RSS Mavericks Team Notes

[Dallas Mavericks]

Where does Paige Bueckers rank amongst recent Rookie of the Year Winners?

A week ago, Paige Bueckers was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. The Dallas Wings phenom received 70 of 72 votes, nearly walking away with a near unanimous victory over Washington wing Sonia Citron. Bueckers is the third player in franchise history to win the award, following in the footsteps of Allisha Gray (2017) and Cheryl Ford (2003 with the Detroit Shock).

Bueckers had a historic campaign, breaking several rookie records and starting the All-Star game. It was a truly special season for a first-year player, one that announced the former UConn guard as an instant superstar. Watching Bueckers dazzle every night was such a kinetic experience, and it made me wonder just how impressive her rookie year was within the context of recent league history.

The answer might surprise some folks. After taking a close look at the last 10 Rookie of the Year winners, I walked away with one major sentiment: this league has a lot of amazing players, and most of them have been great since year one. With that in mind, let’s rank all 10 winners since 2016 and see where Bueckers stacks up.

10. Michaela Onyenwere (Chicago Sky, 2021)​

A product of what many consider to be the worst WNBA draft class in league history, Onyenwere won the Rookie of the Year award almost by default. Her 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game averages on .401/.327/.836 splits were nothing to write home about, but they were the most impressive numbers of any rookie that year. Not a single rookie eclipsed the nine points per game threshold in 2021.

Wings fans may remember Dallas having the top two picks of the 2021 draft in Charli Collier and Awak Kuier, neither of whom came close to winning the award. Aari McDonald finished second in ROY voting with a solid season, and Didi Richards (who is no longer in the league) finished third. Onyenwere has floated around the league as a depth role player, but she’s never been better than she was in her rookie season. She is by far the worst ROY winner of the last 10 years and is likely at the bottom of the all-time rankings.

9. Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings, 2017)​

Gray will likely earn her first All-WNBA First Team selection this season for the Dream, but the first big award of her career happened right here in Dallas. Fresh off a national title with South Carolina, Gray was drafted fourth overall by the Wings and immediately became a key contributor for the squad. While Gray’s 13 points per game average was great for a rookie, she did it on poor efficiency, and she wasn’t the top rookie scorer of the 2017 season (Brittney Sykes).

Sykes gave Gray a run for her money in a two-horse ROY race, and the two guards put up very similar numbers across the board. But ultimately, Gray edged Sykes out with 30 to 10 first-place votes. Gray’s two-way impact and solid all-around play were impressive, and she seemed destined for future stardom in the league. Alas, Dallas never fully unlocked Gray while she was here, and the organization decided to prioritize Arike Ogunbowale after drafting her in 2019. One has to imagine they would make a different decision if given the chance to do things over again.

8. Crystal Dangerfield (Minnesota Lynx, 2020)​

Dangerfield’s win during the 2020 Wubble season has to be one of the wackiest and most unpredictable outcomes in league history. The 2020 draft, pushed back from April to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured two future superstar prospects in Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally. Both Oregon products were expected to vie for Rookie of the Year honors, but it was Dangerfield, a second-round pick, who ended up on top. Ionescu was hurt and played all but three games, but Dangerfield still edged out Sabally and Chennedy Carter for the award.

As the 16th overall pick out of UConn, Dangerfield is the lowest drafted rookie to ever win ROY. Due to Minnesota’s injuries and Odyssey Sims’ maternity leave, Dangerfield was unexpectedly thrust into a major role and performed admirably. At just 5’5”, the diminutive Dangerfield proved to be a dynamic scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game on 47% shooting. Although these were impressive numbers, the entire season took place in isolation with no fans in the Wubble, and the season lasted just 22 games. As such, Dangerfield’s production can be met with some skepticism. Indeed, Dangerfield never came close to her rookie numbers again and is currently out of the league.

7. Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream, 2022)​

Howard, the No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky, came into the league and established exactly who she is: a high-volume, low-efficiency bucket getter who uses her insane length and athleticism to wreak havoc on the defensive end. Howard ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, receiving 53 of 56 votes. Shakira Austin and NaLyssa Smith had solid rookie campaigns that year, but only Howard looked like a future superstar.

With a strong 16.2 points per game average in year one, Howard showcased the scoring prowess that made her the top pick in the draft. What set her apart was her willingness to take and make a ton of tough threes; she attempted 7.3 threes per game in her rookie season (34% shooting) and shot the fourth-most threes in the league. Howard has grown significantly as a defender and playmaker in recent years, but her scoring profile and shot diet haven’t changed much since she entered the league as a rookie phenom.

6. Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx, 2019)​

Though Collier is now an unquestioned top-two player in the WNBA, her career had more modest beginnings. The Lynx superstar was very good as a rookie, but she didn’t enter the league as a world beater. Collier was drafted sixth overall, and while the five teams that passed on her all deeply regret their decision, her game has grown significantly over the past few seasons.

Collier’s rookie season saw her post a solid 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assits, and 2.8 stocks on .490/.360/.792 shooting splits. These numbers were enough for an All-Star selection and ROY honors, as Collier beat out Arike Ogunbowale for the award. The race was somewhat closer than it should have been, with Collier getting 29 of 43 votes. Though Ogunbowale averaged a massive 19.1 points per game, Collier’s overall impact was far greater. She’s one of the most complete players we’ve ever seen.

5. Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever, 2023)​

This is where the wheat starts to separate from the chaff. Boston was dominant as a rookie in 2023, winning ROY unanimously in a race that wasn’t remotely close. The former No.1 overall pick out of South Carolina looked the part right away, making the All-Star team and finishing 11th in MVP voting.

Boston was a two-way force in her rookie season, showcasing the creative post scoring and defensive dominance that made her a blue-chip prospect. She stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Boston also led the league in field-goal percentage, the first rookie to ever do so. Though Boston wasn’t quite as good in her sophomore season, she took another leap in 2025, establishing herself as one of the premier post players in the WNBA.

4. Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings, 2025)​

With how good Bueckers was in 2025, it’s hard to imagine that she only checks in at fourth on this list. But that says more about how incredible the next three players were than it does about where Bueckers didn’t measure up. The UConn phenom lived up to every bit of the hype in year one, and she should have been the unanimous Rookie of the Year. No disrespect to Sonia Citron, whose rookie year cleared that of several players on this list, but Bueckers was in a different class than her peers.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely aware of how good Bueckers was in 2025. Bueckers set the rookie scoring record for points in a game with her 44-point masterpiece in Los Angeles. That total was also the most points scored by any player in the WNBA in a game this season. She was the only rookie to score 30 or more points in a game, which she did twice. Bueckers ranked in the league’s top 10 in both points (fifth), assists (ninth), and steals (sixth) per game, the only player to do so. Bueckers took more tough shots than any player and still posted an above-average true-shooting percentage (56.7%). And she did all this despite playing for an abysmal, injury-ravaged team with virtually no help to speak of. There is no limit to how good she can be.

3. A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces, 2018)​

When it’s all said and done, A’ja Wilson will go down as the greatest player in WNBA history. And the four-time MVP hit the ground running in her rookie season, immediately announcing herself as a superstar. Wilson averaged 20.7 points per game, the highest mark since Simone Augusts in 2026 (21.6) and only the second ever 20+ PPG rookie season.

Along with Wilson’s unprecedented scoring, the No. 1 pick out of South Carolina contributed in all other areas of the box score and showcased massive defensive potential. Her strong two-way play earned her an All-Star selection and a seventh-place MVP finish. Wilson was remarkable as a rookie, so much so that she actually took a slight step back in her sophomore season before morphing into the best player in the world. The top three on this list are so close, but Wilson gets the short end of the stick due to her good-but-not-great efficiency on her shot diet (53.4% true shooting), her defense not quite being plus-level, and her team not making the playoffs.

2. Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever, 2024)​

Clark came into the WNBA as the most anticipated rookie in the history of the league. The hype surrounding her was comparable to that of LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Bryce Harper, Shaq, you name it. What Clark did in college at Iowa was legendary, and the Caitlin Clark Effect transformed the landscape of women’s basketball seemingly overnight. With all that fanfare, it was undoubtedly difficult for Clark to live up to the lofty expectations set for her in year one.

And yet, Clark exceeded them. Her rookie season saw her break more records than I can list. She set both the WNBA single-game and single-season assists records. She hit the second-most three-pointers in a season ever. She became the first rookie to ever record a triple-double, and she did it twice. In terms of offensive production, Clark had the greatest rookie season of all time. Her combination of otherworldly playmaking, pace, and game-breaking three-point shooting had never been seen before. Clark made All-WNBA First Team, the first rookie since Candace Parker in 2008 and the fifth rookie ever to earn the honor. She finished fourth in MVP voting. Somehow, Clark didn’t win ROY unanimously, as one bold voter chose Angel Reese instead. The only reason Clark isn’t first on this list is that the person who beat her out was more incredible on both ends of the floor. Clark’s defense and propensity for turnovers hold her back just a bit, but her rookie season was transcendent. Hopefully, Clark can shake off her injury-plagued sophomore campaign and get healthy in 2026.

1. Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm, 2016)​

Breanna Stewart has one of the most impressive basketball resumes of all time. It started at UConn, where she won a national title all four years of her college career. Her arrival in Seattle brought the Storm out of the abyss— the team was headed nowhere, with franchise legend Sue Bird seriously considering moving on until they won the lottery. From day one, it was clear that Stewart would be not only a superstar player, but one of the inner-circle greats of the game’s history.

Stewart dragged Seattle to the playoffs in year one, a season removed from the second worst-record in the league. She averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. Stewart was an efficient three-level scorer, got to the free throw line, and hit 45 threes as a 6’4” power forward. On defense, she made an immediate impact, excelling both on and off ball and earning Second Team All-Defense honors. The Seattle defensive rating was nine points better with Stewart on the floor, the best mark on the team. Stewart did nearly everything at a high level and made All-WNBA Second Team (she was robbed of First Team). Inexplicably, she did not win ROY unanimously, as one confused voter decided to vote for Moriah Jefferson instead. When you add up production, two-way impact, team success, and accolades, Breann Stewart had the best rookie season of the last decade.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...ank-amongst-recent-rookie-of-the-year-winners

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

MMB Lounge: Training Camp, Preseason, and More Mavericks, finally

Well, at least this time I’m only a few days late! Sorry for the delay in the post, I was at a wedding over the weekend and I hate trying to figure out WordPress on my phone.

Here’s last month’s Lounge for any carryover in terms of discussions and arguments.

With training camp officially starting next week, Media Day any day now, and preseason just two weeks away, we’ll finally have real things to react to and talk about instead of conjuring up arguments or scrounging the internet for the bare minimum of what can work as a post.

Have fun talking about whatever, reach out to me for any issues, and I’ll leave you with a video clip that’s inhabiting my brain since I saw it yesterday.

Every clutch bucket from 2011 Dirk Nowitzki pic.twitter.com/MoNHGRoEtS

— Pitless (@pitlessball) September 22, 2025

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/gener...ing-camp-preseason-and-more-mavericks-finally

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks mental toughness check: Does this team have what it takes?

As Kyrie Irving, the undisputed leader of the Dallas Mavericks, will be on the bench for most of next season, it’s interesting to take a look at who might step up in his place. Or more specifically, who needs to.

Not only in leadership, but also in understanding what it takes to perform consistently through challenges, adversity and pressure – and then doing it.

Mental toughness, we call it, when a player doesn’t shy away from pressure and adversity, but meets it head on. Not crumbling when the lights are bright is another way to put it.

With a future superstar in Cooper Flagg needing all the support and mentorship he can get to further develop this skill, and a team missing their leader, there’s a void to fill for this group.

Who may have what it takes to fill it? And who has experience to even be considered ready and able? It takes certain skills and personality traits and not everyone possesses them.

But first, let’s take a look at what Kyrie Irving brings to this team, which may make it difficult to fill his shoes. Irving is not only the veteran, leading the pack on the court by being one of the best point guards and ball-handlers in the league. He is also inspiring and mentoring this whole group off the court.

Some may call it emotional leadership, others may snicker at that, but in Irving’s case it may actually be the best description. He takes pride in having a personal and caring relationship with each player, who in turn feels connected and supported by him. This is unusual for a professional sports team, but there’s no doubt that it’s powerful. If every player feels personally cared for and supported by the leader and best player, it has the potential to remove the fear of making mistakes, as well as creating a connection that can be really beneficial on the court. In all reality, it’s the kind of intangible stuff that can make teams perform better than the sum of their parts.

The authenticity of this personality trait is not something we can expect from anyone else on this roster, however.

But mental toughness is a different matter. It comes from a mix of experience of playing through adversity and pressure, failing, and working deliberately to develop this skill. Using psychological tools like positive self-talk (I wrote about how Kyrie Irving uses these tools here), visualization, setting goals and working on not having a fear of making mistakes, as well as embracing pressure, players can gain valuable mental toughness, which always comes out on top during the big moments.

The most experienced player on this team besides Irving and Klay Thompson, who we can expect some leadership from – and hopefully consistent minutes – is Anthony Davis. One of the best centers in the league, especially defensively, who’s now playing the four, has plenty of experience playing under pressure and through a lot of adversity. Like overcoming multiple injuries, which requires a lot of mental toughness in itself.

Another player, which I personally have high expectations for, is P.J. Washington. He showed impressive leadership all through the 2024 Finals run, stepping up when the team needed him on defense especially, and standing up for his teammates in mentally tough moments, which at least once led to the Mavs gaining the mental upper hand.

Wishing a happy birthday to Mr. Standing on Business AKA PJ Washington pic.twitter.com/yvudHMA3LN

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) August 24, 2025

The best example is also the most lauded one, which happened against the LA Clippers during the playoffs. After a kerfuffle with Tre Mann, who supposedly said “don’t look at the bench”, Washington decided that was exactly what he was going to do. And then paused to allow a little photo opp.

The entertainment value was incredible, but it was also an important sign to his teammates that he was ready to defend them and stand up for them. These things matter greatly in team sports.

Then there’s Naji Marshall. He is as tough as they come. Nobody who’s watched him play doubts that. But is he mentally strong? I’ll argue yes. After the Luka trade, he kept playing well and even stepped up his game, despite clearly suffering personally, being a big fan of Doncic and very happy to be in Dallas with him. That’s playing through adversity and not crumbling. A potential mental leader.

Another guy, who may be on another level of mental strength, at least off the court, is Dereck Lively. He lost his mom just before the playoffs in 2024, came back and kept up his performance. He did not, as other maybe less mentally strong people, try to block out his loss or suppress his feelings – he spoke openly about it. A feat of mental strength worthy of a man twice his age. When he is mentally strong enough to do that, he can pretty much do and accomplish anything in terms of adversity. Therefore, he is a potential leader here.

Dante Exum is also a player who’s shown extraordinary mental strength through many years. Working his way back from multiple serious injuries, going to Europe and consciously working with psychological tools of being present and getting the most out of the experience rather than only focusing on how to get back to the NBA. Plus playing in some of the hardest environments in the Euroleague and under extreme pressure for two years and thriving – to get a spot on the Dallas Mavericks.

These are all valuable experiences that add up to creating a mentally strong player. If he manages to stand his ground better than he did during the 2024 playoffs and develop to sustain the pressure and physicality of that moment, he will not only be a good player to have for this team, but his experience will be priceless.

Honorable mentions are Klay Thompson, who with four rings has the experience it takes, but perhaps not the personality traits. He has a more subdued demeanour generally. Also Dwight Powell, the real veteran in Dallas with 11 years on the Mavericks, has shown leadership, especially recently. He is considered a leader in the locker room, and hopefully he can be a calming factor for the younger guys.

For anyone thinking that mental toughness is not high up on the list of important skills for an elite athlete, I invite you to think about who you may trust to take the last shot in a game. Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, LeBron James. What do all these players of different sizes, position, skills and origin have in common? Mental toughness.

Note: This list doesn’t consider anyone signed during the summer, who haven’t played a minute in Dallas yet. This is due to the obvious reasons that we have no idea what they’ll look like on this team, and they have had too short of a time with the group to be in a leadership position as of now.

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...hness-check-does-this-team-have-what-it-takes

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

MMBets: Luka Doncic is out for blood in Los Angeles

The Lakers are still riding the high of a once-in-a-lifetime trade that established Luka Doncic as the next face of their franchise. After a first-round exit, Doncic wasted no time getting back in the gym and subsequently playing for his home country of Slovenia in Eurobasket. He looked unstoppable in the tournament, and the media has done him wonders with their framing of his offseason regimen. Unfortunately, behind the (Luka) magic of it all, the Lakers did not get much better after their disappointing end to last season.

Hitting on multiple gambles will be the name of the game for Los Angeles in 2026. Can they salvage Deandre Ayton? What will LeBron James look like in year 23? If Doncic struggles to begin the year, is there any truth behind the smear job that Nico Harrison rolled out with Doncic’s departure? These are all things that are going to overshadow the basketball for the Lakers. If they want any hope of being a serious contender and not just a click generator during Doncic’s prime and James’ twilight years, all of these plot points are going to have to converge on the same path.

Los Angeles Lakers: Over/Under 49.5 Wins (-102/-120)​

Last Season: 50-32​

Additions: Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia​

Losses: Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Reddish​

I hate the Lakers’ roster. Outside of Doncic and James, it is a weak amalgamation of non-cohesive puzzle pieces. Ayton has not worked since 2021, they are thin behind him at center, and the wings they have are largely unproven. LaRavia could be a surprisingly good piece, but I just don’t see this roster as anything better than what Doncic had in his first few years in Dallas. Despite that, it is hard to ignore the incentive for Doncic to tear the league apart next season. He is a world-wrecker with unparalleled motivation and, because of that, the floor for this team is very low. They won 50 games last season and they’re going to do it again. If they hit on the aforementioned question marks, this team could go over 49.5 wins by a large number.

Prediction: Over 49.5 wins (-102)​

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...6-nba-season-preview-luka-doncic-lebron-james

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

MMBets: Steph’s last, best chance at glory

The Splash Brothers era brought four championships to The Bay. However, as you are all familiar with Klay Thompson is now a Dallas Maverick, and that era of Golden State Warriors basketball has left with him. That’s not to say that these Warriors can’t reach those heights, as Steph Curry still exists. But time is running out on this aging team, so it’s now or never for the Dubs.

The Warriors have a flurry of moves that they are expected to make but have not yet completed. That includes the Al Horford signing, as well as the resigning of Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton. Recently, Marc Stein reported that the Warriors are also going to sign Seth Curry. Those moves will be accounted for in this preview, as it appears they are all but finalized.

One other thing hanging over this team is what the plan is for Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga clearly fell out of favor with the coaching staff last year, as he earned several DNP-CD’s (did not play – coaches decision, for those who are unfamiliar with NBA box score jargon) in key spots last year, including the playoffs. Kuminga is currently a restricted free agent, but both he and the Warriors do not appear to be interested in a compromise. The deadline for Kuminga to accept his qualifying offer is October 1, or a deal can be reached at any time.

---

Golden State Warriors: Over/Under 45.5 wins (-120/-102)​

Last season: 48-34​

Additions: Al Horford, Seth Curry (all reported, not yet finalized)​

Losses: Kyle Anderson (Utah), Dennis Schroeder (Sacramento), Kevon Looney (New Orleans)​

I have so many questions about this team. What’s really changed here to affect the ceiling of this team? The Warriors got nuclear hot to end the season after the Butler trade, but how much of that was a mirage? What are we to make of the Kuminga situation? Can Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Steph all stay healthy for long enough to have the requisite regular season record to make a run? There are too many unknowns here for my liking.

Prediction: Under 45.5 wins​

Odds provided by the Fanduel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Wager responsibly!​

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...rriors-2025-26-nba-season-preview-steph-curry

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II is … still growing?

In one of the scarier prospects for opposing big men throughout the NBA, it appears Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is still a growing boy.

Lively is still just 21 heading into his third season with the Mavs, so it’s medically feasible that he may still have room to grow into what was already a 7’1” frame.

Lively was asked during Monday’s Mavericks Media Day press conferences about whether or not he’s grown this offseason.

“I believe so,” Lively said. “I would definitely say I have [grown], and I just need to get the exact measurement, but I’d say, 7’2” or 7’3.”

Dereck Lively shared that he grew 2 inches.

He was listed as 7’1 but believes that he is 7’3. pic.twitter.com/HsK3OtNmqs

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) September 29, 2025

The typical human male stops growing around Age 18, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but growth can, in some cases, continue into a man’s early 20s.

What does this mean for the Mavs’ frontcourt? Well, if they want to, Dallas can roll out not just the big lineup, but the gargantuan lineup, with a front court featuring Cooper Flagg (6’9”), one of either Anthony Davis (6’10”) or Daniel Gafford (6’10”), and Lively (7’2”-7’3”). We knew the team would be big and defensive-minded already, though.

Does it mean anything for Lively’s potential health or longevity? Not necessarily, and not necessarily to any greater degree than before, since the man was already extremely tall at 7’1”. Being one of the tallest people on the planet does come with certain health risks, both on the court and off. Knee and back injuries can be an issue for the very very tall basketball player, and aside from that, extremely long bois may also run a greater risk of circulatory issues, blood clotting issues and various bone conditions. But again, all those things were already in play at 7’1” for Lively.

The third-year big fella out of Duke has played just 91 games across his first two seasons due to various injuries, including a stress fracture in his right ankle that held him out for more than two months last year. He reportedly underwent successful surgery in July and is considered healthy going into the 2025-26 season at this point.

Lively’s shot blocking, rebounding and rim running could improve as a result of this latest growth spurt, and as Mavs fans know, these were already strengths for Lively, who is poised to take another step forward in his growth on the court this year.

He has averaged 8.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game over 23.4 minutes per game in his first two seasons with the Mavericks.

If his game can grow at the same clip he thinks he did physically this offseason, watch out for Lively this year. The jump some fans expected him to make going into his second year may come with a few added inches in his third.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...cks-big-man-dereck-lively-ii-is-still-growing

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Dallas Wings Part Ways With Chris Koclanes

Chris Koclanes was relieved of his coaching duties, the Dallas Wings announced Tuesday. The team will immediately begin a search for their next head coach.

The Dallas Wings announced Tuesday they were parting ways with head coach Chris Koclanes after one season. Koclanes went 10-34 in his lone year in Dallas.

“On behalf of the Dallas Wings, I want to thank Chris for his many and immediate contributions to the organization this past season,” said Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller.

Koclanes came in as a surprising hire for the team, having no WNBA or collegiate head coaching experience and less than 10 years experience as an assistant with Connecticut, Los Angeles, and the University of South California. His lone season in Dallas had moments of hope, but largely was surrounded by tense press conferences as the team failed to make significant improvements throughout the season.

The team will immediately conduct a search for a new head coach, its third in as many seasons after the team fired Latricia Trammell shortly after the 2024 season. Overall, it will be the team’s sixth coach since the team moved to Dallas in 2015.

“With new team facilities being built, a youthful roster under contract, and the rights to three first round draft selections over the next two seasons, including a lottery pick in 2026, the Wings are well-positioned for future success,” Miller said. “As we enter a pivotal point in our team’s future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization. The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court.”

The new coach will inherit a team that’s been in turmoil since 2023. Dallas made the WNBA semifinals that season, but has won just 19 of its 84 games in the last two seasons. Paige Bueckers, 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was the team’s lone All-Star last year and will look to build on that success with a new coach next season.

The team could look quite different next season for this new coach, as they have just five players under contract for next season. Arike Ogunbowale, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Tyisha Harris are all unrestricted free agents.

As Miller said, the team has assets to prepare for its future. Dallas has the best odds — 40% — to obtain the No. 1 overall pick for the second season in a row and will pick no lower than No. 3. That pick will join Bueckers and young star Maddy Siegrist in hopes of building a core for a team that’s making strides in the community. The Wings will play their final season at College Park Center on UT Arlington’s campus in 2026 before moving to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas in 2027.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dallas-wings/50513/dallas-wings-part-ways-with-chris-koclanes

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

MMBets: The Cleveland Cavaliers are the team to beat out East

The Cavaliers had visions of a championship when they signed Donovan Mitchell in 2022. Those have not materialized in the three years he has been a Cavalier, but they seem to be as close as they have been. They won 60 games last year for the first time since 2010. Young pieces like Evan Mobley and Darius Garland took a step forward, and the Cavaliers were in lock-step with the Thunder because of it. Unfortunately, they had the same demise as everyone but the eventual champions, as injuries and destiny saw them lose to the Pacers in the second round.

Cleveland has to be telling themselves that this is the year they can get over the hump. The East is wide open; the Pacers and Celtics are undermanned, and there are a lot of bad teams in the conference. The Cavaliers are returning all of their starters, have an experienced head coach, and are hungry from the underwhelming playoff performances of recent memory. If anyone is going to beat the Thunder, the Cavaliers may be the best team to give them a run for their money.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Over/Under 56.5 Wins (-104/-118)​

Last Season: 64-18​

Additions: Larry Nance Jr.​

Losses: N/A​

Cleveland is second to Oklahoma City (+210) in championship odds at +700. They were number one last year in offensive rating (121.7) and eighth in defensive rating (112.2). This was an elite team a year ago, and they have all the continuity you can ask for. Guys won’t have to learn a new offense, a new defense, or adapt to any new roles. They will be humming from the jump, and should build on a great season with an even better one in 2026.

Prediction: Over 56.5 wins (-104)​

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...s-2025-26-nba-season-preview-donovan-mitchell

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Take Kyrie at his word: Your expectations for him are probably too high

Training Camp is officially here for the Dallas Mavericks, and with it comes a whole new batch of quotes and breakdowns from what was said on Media Day. On Monday, both head coach Jason Kidd and star guard Kyrie Irving took to the podium to do what the organization should have been doing for months now: Tempering the expectations that surround Kyrie Irving this season.

Kyrie Irving, smiling: “I’m right on schedule.”

He does not have a specific target date for his return. https://t.co/SqwoT37K3J

— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) September 29, 2025

As we all know, Irving is recovering from the torn ACL that he suffered back on March 3rd in a home game against the Sacramento Kings. The recovery time for an injury such as this typically is around nine to twelve months, give or take a bit. That is not the issue at hand here, however. The issue that has arisen is that, as Jason Kidd noted Monday in his presser, were reports of Kyrie being ahead of schedule in his rehab, which Kidd called “bad reporting”. The “reporting” was from his own General Manager’s mouth at NBA Summer League, but that’s neither here nor there. Irving himself noted that he was “right on schedule” and spoke at length about not wanting to put a timetable out there, since there would then be pressure on him to hit said timeline.

This gets back to a larger issue at hand amongst many circles of Maverick fans, both in the online and offline discussion that isn’t hard to find. The expectation that Kyrie Irving is going to magically reappear on Christmas Day and be the exact same player he was on February 28th, 2025 is not fair to him. In fact, if you don’t believe Jason Kidd, take Kyrie’s own words from over the summer for it, as he talked about this process on his own Twitch streams.

Kyrie Irving if he’ll be back for playoffs:

“Don’t hold your breath on that… I just want to be back 150,000% better. I’m taking my time right now to really get healthy… I just want to be back out there.”

(Via Kyrie’s stream) #NBA pic.twitter.com/tVZDLAiWpY

— Swish Access (@SwishAccess) July 6, 2025

The fact of the matter is this. Kyrie Irving, an aging small guard with an extensive history of lower body injuries, is recovering from a severe knee injury. It is going to take an extraordinary amount of work just for him to return to the court at all. You’ll see that this week, as the Mavs start practice in Vancouver, Irving will be out there getting some individual drills and work done. It’s all part of the process to complete step one. Once he does that, it’ll take even longer for Kyrie to start feeling like himself again.

The road back from an injury such as his, at his age in particular, is not linear. There will be days when he looks like peak Kyrie on the floor. But there will also be days when he looks a step slow. It’s part of the recovery process, as he and others have explained ever since the injury. This season, if he comes back at all, you could expect to see something between 50-70% of the Kyrie Irving you saw on March 2, 2025. To expect anything but that this season is doing yourself, Kyrie and the rest of the group a disservice.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...oo-high-acl-recovery-nico-harrison-jason-kidd

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Cooper Flagg begins a new era in Dallas

Cooper Flagg comes to Dallas ready to help the Mavericks contend for a championship.

It’s been a long eight months for Dallas Mavericks fans.

The front office traded away one of the top players in the league, proceeded to fall out of playoff contention, lost in blowout fashion in the play-in game, and watched the team Dallas sent home in the 2024 playoffs win an NBA championship just a year later.

It’s hard to feel optimism after a stretch like that, but just when all hope seemed lost, out came this phenom from Duke University. Cooper Flagg attended the team’s Media Day on Monday and said he’s looking forward to the journey. He said he’d like to be Rookie of the Year, but also said the main goal is winning games and focusing on winning a championship.

It won’t be the same team that took the court last year and there’s no doubt the team faces longer odds to win a title than it did when it entered the 2024-2025, but call me crazy: I’m excited to see what this team can do together on the court.

Dereck Lively II — who apparently grew two inches in the offseason — and Anthony Davis will join Flagg in the starting lineup to present opposing teams with one of the league’s most talented front courts both offensively and defensively.

Daniel Gafford will start in games where injuries permit and bring depth to the team’s big-man identity, while PJ Washington comes back for his second full season in Dallas looking to add a dynamic wing to the equation. Gafford and Washington both signed extensions with the team last summer, potentially locking them in long term with Dallas.

This is the core. All five guys listed above are under contract with the Mavericks until at least the end of the 2027-2028 season. Add in Kyrie Irving, who fans hope will be back towards the end of this season, and Dallas has a core that can cause headaches for any team in the league.

The Mavericks are by no means favorites to come out of the West — and I’m not arguing they should be — but a starting five of Flagg, Klay Thomspon, Washington, Davis, and Lively II is a fun group that will cause matchup nightmares for teams across the league.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is health. Dallas is already down its starting point guard, Davis has had his share of injuries over the years and Thompson has suffered major injuries in both legs, but I don’t believe this team’s history with injuries should dampen fan’s excitement for the upcoming season.

Flagg showed flashes of brilliance in his two Summer League games and Davis looked like his old self at times during his time with Dallas last season, including a 23-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist, 7-block all-around performance against the Toronto Raptors.

Add in Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell and this team can attack you in a lot of different ways. Caleb Martin struggled in his time with Dallas last year, but could be a spark for Dallas like he was for Miami two seasons ago.

This team is hungry, and they’re ready to put the trade behind them. It may sound crazy right now, but I believe Dallas has a chance to be a top-6 team in the Western Conference and if they can find their groove before Kyrie comes back, this is not a team Western Conference teams will want to face in April or May.

The last era didn’t end like fans wanted it to, but the new era is now beginning and — to paraphrase longtime Maverick radio guy Chuck Cooperstein — the Mavericks are ready to plant their Flagg atop the NBA mountain once again.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/mavericks-analysis/50483/a-new-era-begins-in-dallas

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Former Maverick Quentin Grimes re-signs with Philadelphia for qualifying offer

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Wednesday night that Quentin Grimes will return to the 76ers on a one-year, $8.7 million deal. Charania said it includes an inherent no-trade clause. After such a stellar season, Grimes is signing a deal that will allow him to once again play for a bigger contract next offseason, except this time he will be unrestricted. Grimes was dealt last season from Dallas to Philadelphia with a second-round pick (that became Johni Broome) for Caleb Martin.

At the time of the trade, this was a bad exchange for Dallas. Not only is Grimes a far superior player to Caleb Martin, but giving up a pick instead of receiving one never made any sense. In essence, general manager Nico Harrison took a gamble that Grimes was going to get paid a sizeable amount. Martin is making $9.5 million this season, $10 million in 2026-27, and a $9.3 million player option in 2027-28 on his current contract. Harrison assumed that Grimes would probably get somewhere between $15 and $20 million, making it much harder for Dallas to match that contract. Now, Grimes will make less money than Martin next year and quickly becomes one of the best value players in the entire NBA.

For a team that is clamoring for flexibility, this turn of events is predictable and bad, both at the moment the trade happened and now in hindsight. To get Harrison’s defense out of the way, the employment of Martin over Grimes allows Dallas to have a tradeable contract for three more years. It also removes the possibility for Grimes to walk next summer for nothing, given that Dallas inevitably would not pay him the money he wants. In reality, this is just another poor decision by the Mavericks’ general manager. He miscalculated Grimes’ market, and by a lot, evidenced by the fact that he gave up a pick with him to get Martin back. He also misjudged Martin’s ability, which is impressive considering Martin was hurt at the time of the trade and not great when he was on the floor anyway.

The Mavericks are in win-now mode, as stated many times by the guy who constructed this roster. Grimes, on this cheaper contract, would have given Dallas more flexibility and more guard talent on a roster starved of it.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...entin-grimes-re-signs-with-philadelphia-76ers

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Where and when every current Dallas Mavericks player was drafted

Much bluster has been blown about the fact that the Dallas Mavericks are heading into the 2025-26 season sporting three No. 1 overall NBA Draft picks on their roster. It’s a rare distinction, to be sure, and one that adds a fair amount of intrigue to the team’s prospects ahead of the first full year without Luka Dončić.

Is there enough firepower on this year’s squad to help fans move on from that catastrophic day in February? One of the three No. 1 draft picks, Kyrie Irving, will be on the shelf for most of the upcoming season as he recovers from the ACL tear he suffered during a March 3 game against the Sacramento Kings, so that very much remains to be seen. But the fact remains, the 2025-26 Mavs are chock full of dudes who were thought of very highly coming into the Association, alongside a lot of players who were thought to be full-fledged reclamation projects.

Here’s a list of where and when each current member of the Mavericks was drafted, if they were drafted at all. We’ll go in order of jersey numbers, why? Because I said so, that’s why.

One time for the s@chime // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/IIFVtq3VMP

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 29, 2025

00 Max Christie​

Kormac Karl “Max” Christie Jr. was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, 35th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers out of Michigan State. He was a McDonald’s All-American before his one year at MSU and was thought of as a potential second-round steal by the time the Lakers selected him. He came into the league with a reputation as a guy with high character and a great work ethic, but needed to develop, both physically into his 6’6” frame with a 6’9” wingspan and on the court with shot selection and on defense.

He appears to have addressed both in his first three years in the league and still offers a little upside as an off-guard off the bench. He wowed Mavericks fans early on in his tenure with the Mavs after being included in the trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers in February, by scoring 15 or more points on a 51.9% shooting clip in his first seven games following his arrival.

0 Dante Exum​

Dante Exum was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft out of Australia, specifically the Australian Institute of Sport, by the Utah Jazz. Pre-draft speculation saw Exum as a potential franchise cornerstone at guard, but that never materialized due to a brutal bout with injuries throughout the first seven years of his career.

After spending five years in Utah and two more with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Mavericks signed him to a two-year deal following his two-year stint in Europe, where he played for FC Barcelona in 2021-22 and Partizan Belgrade in 2022-23. The injury bug has claimed large swaths of his two years in Dallas as well. He played just 20 games last year after suffering a wrist injury before the 2024-25 season and a broken hand 15 games into his year.

There are flashes — moments — that still conjure images of the game-changing talent that could have been with Exum, so here’s hoping he can provide the ball handling and buckets the Mavs need off the bench in his third year with the team.

1 Jaden Hardy​

Jaden Hardy was selected just two picks after Christie, with the 37th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, by the Kings. He previously played for the G-League Ignite. He was traded to the Mavericks in a draft-night deal that sent two future second-rounders to Sacramento. Hardy was thought of as an exciting scorer, but also a project, coming into the league. He had a reputation for freezing out teammates by hanging onto the ball too long at times, a habit only limited in his time in Dallas by the number of minutes he gets.

He’s still a guy that can get you 20 points if you’re in a pinch, but some bad always comes with the good with Hardy. He’s probably only here this year because the Mavs have such a need at the guard position with Irving recovering from his knee injury.

2 Dereck Lively II​

Dereck Lively was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder a year later, with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, then sent in a draft-day deal to Dallas. He played one year at Duke and was thought of as an exciting, though raw, prospect after displaying incredible athleticism and ability at the rim in lieu of great statistical success. Dallas tanked the last two games of the 2022-23 season to stay in the draft lottery, ultimately resulting in a $750,000 fine and the rights to the “big man of the future.” Mavs fans everywhere would take that result every time it presented itself.

Lively has outperformed San Antonio Spurs savior Victor Wembanyama in each of the last two years’ season openers, and that in itself would be enough to call the pick a success, but Lively looks to be a lot more than just a gimmick with freaky athletic upside heading into his third year. The only thing holding him back is his own tendency toward injury. A small fracture in his foot limited him to 36 games last year, and he’s logged just 91 games in his first two years in the NBA.

3 Anthony Davis​

Anthony Davis was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was selected by the then-New Orleans Hornets out of Kentucky after leading John Calipari’s Wildcats bunch to the 2012 NCAA Championship. He was thought of as a sort of Tim Duncan/Kevin Garnett hybrid with the ability to win multiple NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and the potential to be a multiple first-team All-NBA Team selection. He’s largely made good on that potential across his 13 years in the NBA after making nine All-Star teams, four All-NBA First Teams and five All-NBA Defensive Teams.

What remains to be seen is how much is left in Davis’ tank coming into year 14 in the NBA. Last year, in 51 games, he was more of a 20-10 type guy than the dominant big man fans have come to know. His latest injury oddity comes in the form of a detached retina that will force Davis to wear protective goggles for the remainder of his career.

4 Dennis Smith Jr.​

He’s got a jersey number on the team’s official website, so Dennis Smith Jr., the recent acquisition after spending last season playing in Europe for Real Madrid, goes in this section of the writeup. There is no guarantee that he makes the team this year, though, after he was brought back to Dallas two weeks ago on a one-year deal. Smith Jr. was originally drafted by the Mavericks with the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and was thought of as the team’s “next star guard” for a year until some guy named Dončić showed up. Coming out of North Carolina State after one year, he was seen as a score-first guard who could jump out of the gym, but whose outside shot and defense left something to be desired. He scored 15.2 points per game in his rookie year before his career seemed to fizzle a little as a New York Knick.

Smith Jr. has since rounded out his game defensively in later stops with the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, but make no mistake, he’s here for depth in the backcourt. There has been some early speculation that the 15th and final roster spot for the season opener may come down to Brandon Williams or Smith Jr.

5 D’Angelo Russell​

D’Angelo Russell was selected with the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, by the Lakers out of Ohio State. He was viewed as a potential superstar after his one year at OSU due to his smooth offensive game and passing ability. He was compared to players like Manu Ginobili and James Harden out of college and hasn’t quite lived up to those lofty expectations.

Russell can still be an effective point guard in this league despite his tendency toward flightiness and wearing out his welcome at some stops along his NBA journey. The Mavs are counting on him, at least initially, to bridge the gap at the point until Irving returns from his knee injury. He’ll be here for at least a year after signing a two-year, $12 million deal with the Mavs this offseason, with the second year being a player option.

7 Dwight Powell​

Amid all the tumult and roster churn, Dwight Powell persists. The 12th-year backup big out of Stanford and by far the longest-tenured Maverick on the roster just keeps showing up to work. One draft profile from 2014 called him a versatile player who lacked toughness. He’s developed a whole hell of a lot of that in the years since, even if he is relatively easy to score against, as he seems to take a forearm shiver to the grill in the lane at least once a week.

Powell was selected with the 45th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Hornets. He came to the Mavs later that year as an add-on in the trade that brought Rajon Rondo to town — good Lord. He’s been here ever since, and we love him for that.

11 Kyrie Irving​

Save us, Kyrie Irving. Irving was selected by the Cavs with the first overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft out of Duke. Minus LeBron James, who took his talents to South Beach a year earlier, Irving was tapped as the savior in Cleveland after playing just 11 games at Duke in his only college season, but there were very few holes in his game coming into the NBA. His dagger 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals sealed the win and the O’Brien Trophy for Cleveland and stands as one of the greatest clutch shots of all time.

He’s a great No. 1 option as a scorer and distributor and has become a much better leader on the floor in his years in Dallas, but his best moments have come while playing the role of Robin to James’ or Dončić‘s Batman. Just be sure not to characterize his recovery timeline as “ahead of schedule” as he works his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in March. That’s just bad reporting, according to the scrambled mind of Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, no matter who put it out there first.

21 Daniel Gafford​

Daniel Gafford was selected with the 38th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, by the Chicago Bulls out of Arkansas. He was seen as a bouncy if undersized center after two years in college — a good offensive rebounder and rim protector whose post moves and scoring lacked a little polish. You might still say that about Gafford as he enters his seventh year in the NBA, having just signed a three-year, $54 million contract extension through the 2028-29 season this offseason.

Gafford is third in the pecking order as part of the Mavs’ three-headed monster at the four or five. He’ll likely come off the bench to start this season, but part of his value lies in the fact that both Davis and Lively have a history of getting injured.

25 P.J. Washington​

P.J. Washington became a fan favorite last year as the Mavericks came to depend upon his scoring and versatility more and more as injuries ravaged the rest of the roster. He was originally selected 12th overall by the Hornets in 2019 after spending two seasons at Kentucky.

He was hard to pigeonhole coming out of college after developing a reputation as a jack of all trades. His 8’11” standing reach made him an ideal small-ball center and his ability to score in a variety of ways positioned him as a baller first — one for whom a natural position wasn’t immediately made clear. He’s still that now, but he fits so well into the position-less game that NBA basketball has become that his versatility is now seen as his greatest asset. The Mavs also extended Washington this offseason — he signed a four-year, $90 million deal with the team on September 3.

31 Klay Thompson​

Will the Summer of Klay lead into a more successful second year with the Mavs than his first year with the team? Thompson was originally selected with the 11th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors after playing three years at Washington State.

He was drafted for his sharpshooting reputation from the perimeter and now ranks fifth all-time in 3-pointers made in NBA history (2,697). Shooting translates, apparently. Thompson has two years left on the three-year, $50 million deal he signed with the Mavs in free agency before last season, so catching Ray Allen, who currently sits third all-time (2,973), is definitely in play.

32 Cooper Flagg​

Deliver us from evil, Cooper Flagg, as we wait out Irving’s stay on the injury report. Flagg, the entire reason we’re writing this post in the first place, was selected by the Mavericks with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after the team entered the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with just a 1.8% chance of getting the first pick.

See the vision? Flagg was heralded as one of the best American-born NBA Draft prospects since LeBron James after his one and only year at Duke last year. He can shoot but has room to improve from 3-point range, he can defend at any of three to four positions on the floor, he has an insane basketball IQ and a will to win that rivals all the greats. He’s as can’t miss as can’t miss can get coming into his rookie season, surrounded by a core that few, if any, first overall picks will ever see.

50 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl​

Yes, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is a player for your Dallas Mavericks, at least for the moment. The team signed him to a non-guaranteed training camp contract around the same time the team signed Smith Jr. to a similar deal.

Robinson-Earl was selected 32nd overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks before New York traded his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 6’8” forward spent two years at Villanova before that, where he was the Co-Big East Player of the Year in 2021. Defense is his calling card — his lack of a consistent jump shot kept him out of the first round that year. He played the last two seasons in New Orleans, where he played just under 19 minutes per game and averaged 6.3 points per game last year.

The undrafted​

Three undrafted players round out the Mavericks’ 2025-26 roster as currently constructed. Brandon Williams made a name for himself last year as an undersized injury fill-in at point guard last year to some acclaim and signed a two-year deal with the team this offseason. He played one year at Arizona (2018-19) before becoming one of the best guards floating around the NBA G-League since then.

Naji Marshall is more of a mainstay on the Mavericks’ roster and performed admirably last season after signing a three-year, $27 million contract with the Mavs before the 2024-25 season. He figures to be a weapon off the bench again this year. He played for three seasons at Xavier from 2017-2020 before catching on in the NBA with the Hornets.

Caleb Martin, on the other hand, has not found his footing with the Mavericks since being traded to the team from the Philadelphia 76ers for Quentin Grimes in February. He was injured when he arrived and played less than 20 minutes per game across 14 games with the team last year. Meanwhile, Grimes, whose contract status with Philly is still up in the air for the upcoming season, thrived with the ball in his hands after the trade to the 76ers last season, averaging 21.9 points across 33.6 minutes per game in 28 regular season games. Martin played two seasons at NC State and two more at Nevada from 2014-2019 before catching on in the NBA with the Hornets.

And although he was signed to a two-way deal following the 2025 NBA Draft, I just want to mention Ryan Nembhard here, too. Getting him as an undrafted rookie out of Gonzaga was something akin to grand larceny, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up seeing some time with the Mavs this season. Nembhard led the nation in assists as a senior last year (9.8 per game) after thriving more as a scorer in his junior season. He’s an old-school floor general with a new-school flair and polish to his offensive game and could make his mark in the NBA in the coming years.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...y-current-dallas-mavericks-player-was-drafted

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Klay Thompson wants the 2011 Mavericks title run to be a daily motivator: “They exemplified what a team really is”

It takes someone who’s been there to understand what it takes to win. And Klay Thompson has been there four times, more than almost anyone else in the league and definitely more than anyone else on the Dallas Mavericks.

With four championships, he ties only three other current players for most rings in the NBA: LeBron James, Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

This makes the Maverick sharpshooter an incredible asset for this team, if he wants to share his knowledge and be a veteran leader for the group, especially when it comes to the mental aspect of going all the way. And as it turns out, that’s exactly what Klay Thompson has his mind set on to start this season.

During Dallas Mavericks Media Day Monday, Klay Thompson was quick to mention how much the 2011 Mavericks championship team meant to him, and how they inspire him to this day:

“I watch the 2011 Championship movie all the time. And I remember that run so vividly. I remember the performances by Dirk, by Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, J-Kidd running the point. Any NBA fan of my age remembers that run so much because that team, they might not have been the most talented throughout that playoffs, but they exemplified what a team really is. Every player on that team knew their role. They knew who was their closer. They knew what spots to operate best in. That inspires me. That’s what I want. I want to feel that again,” Thompson said.

Reminiscing on the 2011 Championship @ATT // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/2AmtoNiO8E

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 29, 2025

Highlighting the team aspect and the desire to experience a run like that again, he also shared how he wants to help the young guys get there, using his own experience to mentor the next generation:

“I remember being a young player in this league, and you are so impressionable from what you see the veterans do. And I want to lead by example, I want to show him (Cooper Flagg) how much it means to me,” he said to Fox 4 DFW later.

And then he continued with one of the strongest quotes from this past week:

“As he (Flagg) furthers into his career, he can be like, “Klay was my vet.” That’s honestly greater than any scoring night I can have going forward. Just leaving a great imprint on this franchise.”

“I remember being a young player in this league, and you are so impressionable from what you see the veterans do. And I want to lead by example, I want to show him how much it means to me. As he furthers into his career he can be like, “Klay was my vet.” That’s honestly greater… pic.twitter.com/0u1Yay44zK

— Mavs Film Room (@MavsFilmRoom) October 1, 2025

Thompson, who’s only starting his second season with the Dallas Mavericks after 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, showing such commitment and loyalty to the Mavericks and to Dallas is quite the storyline, and significant in its own way.

But the feel-good story of Klay Thompson’s commitment to the Mavs and Mavericks history doesn’t stop there.

Around the same time, Marc Stein shared on the DLLS show that he saw Klay Thompson pull out “The Great Nowitzki”, a book by Thomas Pletzinger about Dirk from his backpack Tuesday in the gym. And that Klay was quoting from the book. A heartwarming anecdote for Mavs fans, who are known for their undying dedication to the German big man, who in turn has kept showing an unrivaled loyalty to the Mavericks franchise and fans.

@TheSteinLine shared on the DLLS show that the coolest thing he saw yesterday in the gym was Klay Thompson pulling out this particular book about Dirk from his backpack & was quoting things in the book. pic.twitter.com/FPk0MdFcgh

— Panda Hank (@pandahank41) October 1, 2025

Already last year, Thompson made clear that he looked up to Dirk, as he was seen wearing a Nowitzki jersey while working out.

Klay Thompson showing love to Dirk

(Via Jlawbball/IG) pic.twitter.com/AhIK63whHz

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) July 13, 2024

Thompson has worked on the idea to motivate and inspire the Mavs by looking at the 2011 title run for a while, it seems, as it came to light that different players have been talking about the title run in the locker room, according to P.J. Washington. He also shared that Thompson has suggested that the 2011 Championship movie run every day as inspiration to the team:

“A bunch of different players talking about the run (Mavericks winning the championship in 2011), and Klay wanted it to be in there every single day to remind us what it’s like, what it was like for them back in the day. Just to give us extra motivation, extra fuel to the fire.”

P.J. Washington said that Klay Thompson requested clips from the 2011 NBA Finals Mavericks team be played every day around the team for extra motivation and to see what they had to go through. pic.twitter.com/O9Ps51XGFK

— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) September 29, 2025

Klay Thompson, being the smart and experienced player he is, knows how much NBA and franchise history matters in the creation of a strong team identity, purpose and motivation. He knows that it wouldn’t carry the same weight to use his own extended experience with the Golden State Warriors as a motivator and inspiration to the team, so he found a place to pull that same feeling in the history of his current franchise.

It’s a great idea, worth all the work he seems to have put into it. He is right now helping create a winning narrative and identity for this group, based on a team that won despite the odds. If he – and the team – are able to hold on to this energy and identity, it will prove even more valuable and meaningful for the team down the stretch, when adversity hits. Because it always does, sooner or later. But when you know what it takes to win, you also know how to get through it.

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...ivator-they-exemplified-what-a-team-really-is

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

An Internal Inventory of a Dallas Mavericks Fan

On October 13th, 1992, Admiral James Stockdale began his introductory comments at the Vice Presidential debate with an opening line that would become a punchline for laughs on Saturday Night Live shortly thereafter. “Who am I, why am I here?” He had intended to come back to that thread later in the debate and tell the country of his life story, service in the military, various posts in the academic world, and his vision for the country. The moderator almost completely ignored Stockdale after that initial laugh-inducing opener—focusing on Dan Quayle and Al Gore almost exclusively. Stockdale was never able to answer his own question and instead became shorthand for “doddering old man” in the early ’90s. A prisoner of war who became an Admiral, then a Vice Presidential candidate on the most strangely viable third-party presidential ticket of the 20th century, was effectively reduced to what we would call in modern parlance—a meme.

The question he asked that night—met with chuckles in the debate hall and mockery in the days that followed—is one I’ve found myself asking at junctures that feel like crossroads. Autopilot is a mode many of us spend our lives on in various ways. Evaluating our routines, our opinions, our loyalties every day would be exhausting and lead to long stretches of navel-gazing. The other extreme is equally precarious. Go too long down a path without checking the compass of your soul and you are liable to lose yourself so completely that even the map—the one you grabbed out of the take-one at the trailhead—will be of little use. When that happens to most humans, they simply keep going down the path, hoping it leads somewhere scenic and rewarding. That is, unless we pause and take an inventory. Past commitments continued out of a sense of integrity, even when they no longer serve us well, is a mixed bag. Sure, you will not be accused of waffling or cutting bait. You might also find yourself humming a certain Talking Heads song. Same as it ever was, indeed.

Here rooting since the franchise opener in 1980—admittedly I was just 5 years old—being a fan of the Dallas Mavericks has always meant taking the rough with the smooth. For every Vince Carter game winner, there was a year of Quinn Buckner to suffer through. The 2011 title banner was a balm that soothed the memory of the wilderness years of the ’90s. The pain of losing Nash, the pride of keeping Dirk. The pain of losing Brunson, the pride… oh wait, that’s right, this timeline is real.

I find myself at the edge of diving in again, year 4 this time. Crafting observations and opinions, baking them with overbaked metaphors, and doing my level best to make sense of all things Dallas Mavericks on behalf of any and all who take the time to read—an act for which I am always grateful.

This year, though, feels different. Last season’s earthquake trade of franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić changed something in me and—from talking to many of my colleagues—I am not alone. The sacred contract of MFFL formed in the early days of the Mark Cuban era has transmuted into something stained. As if your homestead’s mortgage started out shepherded by your quaint hometown bank which was then bought up by a nameless, faceless conglomerate who expected your same presence and grace—despite canning your favorite friendly advisor at the local branch for smoking hookah on the weekends. For many of us, the analogy is not perfect, but it tracks. We were in Bedford Falls and have suddenly found ourselves tethered to a franchise that feels more like Pottersville.

The Fracture, Revisited​

From the night the debacle landed in our notification trays, I labeled it as the worst moment in DFW sports history and stand by that. In the weeks and months that followed, I channeled Mozart and Captain Kirk trying to make sense of it. Realizing I still care about this team—but provisionally now—I wrote that the fanbase was fractured into three groups until at least the end of the Harrison era. Those who tossed the franchise aside for good are long gone and unlikely to return en masse. The remaining tension no longer includes the noisy exodus, which has left an ideological divide.

Are you long since moved on? If so, your stance is likely that the trade—love it or loathe it—is in the rearview and rarely should be mentioned as it has little bearing on this upcoming season and beyond. This may also stem from an understandable desire to let your sports fandom be filled with warmly comforting irrational thoughts.

The start of a new season, new faces, a number one draft pick in Cooper Flagg dropped from the heavens in the face of staggering odds gives a natural home for hope to spring eternal. Who wants to be told that their favorite team is fundamentally flawed and poised to be torn down during or after this upcoming season? It is not fun to read prognostications portending doom and gloom—or worse yet given what is punished in pro sports—impending mediocrity in what may be a final chapter of the Harrison regime.

I can hear it now. Don’t say that. Don’t write that. Instead, tell me why I can hope. My job is stressful, my family life is various degrees of chaos, and the world is a mess. The least you can do is shut up about the Luka trade; he is not coming back. Tell me about how Ryan Nemhard is going to shock everyone as an undersized pick-and-roll wizard. I am a Mavericks fan not for a single player you seem to be unable to move on from. Enough already.

Believe it or not, I can sympathize with that framework—to a point. Sports is a landscape we often retreat to and allow ourselves to feel beyond reason. It is also one of the last bastions of communal experience. So why, in that sacred respite from the rest of reality, would we want to wallow in lamentations about which nothing can be done? While I can map those stars and see the constellation when formed, it is not what I naturally see when I look up at the same sky.

The Social Contract​

Until at least the end of the Harrison era, I find myself seeing all things Dallas Mavericks through the prism of the ultimate fork-in-the-road moment. Actually, that is too charitable. Nico Harrison was not channeling Frost and opting for the road not taken. He was choosing between the highway and the ditch—and swerved the car down into the ravine and called it a move that fit his timeline.

After 21 seasons of Dirk, it seemed as though, definitionally, the Mavericks had the chance to be the sort of franchise that doubled down on career-long loyalty to a second legend. So many backstops had to give way to allow for the unthinkable. Mark Cuban had to be out of the decision tree. Check. He had to sell the franchise to a group of people who had no basketball acumen and were gullible under the sparkle of a trip to the Finals. Check. There had to be a complete lunatic installed as General Manager who fetishizes his former Nike buddies over empirical talent evaluation. Sadly, check. The trade needed to be approved with no other teams involved outside of the two-man Ascension Coffee powwow, Dallas had to be willing to take less for the sake of secrecy, and forego a more logical move to sign Luka to the supermax and then make the trade a year or so down the line à la Damian Lillard. Check, check, and ugh… check.

Players and coaches still under contract with Dallas are not about to tell you what they really think. But if you listen closely, they will after they depart. God Shammgod was anything but subtle on his way out the door—calling the trade of the franchise player and its aftermath, “spooky times.”

The covenant I made as an MFFL back during the late ’90s made room for losing, for disappointment, and for disagreement with moves along the way. You don’t take on supposed lifelong fandom tethering without knowing there will be pain a plenty ahead. But I did not sign up for this. A General Manager who would have sent Dirk packing after the 2006 Finals and still might if his time machine is ever finished. Harrison is a vacuous chasm where a smart executive purports to be. He shattered the social contract between the franchise and the fans. That some of the fans seem not to be fazed by this and are content to root for laundry as Jerry Seinfeld once opined is a moot point.

Harrison is a vacuous chasm where a smart executive purports to be.

Perhaps early in the offseason, the novice ownership group may have thought that opening up a GM search amid such turmoil would lead to a worse outcome than the status quo for one more year. After landing the number one pick with a bit of undeserved good fortune, the rebuild job is far more enticing—and that buoys even higher if Cooper Flagg has a promising first year under the NBA lights.

If that Rookie of the Year–level effort merely offsets the inevitable injuries and roster dysfunction that can reasonably be expected given the sudden dearth of playmaking and defense at both guard positions, the middling result will give Mavs fans something to be excited about for the future—and every reason for the owners to turn the keys over to someone with enough sense to strip it down and build the Flagg era properly. Mr. Nike is not that dude.

My Stockdale Moment​

I am the oldest staffer here—unless Kirk rouses an old-school columnist out of retirement, that is unlikely to change anytime soon. I grew up before the internet was a thing that defined nearly every facet of life, and so I feel like a relic. I see how divided we are, and I don’t just mean in a two-sides sort of way. We are splintered and spliced into micro niches—courted by the algorithm to keep clicking on things we already agree with and cloistered in a hermetically sealed jar of opinions.

This humble website is one of the few places a fan of the Dallas Mavericks can get analysis that is not behind a paywall, (usually) not titled with clickbait, and not heavily curated by the editors. That means—despite my misgivings on the current installation of Mavs decision-makers—I have the privilege of doing something that is rare and fleeting these days, pontificating unabashed.

This roster is a hodgepodge, and yet I hope they prove me wrong. Far too much size and focus on defense, and many of the offensive weapons are possession extenders or finishers rather early possession point of attack decision makers. The advantage creation that Luka and Kyrie provided is now elsewhere and on the shelf, respectively. The defense may well be top 10 by season’s end, but the offense will be brutal. Sure, Davis (adductors willing) will drop 40/20/15 on the Hawks, and his defenders will point to those sorts of efforts—and any struggles the Lakers have—as a sign the trade is working out after all. Harrison will tell us Kyrie Irving’s rehab has him ahead of schedule, which will be either smoke or an irresponsible rush job on his return. Will they make the playoffs or the play-in? I am not sure it matters, as this stacks up to be the last year for Harrison—and perhaps Kidd as well if the successor GM wants his own guy in place next offseason.

So, who am I? Why am I here? I am here because I care about my fellow staffers, the game of basketball generally, and I believe this franchise is destined to endure one more year of anguish before the deck can be reset and brighter days can be seen on the horizon. The best part of the story is that Flagg may well be the next North Star for the Mavericks—yet I have no illusions about overly rosy championship chatter that Harrison will try to sell the fanbase as the season is underway. Where I am not optimistic in the short term, I am endlessly fascinated by this unfolding human drama even if this is not the permutation of the timeline the vast majority of us saw coming or would ever have chosen.

The car is in the ditch, the tow truck has been called, and we are about to walk through the waiting game on its arrival. The only way out of this era is through. I lived through Quinn Bucker, I can get through this too and so can you. Let’s get to work.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver.../50183/dallas-mavericks-fandom-internal-check

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Max Christie took a huge leap last season, but how much more can he develop?

The 2024-25 season was filled with highs and lows for the third-year shooting guard out of Michigan State. The Lakers signed Christie to an extension in the summer of 2024 and he entered the year with high expectations and a hope for an increased role and production. He jumped from 14 minutes a game to 25 minutes a game in Los Angeles, missing just one game while wearing a Laker uniform. In February, he ended up in the shocking trade of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis and Christie. With the Mavericks, his role increased further, racking up 30 minutes a game and playing every possible game down the stretch of the regular season. He ran out of gas in March, taking a big dip in productivity and losing his shot almost entirely, but that can be chalked up in part to the aforementioned massive minutes bump.

Big Question​

Max Christie is a footnote in the biggest sports trade in modern history. Whether he stays a footnote or makes a name for himself is entirely within his control. At just 22 years old and in year two of a four-year extension he signed in the summer of 2024, all pressure on Christie is internal. Just how good does he want to be?

Christie played over 1000 more minutes last season compared to 2023-24. Increased opportunity meant increased production across the board, with Christie posting career highs across the board.

However, this Dallas team is currently stacked with talent, despite missing Kyrie Irving. With some unorthodox big line-ups expected from head coach Jason Kidd, Christie is likely going to have to earn both minutes and production in different ways than in past seasons. If he can increase his solid shooting efficiency from deep at all, he could prove a very valuable piece to a packed Dallas roster.

Best Case Scenario​

After starting the season as the eighth and sometimes ninth man off of the Dallas bench, Christie works himself comfortably into the backup two guard position, relieving Klay Thompson on nights off and giving Dallas a much needed shooting boost off of the bench. Christie increases his solid three point percentage from 36% to 39% or higher while shooting four to five attempts from beyond the arc per game.

An offseason focus on improved ball handling pays off, with Dallas more comfortable allowing Christie to run the occasional set, giving the playmakers of Dallas a rest on occasion. Christie continues his streak of availability, playing most or all of the season without missing a game.

Worst Case Scenario​

A reduction in minutes and role to start the season results in a decrease in confidence for Christie. Despite Dallas lacking guard depth, Kidd stops turning to Christie as often, which results in Christie being hesitant on the court. His percentages with limited opportunity tumble some and he struggles with a lack of consistent role within the offense.

Season Goal​

It might sound trite, but the goal for Christie this season has to be to contribute. At the moment, I think he’s on the very edge of the rotation, meaning his minutes are going to wax and wane early on as Jason Kidd tries things. Dallas has a weird, but very talented roster, and there are political elements of who’s going to play as well (Klay Thompson’s buy-in stands out, for example).

As a result, Christie may have to be patient. He made a big make last year and showed a level of potential I would not have considered. Of course, he’s got much to improve on, but he’s still at a developmental age. He can and should improve. Doing so under more chaotic circumstances than the last 30 games with Dallas is going to be a challenge.

Overall​

Christie’s season is so dependent on other things within the roster. He’s young, talented, and by all accounts, he works really, really hard. But his season may likely come down to the performance and health of players further up the rotation. One would think his position scarcity on the roster guarantees something, but it’s just too hard to predict until we see more of this team playing actual basketball. This may well be a season of treading water for Max Christie.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...dallas-mavericks-player-preview-nba-2025-2026

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks fans are really into this bench guard

Earlier in the week, we ran a poll asking which Dallas Mavericks bench guard was the most intriguing option. With Dennis Smith Jr., Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams as the three options, consider me surprised at these results.

Not only did Brandon Williams win, he won decisively. Last year, Williams played 33 games with Dallas as things got bleaker and bleaker on the injury front with each passing game down the final stretch. In his 15 minutes a game, he averages eight points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. This was more than enough to win over Dallas fans who were just looking for something to root for by the end of the 2024-25 season.

Dante Exum coming in third isn’t entirely surprising. While he was a trusty regular season option in the 2023-24 season, his injury-riddled 2024-25 season clearly has left a bad taste in the mouths of Mavericks fans. He’s also not playing with the team as of this writing for reasons that have not yet been disclosed. To some degree it feels like he might be on his way out with the Mavericks, but he is under contract.

Smith came in second with a solid 27% of the vote. Fans want to root for Smith; his earlier stint in Dallas ended poorly with the trade to the Knicks, but fans remember his exciting rookie year in 2017 which came after a really painful 2016-17 season were Dallas looked simply terrible.

Guards are going to be an important undercurrent to this year’s roster. Without a ton of talent, at least at this juncture, it would be a good story if one of these three, Maxi Christie, or D’Angelo Russell had a career year. For the Mavericks to succeed in the regular season and hopefully make a playoff push, someone playing guard is going to have to step up.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...vericks-fans-are-really-into-this-bench-guard

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

3 things to watch in the Mavericks’ preseason opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Get in the car, Dallas Mavericks fans. The team’s first preseason game takes us to sunny Fort Worth. Preseason play is officially upon us when the Mavs host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena in a game that only matters as much as you let it.

This team cannot officially hurt you … yet.

The game against the Thunder is more of an opportunity to see who runs with who — and who forms early chemistry with who — than to worry about on-court results. It’s a first look at assistant coach Jay Triano’s flow offense, which he brings with him from his time with the Sacramento Kings. It’s your first opportunity to see whether you buy into Dereck Lively II’s claim that he grew from 7’1” to 7’2” or 7’3” this offseason. For the record, the team website still lists Lively at 7’1” officially. It’s another early evaluation of all the promise Cooper Flagg brings to this roster and a chance to scout guys on the other end of the roster like Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly to gauge the viability of their potential contributions in the longer term.

Here are three things we’ll be paying close attention to in the Mavericks’ preseason opener.

Guard heirarchy​

Nembhard has reportedly been getting some run at the point in training camp practice sessions. Where does he fit in, if anywhere? Will he use the four preseason games to worm his way into Mavs fans’ collective curiosity after going undrafted in the 2025 and signing a two-way deal with the team in June?

It will be interesting to see if D’Angelo Russell sets himself apart from the rest of the guards available on the roster. Is he the clear runaway choice for starting point guard, or will the Mavs enter the 2025-26 season with a middling muddle at the most important position on the floor?

It will be something of a relief if he does emerge as the clear frontrunner. With Brandon Williams sustaining a hamstring injury in training camp and the mysterious early absence of Dante Exum from the practice floor, Russell will likely be given every opportunity to do so. The lineup Mavs head coach Jason Kidd mentioned after Friday’s practice, of Nembhard, Flagg, Lively, P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis is an intriguing one, though.

Jason Kidd said the Mavericks ran a lineup of the following players today at training camp:

– Ryan Nembhard
– Cooper Flagg
– PJ Washington
– Anthony Davis
– Dereck Lively II

(via mavericks/YT) pic.twitter.com/sLzWiDS9lT

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) October 4, 2025

Kidd called it “the big group” with Flagg playing at off guard. All the continued injury attrition may provide the 6’9” Flagg some runway to run the point himself at times, too. It’s an idea Kidd has floated at various times throughout the offseason, one fans will no doubt be itching to get an early look at this preseason.

Where do Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall fit in?​

With a thin backcourt and a stacked frontcourt, it will be interesting to see where two key figures from last season, Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, fit into Kidd’s rotations against Oklahoma City. Thompson proved to be about what the Mavericks paid for him to be last year (14 points on three made 3-pointers per game while earning about $16 million), while Marshall stepped up into a larger role for this team as injuries mounted toward the end of last season.

The prospect of both of them coming off the bench bodes well for a powerful second unit, but Thompson is another year older than he was last year. That’s how time works. Getting a feel for how much is left in his tank offers another bit of intrigue heading into his second year with the Mavs.

Feel the flow​

Get acquainted with the dribble handoff, folks. And get ready for Davis to be involved in a great many of them at or around the elbow. No team in basketball ran the DHO more than the Sacramento Kings during Triano’s tenure in Sactown, much to the benefit of Domantas Sabonis.

Using Davis in that way will rely on his ability to make quick reads with the ball in his hands and open up driving lanes for his guards.

It’s all about “playing through one another, playing for one another and trusting the pass,” Thompson told the Dallas Morning News after Thursday’s practice session at training camp in Vancouver. “We understand how deep our team is. We have a different personnel than we did last season so we have to play a different style. We have to play to our strengths, and that is cutting off the ball. That’s playing through our big men.”

Who’s ready to bear witness to Davis as facilitator? Does that excite you? Rate your state of readiness for the newest experiment in Mavs fandom on a scale of one to 10 in the comments.

How to watch​

The Mavericks host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 CST on Monday at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena. The game will be aired locally on KFAA Channel 29 and can be streamed on MavsTV.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...ason-opener-against-the-oklahoma-city-thunder

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Roundtable: MVP Predictions

It’s a little weird doing this without Luka Doncic being a Maverick, but hey it’s a new season and we’re all still here. This week I asked the staff who they thought had the best chance to be MVP and also asked if Anthony Davis had a chance.

Bryan: The stage seems set for a few guys this year. Anthony Davis unfortunately isn’t one of them (sorry folks). However, there will be love for Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson. If the Knicks roll in the east, that noise will get loud and Ant may just be good enough with no narrative help if his team can play the way that it did the last 30 games + the playoffs and win 53 or more this season. I wouldn’t even call them darkhorses as Brunson’s been hanging around the fringes of the MVP conversation for 2 years now and Ant is at worst a top 8 player.

That said, my boring, safe pick is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander simply because the bar historically isn’t raised until your 2nd MVP and the Thunder will yet again be a steamroller led by the Canadian currently holding the title belt.

Kirk: I think Nikola Jokic is out for blood. He’s a historic player that far too much of the basketball watching public doesn’t buy likely due to market reasons (they haven’t seen enough of him). He looks great in camp early on too. The case for Anthony Davis involves him playing 70+ games and Dallas being a top 4 seed. Is it in the range of possibilities? Yes. Is it a real option? I don’t think so.

Ben Z.: I’ll do a bit of fence sitting and say either Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic. Doncic is the easy choice—he’ll have the stats, he’ll have the narrative, and he plays for the Lakers. I just wonder if their record will be good enough to justify it. If they can’t scrap together enough wins, then Jokic will be there to collect yet another MVP award.

Tyler: The MVP award seems to be a relatively closed circuit at this point, with really just our four international stalwarts being considered serious contenders. Anthony Davis will not sniff being the MVP, as he must first play 65 games and THEN be legitimately a top five player in the NBA in those games. That’s not realistic.

My prediction: once and for all, your MVP will be none other than Luka Doncic this year. It all sets up narratively, plus he now has Laker bias behind him!

Brent: It’s possible to be a Mavericks fan and also clearly see there are no viable MVP candidates on the roster. It’s been a generation since we haven’t had either a former MVP or a viable candidate. Yeesh.

How about a dark horse. If the Spurs make the playoffs and Wemby stays healthy, is there a narrative universe where the voting base falls in love with this idea? Probably not but it’s more fun to think about than a SGA repeat.

Matt M.: I’ll go Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the back-to-back MVP. OKC will be very good again and SGA is entering his Age 27 season, so he’s right in the heart of his prime. Nikola Jokic is a tempting pick, too, and he’s definitely got something to prove this year. If Victor Wembanyama takes a step forward and the Spurs do, too, Wemby becomes one to look at here. If you squint real hard through your Mavs-tinted sunglasses, then and only then will you see the faintest glimmers of hope for Anthony Davis’ chances at an MVP this year. It would be one of the least likely outcomes possible in the NBA calendar, but it would no doubt be special to watch something like that unfold. That was my diplomatic way of saying, it ain’t happening.

Joe: I have never been more confident in a preseason MVP pick than I am in picking Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 2025-26 season. Everyone leaves this guy out of all the discussions for this award. It is honestly a little maddening, especially since he has been a finalist in three of the last four seasons and is coming off an all-NBA season where he averaged 30, 11.9, and 6.5 over 67 games while shooting 60% from the field. Not only that, but in an era where there are only 3 or 4 legitimate candidates every year, not only does Giannis have the numbers to win the award, but the two-way impact to carry his resume past the Jokics and the Luka’s and SGAs of years past. The one thing that has held him back is his team’s performance, and honestly, that narrative has more to do with the expectations of the Bucks after the Dame trade than it does with Giannis not making his team better. Now that expectations are low, the team is still struggling and needs Giannis to perform even better than before. I expect Giannis to improve statistically while having an even bigger impact on winning, on a team that is at worst the 8 seed in the East (barring injury).

Gracie: It does feel weird giving MVP takes and them not involving Luka in a Mavs uniform. Realistically, no current Maverick has a chance at being in the running for the MVP in the year of our lord, 2025. Sorry AD.

I think this year it’ll come down either SGA or Luka. I expect the Thunder to make light work of the regular season again, so SGA will obviously be in the running as long as he’s on the floor for those 65 games. He’s a top 3-5 player depending on the mood you’re in, so he’s my obvious pick. I also see a world where Luka finally has everything together. After how Nico and his yes-men slammed the door shut behind Luka, I think they’ve lit a fire under him that is going to bring him his first MVP.

Michael: I suspect Luka Doncic has an outrageous year. One of my early thoughts post-trade was “now he’s going to do the one thing they said he wouldn’t/couldn’t do” (get and stay in peak shape) and it appears he’s done just that. I suspect he will be out to prove a point and is going to have an insane year. That said, there are others who will likely have an insane year as well, and their teams may be better. That of course very often proves to be the difference in voting. Look no further than last year where Nikola Jokic averaged a triple-double but was edged out by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who’s team had the best record in the NBA. With that, my answer is a very predictable SGA for MVP. The Thunder are reigning champs, the league likes to milk a sure thing, the Thunder have every excuse to be as good as they were last year, and SGA is on the front-end of his prime. All else equal in terms of health, I’ll bank on SGA repeating.

Matt G.: It’s SGA’s to win. We’ll see how motivated he is during the regular season coming off a Championship, but he’s a clear cut best player on what could very easily be a Death Star of a team. The only thing that stands in his way is injuries or team complacency.

Sudarshan: By my reckoning, it will be either SGA or Ant.

The Thunder are a machine, and SGA is still the lead conductor. They’ll stroll their way to a 60+ win season even in this insanely competitive Western Conference, unless injuries derail everything. Even if they don’t have it their way, SGA’s status as the reigning MVP on the defending champion Thunder should give him enough of a leg up on the competition. That’s just how the narrative works, unfortunately.

Ant’s star has diminished a little after two WCF Finals runs that exposed limitations in the Timberwolves roster construction and Edwards’ own game, but the media at large is desperate for an American-born MVP candidate and will do everything in their power to push the narrative that Edwards is Shai’s closest competitor for the title of MVP and face of the league.

Chris: I’m going with a sleeper pick: Jalen Brunson. This is the Knicks’ best chance to win the East since Patrick Ewing wore the uniform. No Haliburton, no Tatum, Philly can’t stay healthy, and Detroit needs another year. The best player in the league will be Giannis or Jokić, but the voters have proven winning matters and the Bucks aren’t deep enough and the stacked west will impact Denver’s record. I think the number for the Knicks will be 55. They need to get 55 wins in a soft east to make the case for Jalen. If he can take one more small step with his numbers (at or darn close) to double-double territory, I think he takes home the MVP trophy.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/question-answers/50692/roundtable-mvp-predictions

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Klay Thompson needs to lead the Mavericks locker room

Klay Thompson enters his second season in Dallas having lived several basketball lifetimes. Joining the Mavericks last season brought fresh energy to the future-hall-of-famer’s career, a chance to reinvent his status on a contending team. After injury and turmoil marred his end with the Golden State Warriors, the four-time NBA Champion arrived in Dallas to prove he could still be vital to a premier team in the league.

That potential was stripped from last season, sent packing to California and the other team courting Thompson in the summer of 2024. Lottery luck in Dallas has recouped some of that energy around the Mavericks organization. And Klay Thompson, entering his 13th playing season (15th NBA season), can play a unique role for a team with lots of questions.

Big Question​

When Thompson arrived in Dallas, there were questions about his place in the rotation. The Mavericks, after losing in the NBA Finals, needed someone who could stretch defenses away from the lane for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Nico Harrison’s vision of winning basketball now fully centers on defense. And it’s left a log jam. Outside of the awaited return of Kyrie Irving, there is argument to be made the team’s best players — Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford — all play one of two positions. So how do you manage your best five when four of them are from this group?

Jason Kidd will have decisions to make. Does he sit Flagg, Washington, or Lively, in an effort to secure more shooting from Thompson? Or does he buy fully into the ultra-big, ultra-athletic, and possibly perimeter-deficient lineup of Flagg, Washington, Davis, Lively and newly acquired D’Angelo Russell? If it’s the latter, how does Thompson handle what could be a reduced role in his second season in Dallas, when he likely has just a few competitive years left?

To Thompson’s credit, he was a model veteran throughout the tumultuous back half of last season. His leadership and zen-like approach to the drama was a stabilizing force on and off the floor. But does his patience wane if things turn south again?

Best Case Scenario​

Thompson was durable last season. He started all 72 games he appeared in, averaging 14 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists while connecting on 39-percent of his seven threes per game. Since his two-season absence due to injury with the Warriors Klay has been relatively healthy, appearing in 69 or more games the last three seasons.

Dallas will need that same stability from the veteran this year. Not just because injuries are a concern with several other key players, but also because the shooting Klay provides can’t be found in many other places on the depth chart. Last season, Thompson’s 39-percent at 7.7 attempts per game was only matched by Irving, who likely won’t be around until the second half of the season. The others who were fair-to-good from three were shooting at a lower volume. Whether it be in the starting/closing lineup or coming off the bench, Thompson’s shot will need to fall for this team to be an honest threat from deep.

Beyond his shooting, Thompson’s greatest asset is his leadership. He’s already proved that value, hosting a team bonding camp of sorts in early September ahead of training camp. On and off the floor, vocal or not, his guidance and experience as a proven multi-time champion is invaluable, especially as Flagg makes Dallas his own. If he can combine that with a similar stat line and availability to last season Thompson will have served well in Dallas.

Worst Case Scenario​

Beyond injury, a worst case in Dallas for Thompson would be in a shifting role and the possible friction that follows. It was evident in his final season with the Warriors and what led to his eventual departure. There isn’t the same history in Dallas that he had with Golden State, where he was trying to prove and recapture his peak form. So it is possible that any shift in role may not cause the same tension.

But Thompson is also the most accomplished player on the roster. And with thought also carries a presumed role and respect. He has clearly stated that winning and competing for championships are the ultimate goal. So it is worth watching how the beginning of the season develops. If the team is struggling and Thompson’s role is inconsistent, it’s possible Kidd has a chemistry challenge on his hand. In this worst case scenario it wouldn’t be shocking if Thompson’s production dips or if he demands a trade out.

Season Goal​

Thompson shared a personal goal during the Mavericks’ Media Day on September 29: “I would like to join the 50-40-90 club. That’d be nice. You know, that’s hard to do. Some might say that’s real ambitious, but you got to have big goals if you want to be great,” Thompson stated, aiming to shoot 50-percent from two, 40-percent from three, and 90-percent from the free-throw line — and admittedly lofty ambition that’s only happened 14 times in the NBA by just nine players. Klay’s drive is undeniable, and he has the efficiency to accomplish this. Hopefully that same mentality is picked up by the rest of the roster.

Overall​

Klay is an asset to this team. There are plenty of question marks hanging over this roster, but Thompson’s experience navigating the ups and downs of a franchise well over a decade could prove invaluable. And if the team can find ways to stay competitive while awaiting the return of Irving, Thompson’s basketball IQ will be key. Of anyone on the roster Cooper Flagg could learn from, Klay should be the one. His work ethic, drive, and expertise as a shooter are the kinds of things Flagg should pull from as he develops this season. If this season is successful for the Mavericks it will be because of Thompson reminding the league why he has been one of the greats of this era.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...s-mavericks-player-preview-2025-26-nba-season

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Cooper Flagg handling ball pressure is very promising

At the 5:45 mark of the first quarter of the Monday night Mavericks vs. Thunder game, rookie forward Cooper Flagg snatched the ball off a missed Brooks Barnhizer three. Cason Wallace of the Thunder picked up Flagg immediately, nearly 90 feet from the Dallas basket.

Flagg advanced the ball up the court with a left handed dribble, using his long frame to take big steps to advance the ball up the floor. Wallace made an attempt on the ball just past the Thunder free throw line; Cooper calmly crossed the ball behind his back and moved past half court with two decisive and under-control dribbles. After a hesitation dribble just past half court, adjacent to the right wing, Flagg puts down his head and takes two more powerful dribbles to get inside the three-point line near the break. From there, he puts his back to the basket, takes two more left-handed dribbles pushing the ball to the middle of the lane with his shoulders square to the basket. At this point, Flagg draws the attention of center Ousmane Dieng, who steps up to help Wallace defend Flagg. Cooper sees this help coming, plants on two feet during his power dribble, rises, and drops off a pass right into the hands of Dwight Powell for an easy basket.

Point Flagg gets picked up full court against Cason Wallace and drops a dime pic.twitter.com/BHGZSHre55

— NBA University (@NBA_University) October 7, 2025

The clip above is just 8 seconds. We’ve all had an exciting 8 seconds in our lives before, I’m sure. But this clip, this moment is something to build off of.

Modern basketball games have from 90 to 100 possessions for a team in a given game. As of this writing, the Mavericks have D’Angelo Russell as a point guard and… well that remains to be seen. Dante Exum is under contract, as is Brandon Williams. Dennis Smith Jr. is fighting for a spot and rookie Andrew Nembard is with Dallas as a two-way contract. That’s a long way of saying that my confidence level in the simple ability to bring the ball up the court isn’t that high right now. Russell is more than suitable, but he’s played within range of the 30-32 minute mark the last several years. So who gets the point guard minutes and who brings the ball up the court 10-12 minutes a game is something I’ve been very focused on.

Flagg’s ability to do this against Cason Wallace, even if it was just one play, takes the pressure I’m feeling on this one part of the game way down. Wallace is one of the best defenders in the NBA and Flagg looked patient, under control, and very confident. That’s huge. We knew Flagg would be at least decent in NBA games after he had just three turnovers in 60 minutes in Las Vegas Summer League, but seeing it against very good game pressure is the next step. Flagg delivered.

If Flagg can take the pressure off the Mavericks for 10-12 possessions a game in this way, that would be a fantastic step for the Mavericks as they try to make their way back to the playoffs.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...lagg-handling-ball-pressure-is-very-promising