up a gorgeous fading jumper in between two driving scores from Grace Berger, who is on her second seven-day temporary deal with the team, to force another Liberty timeout with Dallas up 39-19.

Even when the Wings weren’t on a run, the defense turned into transition offense, Dallas was clean with the ball in the halfcourt and the Wings imposed their will on the game against the defending WNBA champs. They followed up their best first quarter of the season with an even better second to take a 63-36 lead over the Liberty into the locker room at the half. It was baffling at times, but it was also some of the most exciting basketball the College Park Center crowd has been treated to over the course of Dallas’ 7-19 start to the year.

At the half, the Wings were winning the turnover battle 8-3 and killed the Liberty 18-1 in points off those turnovers. Ogunbowale led all scorers with 15 points at the break, but she also dished a season-high 10 assists in the first half as well. Geiselsoder added 12 points for Dallas, and Bueckers had 11 points and four rebounds. The Wings’ defense held Ionescu to just one point on 0-of-5 shooting in the first two quarters.

How do all of those things happen in the same half, considering the hard-scrabble season the Wings are battling through?

The hits kept playing in the third, too. Ogunbowale found Bueckers for a deep 3-pointer along the left wing with 6:35 left in the frame for Bueckers’ second 3-ball of the game, which put Dallas up 75-47 and forced another frustrating timeout from Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. The Wings were smoking hot once again, scoring 12 points in just over three minutes to open the second half.

Ogunbowale tied her career-high mark of 13 assists late in the third. Right after Carrington checked in once again, Ogunbowale found her on a back-cut for a laser of a lob pass. Ogunbowale tore through the New York defense the next time down for a contested driving hoop to give the Wings an 82-57 lead. New York played with more intensity on both ends of the floor coming out of halftime, but Dallas matched it, never resting on laurels or their 25-point lead.

Then things got iffy in the fourth. Dallas scored just three points in the first seven minutes of the proceedings to let the Liberty, who were content to drive and take their free throws nearly every time down the floor to inch their way back into it. The shots that fell for three quarters rattled off the rim in the fourth. Aziaha James’ corner 3-pointer with 6:49 left to play put Dallas ahead 88-65, but New York cobbled together a 12-0 run over the next four-plus minutes to whittle it down to 11 on a 3-pointer, a baseline jumper and two free throws from Ionescu, with free throws from everyone else on the New York roster mixed in.

Then, Jonquel Jones nailed her second 3-ball of the game at the worst time from a Dallas standpoint. It cut the Wings’ lead to 88-82 with 1:44 to play. Dallas shot an anemic 1-for-14 from the field in the fourth, with nearly every possession coming down to a heave with one or two seconds left on the shot clock. Bueckers and Carrington each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch to preserve the 92-82 win. The Wings scored just seven points in the fourth, but somehow it was enough to beat one of the best teams in the game on the second night of a back-to-back set.

Ogunbowale and Bueckers each scored a game-high 20 points, but Ogunbowale set a new career-high mark and tied the Wings’ franchise record with 14 assists in the win as well. She turned the ball over just once, too. It was a remarkable game.

“[I’m] incredibly proud [of] her resolve,” Koclanes said of Ogunbowale’s four-game run since the All-Star break. “This is a long season, so these stretches come, but to hear how level-headed [Ogunbowale and Bueckers] are is just so encouraging. Proud that Arike has continued to stick with it and believe and invest in herself and her teammates. She’s ben more calm — letting the game come to her and, to her point, trusting her teammates.”

Bueckers grabbed six boards and nabbed three steals in a complete game that only could have been better if she would have taken more ownership over the fourth quarter for her team when things started to go wrong. Jones led the Liberty with 18 points in the loss, while Ionescu scored 16 of her 17 points in the second half.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...efending-wnba-champion-new-york-liberty-92-82

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Welcome to the new Mavs Moneyball: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.

A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Mavs Moneyball and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.

Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.

But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.

You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.

Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.

If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/site-...ball-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Throwback Thursday – The Worm turns in Dallas in February 9, 2000

Just over one month into the tenure of new majority owner Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks were preparing to welcome yet another new face into the fold. Cuban wasted hardly any time before attempting to make a splash with his new franchise. Just weeks after purchasing the team, Cuban engaged in talks to bring Dennis Rodman to Texas.

Changing the Narrative​

At the time of Cuban’s purchase, the Mavericks were on the tail end of a decade of futility. From the 1990-1991 season through the 1999-2000 season, the team did not qualify for the Playoffs a single time. Averaging 24 wins per season over that span, Cuban knew he had some work to do if he hoped to get fans interested in the team. Amongst other innovative ideas, Cuban knew there was no better player than Dennis Rodman when it came to garnering attention, even if he hadn’t played in the NBA for nearly a year at that point.

The Mavericks, perhaps energized after the ownership change, were getting hot leading up to the acquisition of Rodman. On January 17 they held a 12-25 record before winning 8 of their next 10 to improve to 20-27. Buzz was starting to build that the Mavericks could make a Playoff push, so the addition of Rodman was more than just a headline grabber. He was also being brought in for his championship experience and know-how when it came to winning. Of course, half the battle would be getting Rodman in a uniform in the first place.

Getting Dennis to Dallas​

The Worm had not played in the NBA since the season prior when he logged 23 games with the Los Angeles Lakers. Content to live the retirement high life, Rodman needed a bit of time before suiting up. He had trips and appearances planned relative to the NFL Pro Bowl and Super Bowl, and then had to shake off the rust any normal 38-year-old body would expect to see after almost a year off.

The good news for the Mavericks was that Rodman is more human than human, so he only needed about a week of prep time to get into game shape. He also needed a place near Reunion Area, former home to the Mavericks, to live. This was an adventure in its own right. Cuban decided his 4,000 square foot guest house was the appropriate solution. As a result of the living arrangement, Rodman once drew the all too familiar attention of NBA higher-ups before even putting a jersey on. The league did not allow for a player to effectively live cost free on an owner’s property, so Rodman had to pay Cuban $3,000 in rent to make it all work. The league also didn’t allow certain jersey numbers, so once again before even suiting up for a single game, Rodman drew the attention of the NBA brass who vetoed his choice of number 69. I’ll let you figure out the connotation there if you don’t already know, but kids should get parental permission before going down that rabbit hole. Settling on number 70 instead, the side show could finally make way for the big show.

On February 9, 2000, Dennis Rodman made his highly anticipated on-court appearance with the Mavericks. Starting alongside Erick Strickland, Michael Finley, Cedric Ceballos and Dirk Nowitzki, no one really knew what to expect. Amazingly, but still somehow not at all surprising for Rodman, he was in peak form as he snatched 13 rebounds in 31 minutes against the Seattle Supersonics. After a few days off for All-Star weekend, Rodman ripped down 16 rebounds in 35 minutes of play against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was playing as though he had not missed a beat, but the Mavs had yet to win in the Rodman era. Ironically their first win with Rodman on the roster came two nights later against the Detroit Pistons while he was serving a one-game suspension. It would take until the following game against the Toronto Raptors before he finally got his first win in a Mavericks uniform. Unfortunately, the winning ways were fleeting. After the Toronto game, the Mavericks lost 7 of their next 9 games before the Dennis Rodman era came to an end in Dallas.

The Outcome​

If Rodman was being graded on bringing attention to a franchise in the doldrums, he gets top marks. From his preferred jersey number, to arrangements that allowed him to work out on a stationary bike instead of practicing, to sitting down on the court in the middle of a game, he was certainly must see TV. If he were being graded on selling tickets, he would get top marks once again. In the home game prior to his debut, 11,126 people were in attendance. When Rodman arrived, 18,203 people showed up (7,077 more people, or a 63% increase!). Rebounding? Top marks again. Rodman averaged an absurd 14.25 RPG, a mark that would have led the NBA this past season. While wearing a Mavericks jersey, he had games where he pulled down 14, 15, 16 (three times), 18, 19 and even 21 rebounds. As far as winning was concerned, that was unfortunately a different story for a Mavericks team attempting to make a Playoff push. In games Rodman played, the Mavericks went 3-9, ultimately finishing the season with a 40-42 record and the 9th seed in the West.

The Rodman acquisition is looked back on by some as a failure, but in many ways it was an announcement to the rest of the NBA that things were going to be different in Big D. This was the first of many efforts Cuban made to bring attention to the franchise while ushering in a new era of winning. For Rodman himself, his stint with the Mavericks could hardly be called the ideal retirement tour, yet in a way it was befitting of the enigmatic rebound hound. At age 38, Rodman basically got up off the couch and played as though he was still in his prime. Although his time with the Mavericks amounts to a career footnote, the career itself was truly legendary. Rodman won five NBA Championships, back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, an unprecedented seven straight rebounding titles, made two All-Star Teams, eight All-Defensive Teams, two All-NBA Teams, was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and is a rightful member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. I’m sure he brought in at least a few new Maverick fans who stuck around long after his retirement. He achieved all of this across… wait for it… 911 Regular Season games. Like everything with Rodman, you can’t make this up.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/quest...wback-thursday-dennis-rodman-dallas-maverivks

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Basketball fan? Don’t miss Eurobasket this summer. Here’s what to keep an eye on

Some of the best basketball players in the world are representing their countries, and a long list of NBA players and EuroLeague stars are taking time out of their summer to play in the European equivalent of the FIBA World Cup: FIBA EuroBasket 2025 – taking place from 27 August to 14 September in Poland, Finland, Latvia and Cyprus.

But EuroBasket is about more than some entertaining games between countries. Each nation has a deep history, often with each other – all linked to the past. Through centuries, wars have been fought, alliances made, conflicts erupted and averted, and deep bonds of shared values and culture developed.

It’s all based on the small intricacies or large conflicts that were formed through history but still reflect how we look at ourselves and each other in Europe. This is what makes any European collection of people, teams and countries competing against each other so interesting. There’s always more beneath the surface.

If we take a step further back, however, most Europeans will agree that they share a common value-system, culture, history and identity.

As many of the best players in the world gather to compete in just a few weeks, let’s take a look at the best teams this year, as well as the best players and biggest superstars. It’s a pretty impressive list of players attending.

FIBA ranks Serbia number one, Germany two and France third.

Thoughts on Volume 2 of the #EuroBasket Power Rankings powered by @LiveSmart?

Full list: https://t.co/Xq3ZAgjX6L pic.twitter.com/1ENxoOheEg

— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 5, 2025

The top two is a given, Serbia is a favorite to win it all, losing the semifinal versus the US by only four points at the Olympics last year. They have a core of high-level players led by Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (LA Clippers), and a long history of chemistry and connection. This team will be hard to beat even on the world stage, and they have their eyes set on the Eurobasket gold this time.

Germany is a strong contender with a list of big names and titles in recent history. World Cup 2023 winner, Mo and Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder leading them, and another case of a long history of playing together, creating connection – and still most of the talent that took them all the way two years ago.

France moved down to number three as neither top NBA players Victor Wembanyama or Rudy Gobert are playing, and Evan Fournier is sitting this one out too. Without the two bigs and the experienced point guard vet, it will be much harder for France to contend at this level, but the fact that they still top the list of most NBA players with six is impressive, and definitely keeps them in the running.

Turkey at number four has the very talented center Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets) and a team of EuroLeague stars, which will make them interesting to follow.

Latvia at number five is an interesting, but well-deserved placing. Their strong performance at recent tournaments, like their fifth place finish at the 2023 World Cup and strong showing in the qualifiers makes them a team to watch. High-level players like Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta Hawks) and Davis Bertans are participating, but this is a team operating like a well-oiled machine at their best, with multiple very good shooters. On top of that they have homecourt advantage in Riga, as they cohost the tourney, which may help them play up to their best.

Greece with Giannis Antetokounmpo is another team with a long list of EuroLeague stars, not surprising at number six. Two of their stars, center Georgios Papagiannis and point guard Nick Calathes, will not play, which explains why they went from number four to six in the power rankings.

Slovenia at number seven is a gracious placement for the team who is carried by Luka Doncic, but missing a real center and generally lacks the level needed to compete at this point. The future is bright for this team with its younger generation coming up, however, but that will still be some years from now.

Spain at eight are the defending champions. With the Hernangomez brothers playing, and a strong culture and system, Spain can and will always compete.

Lithuania is at nine, one of the old basketball nations with a rich tradition, where everybody watches basketball. No Domantas Sabonis or Matas Buzelis though, so Jonas Valenciunas (Denver Nuggets) will be leading the team.

Number ten is Finland. A co-host of the tournament, with NBA star Lauri Markkanen and a strong team of connected European players. Markkanen always performs well for his country and they will be interesting to follow, playing with home-court advantage and plenty of the old, European connection.

FIBA Eurobasket 2025

When: 27 August – 14 September

Where: Finland, Poland, Latvia, Cyprus

How to watch: FIBA Courtside 1891 app

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/beyon...sket-this-summer-heres-what-to-keep-an-eye-on

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Dallas Wings’ comeback attempt comes up short against New York Liberty

ARLINGTON, TX — The blueprint for the Dallas Wings’ 88-77 loss to the New York Liberty (20-10) reverted back to May specifications, as Dallas started slow, fell behind by close to 20 points, then attempted a frantic comeback late in the game, only to come up short in the end.

The Wings (8-23) were once again left with a big bag of what-ifs as they walked off the floor at College Park Center on Friday, having lost two of the team’s three meetings with the defending champion Liberty, all in the last two weeks. Dallas whittled what was once a 19-point Liberty lead in the second quarter all the way down to three points late in the third, but the Wings didn’t have the juice to come all the way back.

Budding rookie superstar Paige Bueckers sat out of the loss after carrying a “questionable” injury designation all the way until 30 minutes before game time. They’re calling it a back issue on the injury report, and it’s hard to get grumpy about handling the last month or so of the season with some measure of caution surrounding Bueckers’ workload down the stretch.

After taking a 50-34 lead at half, the Liberty let the Wings back into the game in the third. Six straight points from Arike Ogunbowale midway through the third brought Dallas back to within 54-44 after she went just 1-of-7 in the first half. Then Luisa Geiselsoder hit her first 3-pointer of the game with 3:35 left in the third to bring Dallas back within seven, down just 56-49 at the time.

Grace Berger mixed in a couple of driving makes after missing her first three attempts in the first half. Her second sneak-attack drive pulled the Wings to within 56-51 with three minutes left in the third.

The first half came down to a simple proposition between the two teams, headed in opposite directions this year. The Wings couldn’t manufacture any offense without Bueckers, who scored 21 and 20 points in the previous two games against the Liberty this season, and they couldn’t stop the Liberty from getting the shot they wanted on the other end.

“We came out with a lot more intention to get out in transition,” Ogunbowale said. “That started with getting stops. If we can put two halfs together like [Friday’s] second half, we’re in good shape, but I think that’s been the story all along this year. Putting two halves together, four quarters together. We’ll use these last five weeks just locking into that and just building.”

Ogunbowale scored 12 of her 17 points in the third quarter of the loss, and Maddie Siegriest scored 15 in her second game back from a knee injury that kept her out most of the season, following her 13-point performance against this same New York team in her first game back on Tuesday. Sabrina Ionescu led six Liberty players in double figures in the win.

All that’s left to do for Dallas is to avoid getting Bueckers hurt in the 13 remaining games on the schedule and to sort out who on this roster needs to be here with her next year. It would be nice — sure — to see progress being made in terms of win-loss record in the early post-Bueckers portion of this rebuild. At times, it looks like that’s happening, and at times, like Friday, it reverts back to a prior build.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...tempt-comes-up-short-against-new-york-liberty

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Cooper Flagg’s rookie forecast: ESPN panel weighs in on Mavericks’ Playoff chances and career path

As the summer continues to roll on, the intrigue around the 2025-26 Dallas Mavericks will only continue to ramp up. That intrigue started at NBA Summer League, with Cooper Flagg’s debut against the Los Angeles Lakers and Bronny James. Now, as we sit just days away from the NBA releasing the schedule for the upcoming season, the cycle will begin all over again.

In that spirit, ESPN had their panel of insiders, writers, analysts and editors make their predictions for Cooper Flagg’s career ahead of his rookie season. The topics include team success, individual outcomes and yes, how many teams he will play for in his career. To the results!

You can read the full article here.

Dallas will finish __ in the Western Conference in 2025-26​

11th or worse: 3.8%

As a play-in team: 73.1%

5th or 6th: 23.1%

As you can tell by the results, expectations from a national perspective remain pretty low, all things considered. nearly 77% of respondents think that your Mavs will finish 7th or worse, with zero people thinking they will have homecourt in the playoffs. Personally, expecting this team to accomplish great things is only setting yourself up for disappointment. Their win total at the FanDuel Sportsbook is 38.5 for a reason.

Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving will win __ playoff series’ together​

Zero: 7.7%

One: 30.8%

Two: 26.9%

Three: 19.2%

Four: 3.8%

Five: 7.7%

Six or more: 3.8%

A lot of differing opinions here, as no one answer received more than 31%. There seems to be more of a gap between those who think this experiment will work well, and those who think it will go poorly. Nearly two-thirds of respondents think they will win two or less series’ together, while a non-insignificant 15.4% think they will win four or more series. I’ll be on the low end personally.

How many teams does Cooper Flagg play on?​

Just Dallas: 3.8%

Two: 53.8%

Three: 34.6%

Four or more: 7.7%

When the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic in 2018, it was our dream to have him follow in the footsteps of the great Dirk Nowitzki. He got to spend his first year playing with Dirk in his last year, and he was there for every milestone along the way. Luka was there for it and wanted to experience the same for himself. And then it was Thanos snapped away from him and us in the dead of night. I have no doubt that the Mavericks fans will embrace Cooper, and that he will embrace you back. I just tend to believe that this organization will find a way to screw it all up, because history often repeats itself.

How many MVP awards will Flagg win?​

Zero: 34.6%

One: 46.2%

Two: 15.4%

Three: 0%

Four or more: 3.8%

The headliner here is that over 80% of respondents see Flagg winning one or fewer MVP. I don’t think this is unreasonable, as you look around the league and see who has MVP’s and who still will likely get awarded one. Just ask Luka Doncic how hard it is to win one of these things.

How many championships does Flagg win?​

Zero: 7.7%

One: 76.9%

Two: 7.7%

Three: 7.7%

Four or more: 0%

I appreciate the question, but it’s almost impossible to guess on this because you can’t possibly know what his team looks like around him. Let’s get audacious and give Cooper two rings.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...-on-mavericks-playoff-chances-and-career-path