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[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks vs. Knicks Preview: 3 things as Dallas looks for a third straight win in New York

The Dallas Mavericks (17-26) have won five games in their last eight as they prep for a rare Monday afternoon tilt against the New York Knicks (25-17) at Madison Square Garden. The little spurt the Mavericks are on is a rare kind of mirage — it’s the kind you know is too good to be true even as it appears before your eyes.

The Mavs’ last two wins have come against the tanking Utah Jazz in two games where big man Jusuf Nurkic registered back-to-back DNP-Coach’s Decision designations. Utah is not even trying to camouflage its tank, as the mounting losses leave deep tracks up and down the team’s muddy record. Now Dallas’ schedule takes a bleak turn, with the team’s next 13 opponents sporting a combined win-loss record of 316-224. Only two opponents in that upcoming stretch have a losing record: the Milwaukee Bucks (17-24) next Sunday and the Charlotte Hornets (15-27) two games later on Jan. 29. A 1-12 stretch is certainly possible if you’re looking ahead, even if something like 3-10 is slightly more likely.

The last time the Mavericks and the Knicks met, New York outlasted Dallas 113-111 on Nov. 19 at American Airlines Center behind 28 points and five assists from former Maverick Jalen Brunson. Naji Marshall and D’Angelo Russell led the Mavs in that loss with 23 apiece off the bench.

Here are three things to look out for as the Mavs get ready to battle the Knicks for the last time this season.

Thompson’s hot trigger​

Klay Thompson has been on a tear in a more focal role in the Mavericks’ last two games. He scored a season-high 26 points on 6-of-13 shooting from behind the arc in Thursday’s 144-122 win over the Jazz before pouring in 23 more (matching his previous season-high mark) on 6-of-11 shooting from deep in Saturday’s rematch. It’s been Thompson’s most prolific two-game stretch as a Maverick so far, but he’s been playing well for longer than that. He’s scored 18 or more in four of his last six games as injuries have erased the production usually carried by Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis.

With P.J. Washington (personal), Daniel Gafford (ankle) and Davis (finger) all still out for the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson will need to continue his hot streak to help give the Mavericks a chance against the objectively superior Knicks playing behind their home crowd in Manhattan. Flagg (ankle) has been upgraded to questionable on the latest NBA injury report as of Sunday afternoon.

This six-game stretch has already done wonders for Thompson’s trade value. It remains to be seen whether its continuation can help lift the injury-riddled Mavs to anything close to competitive against the first quality opponent of the tough 13-game stretch ahead.

Brunson bitten by the same bug​

The Mavs may be catching New York at a convenient time, though. Brunson went to the bench just minutes into the Knicks’ 112-101 loss at the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday with an ankle injury and hasn’t played in the team’s last two losses to the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. New York has hit hard times in the New Year, losing eight of the team’s last 10 games dating back to Dec. 31.

New York is a shell of itself without Brunson’s ability to create both his own shot and quality looks for his teammates, but some deeper issues may be starting to show themselves in the new year. Murmurs about the job first-year head coach Mike Brown is doing are starting to surface, and Brunson’s ankle injury only serves to increase the angst surrounding one of the most highly scrutinized teams in the NBA.

The Knicks had not submitted an updated injury report to the NBA as of 2:15 p.m. CDT on Sunday. If Brunson is not available on Monday, that changes the tenor of the matchup significantly. Depending on Flagg’s own availability, Mavs fans could talk themselves into some unfounded optimism here, though backup Miles McBride has stepped up admirably in the Knicks’ last two games. He scored 25 points and dished six assists in the loss to the Warriors and had 23 and five against the Suns.

The 3-point line with no curve​

In each of the Mavs’ last three wins, the team has shot 41% or better from 3-point range. There is no secret sauce here. When the Mavs shoot it better, they give themselves a chance to win. When they don’t, they look clueless.

Flagg or no Flagg, Davis or no Davis, Brunson or no Brunson, Dallas has to keep up with their opponent from beyond the arc. Monday’s game will be no different. If the Mavericks can limit turnovers and shoot it well, they’ll be in this game. If they don’t, they won’t.

Little extraneous analysis is necessary to diagnose this very frustrating team.

How to watch​

The Mavericks and the Knicks will tip off their matinee show at 4 p.m. CDT on Monday from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The game will be locally televised on NBC and will stream on Peacock.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...as-looks-for-a-third-straight-win-in-new-york

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks vs Jazz Recap: 3 things from the Mavericks 138-120 win against the Jazz

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz yet again, this time 138-120Saturday afternoon in Dallas. It’s the Mavericks second-straight game, and second straight offensive explosion against a Jazz team that has mostly shown little interest in winning across the two games.

This was almost a carbon copy of the Mavericks win on Thursday night, except for the Jazz showing some semblance of shame in the third quarter. Outside of that third quarter, the Mavericks have absolutely embarrassed this Jazz team across the two games, despite the Mavericks missing numerous starters and key players.

Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford once again did not suit up due to ankle injuries suffered against Denver last week. PJ Washington is battling injuries as well, but was probable for this game before being a late scratch due to personal reasons. Dallas once again relied on lots of minutes from two-way players and even a 10-day contract player signed on Thursday. It didn’t matter — Dallas led from wire-to-wire once again.

Klay Thompson was the key igniter once again, scoring 23 points in the first half and torching the Jazz in a variety of ways. That instant offense off the bench basically carried the Mavericks to a double-digit lead and the team never looked back. Jazz guard Keyonte George finally decided to be the first Jazz player to realize that trying hard is important in basketball and scored 21 points in the third to prevent this from being a complete joke of a game. Utah cut the lead to nine early in the fourth, but the Mavericks stomped out that rally pretty quickly after that and the Jazz meekly conceded the game.

Here’s what we noticed from this one.

The Mavericks are professionals, and that should matter​

Dallas’ season is effectively over. The team is 12th in the West, and two losses behind Memphis at 11. The teams in seventh, eighth, and ninth are all surging too and want to win — the Warriors and Trail Blazers are 7-3 in their last 10 and the Clippers are 8-2. Those teams aren’t slowing down anytime soon, so combine that with all the Mavericks injuries and Dallas doesn’t really have a postseason to look forward to in April.

Despite that, the team continues to play hard. I worried after Davis got hurt again and the Mavericks were blown out by Chicago that perhaps the team had finally reached a breaking point and would naturally let go of the rope after fighting so hard despite being so short-handed for the last three months. Instead the Mavericks have won three of their last four since that Bulls blowout loss, and even the loss was a mostly competitive game against the Denver Nuggets.

I’m not sure what all this means. Dallas, on paper, needs to lose as often as possible to secure the best draft pick they can later this June, the last first rounder Dallas has direct control over until 2031. But the Mavericks still have lots of pieces from the 2024 Finals team, they still have Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, who were brought in to bring that 2024 roster over the hump and win that elusive title. Even with all the injuries the Mavericks just have too many good players to be totally hopeless, even with some brutal losses this season to bad teams like the Wizards and the Pelicans.

So say what you will about coach Jason Kidd, but he has instilled a culture of accountability and competitiveness within this organization. These guys play fucking hard. They don’t quit, even in the games they eventually lose. The Mavericks have played a zillion clutch games regardless of the quality of the opponent. They’ve beaten the Nuggets twice, the Rockets twice, and the Pistons once. They’ve lost 26 games but less than a handful of those were uncompetitive blowouts. They have more wins against teams at .500 or better than you’d expect for a team in 12th place.

Call me old fashioned but that means something. Losing is an awfully hard stench to clean off, and the Mavericks coaching staff has instilled a sense of purpose with this organization, even despite all the buffoonery happening off the court around this team in the last 18 months. The players didn’t trade Luka Doncic, they didn’t try to make Anthony Davis the centerpiece of the team. They didn’t alienate the fans, and they played hard through injuries even when the organization should have known better to keep them healthy. All they’ve done is play hard as hell, and win a few more games than anyone should reasonably expect from them considering the circumstances.

Whenever the Mavericks are good again, or at least playoff-bound, these moments will resonate. Dallas is laying the foundation of the next great Mavericks team. That matters.

The Jazz are an embarrassment and should be kicked out of the league​

I’ve never seen a more embarrassing effort across two games like the Jazz just did on Thursday and Saturday, and this is coming from the same team that lost by 55 points to the Hornets a week ago.

Dallas should not have won these games. Ryan Nembhard, Moussa Cisse, and Miles Kelly are all two-way contract rookies and all three played heavy minutes due to the Mavericks injuries. Dallas signed Jeremiah Robinsin-Earl to a 10-day contract on Thursday before the game, and he played over 20 minutes in each one. Even with the Jazz shameless resting healthy players like Jusuf Nurkic, there’s still enough talent on this roster to not only stay competitive, but quite frankly defeat this limited Mavericks team.

Instead the Mavericks almost set their franchise record for points scored in regulation on Thursday, and followed that up with 138 points on Saturday. This is a Dallas team that even at full-health is one of the worst offensive teams in the league and the Jazz made them look like the Showtime Lakers.

This is a disgrace. The NBA can never really rid the league of tanking, but there’s tanking and then there’s whatever the hell this Jazz team did in the last eight quarters of basketball. They didn’t try, they were disinterested and they wasted everyone’s time. They wasted the 15 Jazz fans still watching these games, they wasted the time of the travel party and trainers and anyone else that had to work these games. They honestly wasted my time as well, since while it’s fun to see the Mavericks blow the doors off a team, these games were so shamelessly uncompetitive that it’s hard to really take anything real away from this game. It felt like a scrimmage or open practice.

The Jazz shouldn’t be allowed on television for the rest of the season. They’re on their fourth straight season of the organization not caring about winning and shockingly it appears the players don’t give a shit about winning either. They are developing losing habits and those habits will be extremely hard to break whenever the team feels like trying again. Honestly at this rate though we’ll probably experience the heat death of the universe before the Jazz feel like trying again.

Professional basketball is an entertainment product. It’s an entertainment product in an age where entertainment has never been so numerous and accessible. Go back 10 or 15 years, and watching your local basketball team on TV was one of the few things you could do. When I was in high school in the mid-2000s, I could watch the Mavericks, watch whatever was on cable, watch whatever movies or TV shows I had on DVD or play whatever video games I owned. Now I have access to virtually every movie and TV show ever made at instant speed, and I don’t even need to buy video games anymore — the most popular games in the world are persistent, free-to-play experiences. Good lord I haven’t even talked about all the shit you can do outside now. Have you been out there lately? There’s so much stuff.

So why the hell would anyone watch what we just watched today? The NBA has structured itself to basically ignore 75 percent or more of the product because you’re not missing much. The incentives to watch suck, the players regularly don’t care, and the orgs don’t care either. So many games have missing stars, injured regulars, or at least one team that could care less about the outcome. It’s horrible. And I don’t care about the NBA’s TV ratings or revenue numbers, I just care as someone that likes the NBA and wants to continue engaging with it. If these games don’t matter and the players don’t care, why should I? I can just quit doing this stupid second job and go spend my time outside or something.

The Jazz can go to hell. Eat my shorts.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...om-the-mavericks-138-120-win-against-the-jazz

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Player Grades – Recapping the Dallas Mavericks win over the New York Knicks, 114-97

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New York Knicks on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, winning 114-97 . Both teams had players nursing injuries, but it was the Mavericks who ended up with the big win.

Let’s get to the grades!

Cooper Flagg: B​

18 PTS / 7 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN​

Flagg had a solid game, but it was somewhat muted by a minutes restriction and Max Christie providing a lot of scoring punch. His four turnovers were somewhat glaring, but he hit 50% of his 14 shot attempts and chipped in a bit of everything.

Max Christie: A+​

26 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 35 MIN​

Christie went absolutely out of his mind and it was a sight to behold. I’ve recently written about how nice it is to see him do more than shoot threes, but Monday night it was plenty nice to see him hoisting the long ball. Christie was 9-for-13 including a mind-boggling 8-for-10 from deep. His second half play came down to earth a bit, but it hardly mattered with the Mavs taking a 20+ point lead into the final frame. He led all scorers and hit a career high in three-point field goals for top marks.

Caleb Martin: C+​

3 PTS / 1 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 24 MIN​

Most of Martin’s contribution came in the form of stuff you won’t see in a box score. He hounded the Knicks on defense, an effort highlighted by another three steals, but otherwise left the offense to others.

Naji Marshall: B​

19 PTS / 8 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN​

Marshall couldn’t be stopped in the first half, driving relentlessly to eviscerate the Knicks’ defense. As the game went on, he took more three-pointers, but only hit 1-for-6, driving his shooting percentage down. His game was very similar to Flagg’s, with his blemish being a lower shooting percentage rather than a high turnover total.

Dwight Powell: B​

2 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN​

As ridiculous as it sounds, Powell is getting a bump for the absolute beating he took at the hands of Karl Anthony-Towns. Throughout his NBA career, Powell has been hit in the face more than a professional boxer, but Monday night was next level. Towns is known for his flailing knees, but Powell took a variety of groin shots and stayed professional, using it as motivation to play harder. In respect of his actual game, there isn’t much to talk about. The Knicks’ bigs decimated the Mavericks bigs, but Powell was a pro doing the dirty unsung work.

Klay Thompson: A-​

14 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN​

I’m inclined to go a bit high on Thompson’s grade, which seems counterintuitive relative to his recent play. That said, he did a nice job intangibly on defense, while grabbing boards, getting steals and even tossing a couple of assists to his teammates. In the limited time he played, it was a good game that looked better than even the box score may suggest.

Ryan Nembhard: C+​

4 PTS / 3 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN​

Nembhard didn’t have a huge impact on the stat line, struggling to find his shot (2-for-7) with a 5:2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Extra credit for checking in late in the third quarter to settle things down when the Mavericks were a bit out of sorts – it won’t show up in any statistical category, but it was undoubtedly significant and allowed Dallas to enter the fourth quarter with a 23-point lead.

Moussa Cisse: A-​

15 PTS / 9 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 4 BLK – 20 MIN​

Cisse did his best to match the Knicks’ size, and while his numbers may not have been as pretty at Karl-Anthony Towns’ or Mitchell Robinson’s numbers, he did work in just under 20 minutes of play. His four blocks were a menace to the Knicks, but his three turnovers and four fouls didn’t help his cause. Stepping up and hitting two free throws when the Knicks decided to Hack-A-Cisse was bigger than the final score may indicate.

Final Thoughts​

Both teams were a bit beat up coming in, but Dallas was coming off two lopsided wins while New York has been struggling of late. The Mavericks came in like a wrecking crew, dropping the most first-half points the Knicks have given up all season. As expected, things got a bit closer here and there in the second half, frankly getting too close for comfort late in the fourth quarter before Dallas closed it out. The Mavericks have plenty of struggles right now with a lot of players out or having just returned, but you wouldn’t have known it in what was basically a full on drubbing of the Knicks Monday night.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...mavericks-win-over-the-new-york-knicks-114-97

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Darryn Peterson highlights what we’re watching this week in college hoops

The college basketball season is roughly at the halfway point, meaning we’ve got a pretty good read on what these teams and players are going to be as we progress through conference play.

A team like Kansas, who has somewhat slept walked through the start of the season, found its way with two big home wins over previously unbeaten Iowa State and the Baylor Bears. On the flip side, Iowa State and Vanderbilt were undefeated entering the week, but emerged having lost two consecutive games. Sustainability is the name of the game this time of the year, and we will soon find out who has it and who does not.

Prospect of the week: Darryn Peterson (Guard, Kansas)​

Last five games: 24.6 points, 5.0 rebounds per game (48.7% from the floor, 39.5% from deep)​

It is remarkable to watch Darryn Peterson play basketball, and here lately he finally has been playing consistently. There isn’t a player in college right now who is as NBA ready as Peterson is. His ability on the offensive end to meticulously get to his spots and knock down shots is fun to watch. Darryn has a great pace to his game off the dribble, as he never feels sped up by a defender.

"Haha! Ball. Player." Darryn Peterson putting on a show @KUHoops pic.twitter.com/sqPW5CCExL

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 17, 2026

Simply put, I can’t think of a guard in recent memory that has been more polished at the college level than Darryn Peterson. There is still at least some concern from me about Darryn’s continued leg issues, as he has not played more than 32 minutes in a game this season. However, he hasn’t missed a game since Big 12 play began, and he’s looked fantastic while he’s been out there. Assuming he isn’t medically red flagged, this is your first overall pick.

I know that Peterson has a hype train that follows him every time he steps on the floor. Frankly, I don’t think we’re doing enough to explain just how good he is. You could drop Darryn Peterson into the Warriors at Mavericks game on Thursday, and he would probably be the third or fourth best player on the court. He’s going to be a star.

Games of the week​

January 20th​

12 Texas Tech at Baylor – 8:00p CT (Peacock)​

15 Vanderbilt at 20 Arkansas – 8:00p CT (ESPN)​

19 Kansas at Colorado – 10:00p CT (ESPN)​

This is a fun Tuesday night card. Texas Tech is coming off of a huge home win against a very good BYU team. They’ll now face a Baylor squad that has looked awful as of late, but this is a dangerous spot. Vanderbilt was unbeaten this time last week, but that zero in the loss column is now a two and they’re underdogs in Fayetteville. The Hogs are a different team at home, and Darius Acuff should have a favorable matchup against the undersized Commodores. Finally, Kansas is heading to elevation against a feisty Colorado squad. Darryn Peterson and the Jayhawks are better, but this is a typical let down spot.

January 24th​

22 North Carolina at 14 Virginia – 1:00p CT (ESPN)​

11 Illinois at 4 Purdue – 2:00p CT (FOX)​

6 Houston at 12 Texas Tech – 5:30p CT (ESPN)​

Tennessee at 17 Alabama – 7:30p CT (ESPN)​

We get to run back one of the games of the year on Saturday, as Texas Tech will get to host Houston this time around. I’ll be very interested to see how Tech handles Kingston Flemings, as the young freshman lit the Red Raiders up for 23 points in the first matchup. Conversely, does Houston continue to throw doubles at Christian Anderson? This allows JT Toppin to play four on three in the short roll, which is advantageous for Texas Tech. College Gameday in Lubbock, plus a night game so the students can hydrate all day? We are in store for a fantastic game.

Elsewhere, we’ve got a few nice matchups to round out the day. The Heels have struggled lately, almost entirely because they can’t get stops defensively. That is an issue against UVA, as the tempo that they are playing stresses even the best defenses. Caleb Wilson, UNC’s phenomenal freshman, will have ample opportunity to show off here. Next up, Illinois at Purdue features an elite guard matchup with Andrej Stojakovic facing off against Braden Smith.

And lastly, Tennessee will face Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The guard play should be fantastic here with Gillespie for the Vols and Philon for the Tide. We know Alabama can score the ball here, so this game will come down to the efficiency of Nate Ament and Ja’Kobe Gillespie for Tennessee.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...what-were-watching-this-week-in-college-hoops

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

How Cooper Flagg compares to recent number one overall picks

The Dallas Mavericks’ rookie star and number one overall pick Cooper Flagg just played the 41st game of his young career on Monday against the New York Knicks. His inaugural season has been a little interesting. Head coach Jason Kidd experimented with Flagg at point guard to open the season, a tough situation for any young player. The Mavericks’ odd lineups made it even tougher for the first year forward.

Kidd eventually pivoted away from that experiment and put Flagg at the forward spot, and things improved drastically. Flagg won Western Conference rookie of the month in both November and December, and looks to be in a tight race with Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year.

With half of his first season in the books, I wanted to look back at the last ten years of number one overall picks and see how Flagg compares. I compiled each number one pick’s basic counting stats—field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-pointers made. Slash stats are points/rebounds/assists per game. All stats are through a player’s first 41 games of their career, regardless of whether those first 41 games came in their rookie year or in later seasons.

2025: Cooper Flagg​

48% FG, 29% 3P, 18.8/6.3/4.1, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks​

Totals: 770 points, 257 rebounds, 170 assists, 52 steals, 32 blocks, 4o 3PM​

Flagg didn’t land into the perfect situation. The Mavericks are still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade, left in an odd purgatory. The roster is built poorly, expensive, yet far from being a contender for much of anything besides the play-in tournament. Worse still, the best player on that awkwardly fit roster, Anthony Davis, is consistently injured. Yet the Mavericks haven’t made any moves toward rebuilding the team around Flagg.

Head coach Jason Kidd went full mad scientist and experimented with Flagg at point guard early in the season. With Davis in and out of the lineup, there’s been no consistent rotation. Trade rumors and the detritus from the Doncic trade still linger over the franchise.

Flagg’s first 41 games in the NBA haven’t been ideal. But he’s put up numbers just as good or better than several of the number one overall picks listed below.

2015: Karl-Anthony Towns​

52% FG, 33% 3P, 15.6/9.5/1.2, .6 steals, 1.7 blocks​

Totals: 638 points, 391 rebounds, 50 assists, 26 steals, 69 blocks, 11 3PM​

Towns was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but really stood out on defense. He’s one of the better rebounders on this list, and is second only to Victor Wembanyama in blocks.

Flagg edges Towns in scoring and is a better playmaker early on, and has better on ball defense. He’s also a much better shooter (40 3pm through 41 games compared to Towns’ 11) than the self-proclaimed “best shooting big man in NBA history.”

2016: Ben Simmons​

51% FG, 0% 3P, 16.6/8/7.2, 1.9 steals, .9 blocks​

Totals: 679 points, 328 rebounds, 296 assists, 77 steals, 38 blocks, 0 3PM​

Simmons’ career has derailed to a point where he is now a professional competitive fisherman (no really, he is), so it’s easy to forget what a stat-stuffing phenom he was early on. Simmons did a little of everything on the basketball court, except shoot 3’s.

The Sixers had a more coherent vision for their team when Simmons was drafted than the Mavericks currently do with Flagg on board. Simmons also missed his first season in the league, giving him a full calendar year of development that Flagg hasn’t had.

2017: Markelle Fultz​

43% FG, 23% 3P, 8.2/3.1/3.4, 1 steal, .2 blocks​

Totals: 337 points, 129 rebounds, 138 assists, 39 steals, 9 blocks, 8 3PM​

Fultz didn’t get to his 41st career game until his third season in the league. Even with the extra time in the NBA to develop, his stats are unremarkable. Due to all his injuries and issues with his jump shot, it’s impressive that Fultz has been able to carve out a career that’s going on eight years in the league. It speaks to his mental toughness, despite whatever went wrong early on his career.

Needless to say, Flagg definitively had a better first half-year than Fultz.

2018: DeAndre Ayton​

60% FG, 0% 3P, 16.7/6.8/2.2, .8 steals, .9 blocks​

Totals: 686 points, 439 rebounds, 90 assists, 31 steals, 37 blocks, 0 3PM​

Ayton was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but didn’t do much else. For a big man, his rebounding and block numbers are low. On the other hand, 2.2 assists per game is pretty good for a rookie center. Ayton’s stats through 41 games as a rookie are decent, but considering who was drafted after him (remember Luka Doncic?), you’d probably want more out of your number one pick.

Flagg has been asked to do more than Ayton was in his rookie year, and the play on the court, as well as the stats, shows it.

2019: Zion Williamson​

59% FG, 36% 3P, 23.1/6.8/2.2, .8 steals, .4 blocks​

Totals: 946 points, 278 rebounds, 89 assists, 33 steals, 18 blocks, 8 3PM​

Williamson didn’t get to his 41st game until his second season, but unlike Fultz, he took advantage of that extra development time. He’s the highest scorer on this list, and looked unstoppable with the ball in his hands those first few years. When he was healthy, of course. Williamson didn’t do a lot, else, however, with low numbers in every other category.

It’s a question that can spark some debate—would you rather have an electric scorer like Williamson, or a better all-around player like Flagg?

2020: Anthony Edwards​

39% FG, 32% 3P, 16.8/4.2/2.5, 1 steal, .4 blocks​

Totals: 689 points, 171 rebounds, 101 assists, 39 steals, 15 blocks, 86 3PM​

Flagg has similar numbers to Edwards, which should be encouraging to Mavericks fans. Obviously they have different games, but a half-season of numbers similar to a multi-time all-star and All-NBA player is what you like to see.

2021: Cade Cunningham​

40% FG, 33% 3P, 10.4/5.5/5.2, 1.3 steals, .7 blocks​

Totals: 648 points, 224 rebounds, 215 assists, 54 steals, 28 blocks, 84 3PM​

Cunningham grinded out a messy situation as a rookie and put up some solid stats. His assist numbers are low for a point guard, but remember, the Detroit Pistons had absolutely no one to hit shots at that point. He’s second only to Simmons in steals on this list.

There’s some comparison here to Flagg’s rookie year. The Piston’s poorly built roster and a front office in flux sounds familiar to Mavericks fans. Hopefully things turn around for Dallas and Flagg like they did for Detroit and Cunningham.

2022: Paolo Banchero​

44% FG, 32% 3P, 20.8/6.4/3.8 1 steal, .5 blocks​

Totals: 852 points, 261 rebounds, 154 assists, 42 steals, 20 blocks, 56 3PM​

Banchero showed flashes of greatness early, and as is tradition in Orlando, without any shooting to space the floor for him. That’s tough for a rookie. Banchero took a leap in his sophomore year, making his first all-star game. He’s failed to build on that second-year bump, however, and hasn’t upped his game since.

Banchero’s first 41 games are a pretty good comp for Flagg. Hopefully the Mavericks rookie can level up the same way Banchero did next year.

2023: Victor Wembanyama​

47% FG, 30% 3P, 20.6/10.1/3.1 1.1 steals, 3.1 blocks​

Totals: 843 points, 415 rebounds, 126 assists, 45 steals, 128 blocks, 61 3PM​

Wembanyama is the third leading scorer on this list. When you add in the tremendous amount of rebounds and blocks, along with the surprising number of assists, it’s easy to see why the Spurs’ phenom is considered an alien. If Wembanyama can stay healthy, he’ll be a force in the West for years.

Flagg beats out Wembanyama in assists and 3-pointers, but I give Wemby the edge here. He’s just too dynamic on both sides of the ball in those first 41 games.

2024: Zaccharie Risacher​

41% FG, 30% 3P, 11/3.5/1.2, .8 steals, .5 blocks​

Totals: 451 points, 143 rebounds, 49 assists, 34 steals, 21 blocks, 52 3PM​

Risacher’s first season was not what you want to see out of a number one overall pick. Only Fultz had worse counting stats, and as mentioned above, Fultz’s first few seasons were a disaster. But Fultz has overcome all his early issues and carved out a decent career in the NBA. Maybe Risacher can do the same.

Flagg easily surpassed Risacher’s production, but as we’ve seen above, every rookie’s situation needs to be taken into context. Risacher can still turn into a good rotation player.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...g-compares-to-recent-number-one-overall-picks

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

3 things to watch for when the Dallas Mavericks host the Golden State Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks (18-26) are back at home on Thursday to host the Golden State Warriors (25-20). It is a rematch of the 2022 Western Conference Finals, but it hardly resembles the matchup four years ago.

The Mavericks are hot. Their three-game win streak is a part of six wins in their last nine games. They are eighth in net rating (4.7) over that time frame and fifth in field goal percentage (49.3). They have wins over Houston and New York during this stretch and are looking to added another quality victory on Thursday at home.

Golden State is not to be overlooked, either, though. They have won six of eight and have only lost four times since December 18th. The Warriors just lost forward Jimmy Butler for the season to a torn ACL and are coming off a big loss to the Raptors.

With the injury to Butler, this matchup will now feature three of the two teams’ four highest-paid players in street clothes. Fortunately for viewers, rookie sensation Cooper Flagg and Hall of Famer Stephen Curry are slated to play, so this game will still be must-see television. Here are three things to watch for when the Mavericks host the Warriors on Thursday:

Primetime revenge for Flagg​

The last time Dallas was on national TV was a week ago at home against the Nuggets. The Mavericks got manhandled in that game, and Flagg was playing poorly before exiting the game with an injury in the first half. Thursday is an opportunity for Flagg to bounce back in front of a national audience against a team that he torched under heightened stakes on Christmas Day. Flagg had 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in that game, and is surely thinking about repeating that performance while flipping the result this time around.

Steph Curry flurry​

Curry has played very well in Dallas since the pandemic. He has averaged 28.1 points and seven assists against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center in that time frame, which includes a nuclear 57-point explosion almost five years ago. He had a putrid game in these teams’ last meeting, but do not expect a repeat of that. The Mavericks match up poorly with Curry, and without Butler on the floor, the Warriors are going to look to bomb away even more than they did already. The Mavericks’ fast pace and shot-making recently will also feed the game flow that Curry likes to play in.

Klay sticking it to his former team​

This is a bit of low-hanging fruit, but Thursday is a big opportunity for Klay Thompson to remind his former team what they’re missing. Thompson has been up and down since arriving in Dallas, and this is especially true in games against the Warriors. His first two were incredible: 51 points on 16-of-31 shooting. The last three, however, have left a sour taste in Thompson’s mouth: 35 points on 12-of-35 shooting and a 1-2 record. Dallas has a great chance to win this game, and Thompson has shot 51.6 percent from three in the last three games. It will be at the forefront of his agenda to continue this hot play and show Golden State that he still has it.

How to watch​

The game will tip at 6:30 p.m. CST on Prime Video.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...llas-mavericks-host-the-golden-state-warriors

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Grading the Mavericks: it will be hard to tank with Jason Kidd as head coach

The Mavericks were 3-1 this past week and moved to 12th place in the West, but are just two games back of 10th. They lost to Denver (118-109) before beating Utah twice (144-122, 138-120) and then traveled to New York, where they dismantled the Knicks (114-97). Max Christie led the team in scoring this with 24 points per game. P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford played in just one of the four games due to ankle injuries and personal reasons. Cooper Flagg missed two games with an ankle sprain as well, while Max Christie missed two with an illness. Kyrie Irving (knee) and Anthony Davis (finger) remain out.

Grade: A-​

The Mavericks had a good week! They lost to a Denver team that got its key pieces (other than Nikola Jokic) back recently, but ran the table after that. Both wins against Utah came in bizarre blowouts, where the Jazz looked like they didn’t care about hiding their attempt to tank. Then, with whiffs of January 25th, 2010, Dallas blew the Knicks out of the water in one of the most shocking wins in recent memory. It was a double-digit spread in the Knicks’ favor, but the game was over by halftime. Max Christie hit six threes in the first half, leading the Mavericks to 75 points and a 28-point halftime lead. It was never close, and the Knicks looked helpless against a Dallas team that had Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse as its only two available centers.

Naji Marshall continues to be incredible. He averaged 20.3 points and 4.3 assists this week and did not cool off, shooting 54.2 percent from the field. Brandon Williams played marvelously, scoring 16.5 points a night in electrifying fashion. A lot of guys, including Dwight Powell, stepped up with regular starters out of the lineup. With games against the Warriors, Lakers, and Bucks this upcoming week, it was good to gain momentum before the schedule toughens up.

Straight A’s: Jason Kidd​

As much as Jason Kidd frustrates fans to no end with his experimental style, the one thing you cannot take away from him is his ability to get guys to play hard. The Mavericks started four different starting lineups in as many games and won their last three by an average of 19 points. Caleb Martin, who averaged less than three points in 47 games for Dallas before this week, looked serviceable in a starting role and even scored 14 points against Utah. The 144 points last Thursday against the Jazz were the 10th most points in franchise history, and they did it with no Cooper Flagg and 10 different guys playing 20-plus minutes. Hell, they signed Jeremiah Robinson-Earl the day of that game, and got 55 solid minutes from him in three subsequent appearances. Dallas’ goal of pairing Flagg with a top-five pick in this upcoming draft is in jeopardy, simply because this team will not lie down while Kidd is at the helm.

Currently Failing: Jaden Hardy​

Unfortunately, it is so over for Jaden Hardy. In three blowout wins this week against Utah and New York, games in which the Mavericks won by 22, 18, and 17 points, Hardy was a team-worst minus-13 and shot 37.9 percent from the floor. He has not played much this season, but with opportunity presenting itself via the injury bug, he completely dropped the ball. Hardy was given the starting nod in chapter one of the series against Utah, and the fact that he did not start the second installment while playing just 17 minutes total in that game should tell you everything you need to know. The following two-minute appearance against the Knicks seems to signal that Kidd is done with the fourth-year guard. I don’t blame him; I have had enough of watching him.

Extra Credit: Klay Thompson​

Klay Thompson shooting the ball is a beautiful thing. The beauty increases tenfold when the shots go in, and did they ever this week. Thompson hit 18 of his 38 threes (47.4 percent) and 25 of his 50 shots (50 percent). He went nuclear in the first half of the Saturday matinee against the Jazz, scoring all 23 of his points in just 14 minutes. At times, Thompson plays like he is on his way out of the league. But he still has stretches of greatness in him, and it is a magical thing to witness when it happens.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...be-hard-to-tank-with-jason-kidd-as-head-coach

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

A breakdown of Cooper Flagg and Luka Doncic’s first 41 games with the Mavericks

Cooper Flagg played in the 41st game of his rookie season on Monday against the New York Knicks. I recently compared Flagg’s first 41 games to those of the last ten number one overall picks, and figured why stop there. How does Flagg’s first half-season stack up against Luka Doncic’s?

Doncic wasn’t the number one overall pick in 2018, but it’s been obvious for a while that he should have been. It’s incredible to think that not only DeAndre Ayton, but Marvin Bagley Jr., and (technically) Trae Young were selected ahead of Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping Flagg’s career mirrors that of Doncic’s, if not better. The only thing we have to compare right now, though, are the two young stars’ first 41 games, so let’s take a look at how they look next to each other.

Luka Doncic​

43% FG, 37% 3P, 20/6.7/5, 1.1 steals, .3 blocks​

Totals: 822 points, 275 rebounds, 207 assists, 46 steals, 11 blocks, 98 3P made​

Doncic’s highest scoring game in the first half of his rookie season came against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 28th, 2018. But his best game was probably a week earlier, on December 20th, against the Los Angeles Clippers. Doncic put up 32 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals in that game.

Meanwhile, Flagg’s highest scoring game in the first half of his rookie season is also his best game. On December 15th, 2025 against the Utah Jazz, Flagg notched 42 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and one steal. Here’s what Flagg’s first 41 games looks like:

Cooper Flagg​

48% FG, 29% 3P, 18.8/6.3/4.1, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks​

Totals: 770 points, 257 rebounds, 170 assists, 52 steals, 32 blocks, 40 3PM​

Flagg measures up to Doncic’s first 41 games pretty well! That’s encouraging for everyone rooting for Flagg to live up to that number one overall pick label.

Each rookie enters a completely different situation when they’re drafted. Some join well-run, competitive teams with a clearly defined role. Some enter rebuilds that are complete tear-downs. Others are dropped into absolute messes.

Doncic came into a more stable situation. His first game he started alongside veterans Wes Matthews and DeAndre Jordan, with J.J. Barea and Devin Harris coming off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki began the year injured and wouldn’t join the lineup until 27 games into the season, but he was there to guide Doncic as he adapted to the NBA.

That’s not to say everything was perfect for Doncic as he navigated those first 41 games. There were some issues with veterans freezing him out during games, and he had issues with head coach Rick Carlisle. But it went about as well as you could hope for an introduction to the NBA.

Flagg has dealt with a situation that’s much more murky, at least off the court. The Mavericks came into the season with a poorly constructed roster. With a lack of established point guards to get the talent-laden front court the ball, the likelihood of Dallas struggling was high. That alone was going to make things rough on Flagg.

Head coach Jason Kidd resorted to playing Flagg at point guard early in the season, and it didn’t go well. Thankfully that experiment was abandoned and the Mavericks’ rookie was moved to a more natural position at forward. Kidd found a guard rotation of Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard that’s been serviceable, and Flagg has benefitted greatly.

Flagg also joined a franchise in the midst of a front office mess. Just 11 games into Flagg’s rookie season, Nico Harrison was rightfully fired for trading one of the top five players in the NBA for one of the most injured in Anthony Davis. Since joining the Mavericks, Davis hasn’t played more than five consecutive games.

The sporadic availability of Davis, coupled with the tinkering Kidd has had to do with the lineup haven’t made things easy on the court for Flagg. Still, he’s pushed through and put up numbers that are comparable to Doncic and some of the best number one overall draft picks of the last decade. There’s still a whole second half of the season to play, but the Mavericks and their fans should feel great about the trajectory he’s on so early in his career.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...uka-doncics-first-41-games-with-the-mavericks

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

A year in review: looking back on the year since the Luka Dončić trade

On February 1, 2025, former Mavericks GM Nico Harrison changed the lives of everyone associated with the Dallas Mavericks when he traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in the most shocking trade in recent sports history.

The move sparked immediate outrage and shock from the entire league and resulted in Harrison’s firing nine months later — a swift, but necessary resolution to one of the most shocking betrayals to a fanbase from a sports executive in league history.

Now, nearly a year later, the Lakers will be coming to Dallas for the second time since the trade commenced. Los Angeles’ first trip back — a 112-97 April 9 Lakers win where Dončić dominated the Mavericks to cheers from the American Airlines Center crowd — felt like something out of a sports movie. Home fans rooting for an opposing player throughout the game is exceptionally rare, especially in modern sports, yet it happened in April and I expect it to happen again Saturday.

It’s been a year unlike any other in sports fandom. Here’s a look back at a 12-month span that forever altered the Dallas Mavericks, from the fans to the players to the front office.

February 1, 2025, 11:12 CST: The Tweet​

Late in the evening of February 1, ESPN’s Shams Charania shocked the world when he announced the Dallas Mavericks were trading Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick in a three-team deal that included the Utah Jazz.

Fans across all teams immediately thought the tweet was a farce. “Has Shams been hacked?” started trending on social media and Charania told the Old Man and the Three podcast that his phone was blowing up with questions about if he’d been hacked.

“I answered five people on phone calls, texts I couldn’t, it was literally up to 300 messages,” he recalled.

But the trade was real, stunning the world. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that night that Harrison “believed defense wins championships” and that the Mavericks had “major concerns” about moving forward with Dončić due to his “constant conditioning issues.”

February 8, 2025: Davis makes debut after fans protest trade​

A week later, the Mavericks hosted the Houston Rockets in Anthony Davis’ debut as a Maverick, but the headlines that day weren’t focused on the game; it was on the scene outside the arena.

Thousands of fans flooded Victory Plaza outside the arena to protest the historic trade. People held signs, chanted
“Fire Nico” and voiced their displeasure at the move. Inside the arena, Davis and the Mavericks defeated the Rockets, but the Mavericks’ new star exited the game in the third quarter with an injury.

For many, the trade was a turning point, ticket sales declined 40% that season after the trade. In November, the team’s 24-season streak of sellout games was snapped.

February 25, 2025: Dončić faces Mavericks for first time​

Dallas traveled to Los Angeles to play the Lakers three weeks later with Harrison in attendance. The Lakers defeated the Mavericks, 107-99, with Dončić securing a triple double in the win. Davis missed the game with an injury.

Inside Crypto.com arena,“ Thank you, Nico!” chants erupted from the Lakers faithful. Harrison was in attendance for the game, and it was likely the last public sporting event where he’d ever receive a positive reception.

April 9, 2025: Dončić returns to Dallas​

Two months after the trade, Dončić returned to American Airlines Center in one of the most surreal games I’ve ever witnessed as a fan. Purple and gold jerseys flooded AAC — which wasn’t uncommon for a Lakers road game, Los Angeles has one of the fiercest fanbases in the NBA — but most of the jerseys had one name: Dončić.

Purple and gold meshed with navy blue and white with the same name donned across the back. The Mavericks played a video tribute before the game for Dončić, who teared up on the sidelines as fans applauded the then-25 year old’s tenure in Dallas that included a 2022 Western Conference Finals run and a 2024 NBA Finals run.

Then, the game started, and if you thought Dončić would start slow due to the emotionof the game, he quickly showed the fans and the world just how big a mistake the Mavericks made.

He lit up the Mavericks, scoring 45 points on 16-28 shooting, including 7-10 from three-point range. Dallas fans erupted with every made basket, almost as if to rebel against their own team. Dončić added eight rebounds, six assists and four steals for good measure, and the Lakers clinched a playoff spot while Dallas dropped yet another game, a common theme for the post-Dončić era.

“It was little bit of both happy and angry, but it’s nice to see some familiar faces here,” Dončić said after the game. “…I really appreciate the fans.”

May 12, 2025: Mavericks win draft lottery​

The Dallas Mavericks defied all odds and won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, despite having just a 1.8% chance to secure the No. 1 pick. It was the first time in franchise history Dallas had moved up in the draft lottery and it put them in position to draft Cooper Flagg.

In June, Dallas did just that, drafting Flagg with the No. 1 pick and beginning a new era of Mavericks basketball. The front office made it clear they were trying to move on and turn over a new leaf. The fans were not yet ready to do so.

November 10, 2025: Tensions boil over​

Harrison had tried for nine months to outlast the fan outrage, hoping a flashy new rookie and visions of him, Davis, and Kyrie Irving would soothe fan’s rage.

It did not.

On November 10, tensions boiled over when the Mavericks faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks. Dallas blew a 13-point 4th-quarter lead, but had a chance to tie the game late after P.J. Washington, who had pleaded with fans to stop their chants during the game, stepped to the line to shoot three free throws with Dallas down 3.

“Fire Nico! Fire Nico! Fire Nico!”

Time seemed to stand still in that moment. With Davis watching from the sidelines with yet another injury, the fans staged their final stage of revolt. They no longer cared if their team won or lost. They only cared about Harrison being gone. Nothing else mattered.

That was when team governor Patrick Dumont knew enough was enough.

November 11, 2025: Harrison fired​

Harrison was fired the next morning and the Mavericks named two co-GM’s, Matt Ricardi and Michael Finley, to lead the front office while they began a search for a new permanent general manager.

After four years as GM, a run that saw Dallas reach the WCF and NBA Finals, Harrison was out just nine months after the trade. Some things are too big to escape, and Harrison learned that the hard way.

January 24, 2026: Dončić returns again​

A year ago, Dallas was a title contender looking to get back to the NBA Finals while the Lakers were facing questions about the direction of their franchise with two aging stars and a lack of appealing draft capital.

Now, everything has flipped.

Los Angeles, fifth in the West, now looks to establish themselves as the contender while Dallas starts a years-long rebuild. Flagg’s quick ascension will provide some comfort for Mavericks fans and gives a glimpse into what the future can hold, but the Mavericks are years away from being in the Finals, while Dončić looks to lead his second franchise to the championship series, hopefully this time with a different ending.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...-back-on-the-year-since-the-luka-doncic-trade

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

NBA Draft Takes of the Week: The riches at the top

At Mavs Moneyball we operate out of an instance of Slack, that’s how we do business, chat, watch games, etc. It’s one of those things I wish we could open to the public (a Discord?) but I don’t have time to manage one more thing. So sometime I’ll come back to a given Slack channel and see enough for an article. The Draft channel is easily the one where things get the most intense. So we’re going to do a weekly post: what is your hottest draft take from this last week of games or watching tape?

Tyler: Christian Anderson Jr. should have more consideration as a potential lottery guy in this class. Anderson was a standout at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer, earning all-tournament honors. The other two guys to earn those honors? AJ Dybantsa and Mikel Brown Jr., who both should go top 10 in this draft.

On the season, Anderson Jr. is averaging over 20 points and seven assists per contest, while shooting 49% from the floor and over 45% from three. He also plays basically every minute of every game. Anderson Jr. has played 37+ minutes in 17 straight games, going the full 40 in six of them. He’s a workhorse guard who is playing with elite efficiency and orchestrating the entire offense.

Even with the known concerns about his size (just 178 pounds) and athleticism, the Texas Tech product deserves to be in that same tier as your other mid-to-late lottery guards. He’s that good.

Joe: My Hottest take right now is that Dailyn Swain could go as high as late lottery. Not saying he will go that high, but I see the vision. Swain is one of the more intriguing long-term wing bets in this class. He is a 21-year-old two-way connector with size, athleticism, and a game that translates better to the NBA than to a cramped college floor. This season, he is averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting an efficient 56 percent from the field.

The jumper is the clear swing skill at 27 percent from three and 65 percent from the line, but he has improved his production and efficiency every year, keeping his developmental arrow pointing up. Swain impacts games without requiring high usage. He is a good cutter who relocates well, runs the floor hard, and finishes downhill with either hand. In transition, he can handle, pass, and create advantages without forcing shots. As a passer, he plays with feel, even if he occasionally tries to make a difficult read instead of taking the simple one.

Defensively, his versatility drives his value. He can already guard positions one through three and has the frame and mobility to eventually take on some fours in switching schemes. His length, instincts, and movement give him real lineup flexibility at the next level.

The shooting will decide how far he goes. His mechanics and confidence from deep need work, but his efficiency inside the arc, cutting, and transition play already give him ways to score. In an NBA environment with more spacing, his downhill game and defensive impact should pop. If the jumper comes around, Swain profiles as the kind of high-level rotation wing every good team needs.

Kirk: I don’t really contribute much to draft content, I don’t have the bandwidth. But I saw Nathan Grubel appear on Locked on Mavs and how he talked about Cameron Boozer and I felt compelled to dig deeper. And I just don’t get it. The top of the NBA Draft is about selecting someone who can change your franchise. Numbers are numbers but when I’ve watched Boozer I haven’t felt the impact. Maybe I am crazy but pairing him with Flagg seems like a tremendous waste of a pick and fixes none of the current Maverick problems. Of course that would be a nice problem to have, drafting that high I mean, but that whole take from Nathan. doesn’t pass my casual eye test.

Bryan: Darryn Peterson at 21.6p/4.6r/1.9a on 49/42/82 shooting splits is number one with a bullet in this class and the ongoing debate about Cam Boozer or AJ Dybantsa possibly being drafted first instead still confounds me a bit. Peterson is the most complete prospect in this class and will enter the draft process as the best guard prospect since John Wall in 2010. He’s dealt with a hamstring injury that kept him off the court for a long while and affected his ability to move and drive for a while after his return, but he is usually an explosive athlete both vertically and laterally. Darryn’s an outstanding finisher who can do it with craft, finesse, and explosive leaping ability paired with being a fluid ballhandler with an array of moves, counters, fakes and mid-range step-backs.

His most criticized skill after what some believed to be an outlier senior year of shooting has proven to be elite indeed as he’s now a knockdown three point shooter off the bounce (both in iso and PNR) and off the catch (both standstill and as a movement shooter flying around screens). He has yet to turn the ball over this season as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and has flatly been the best scorer on or off ball in the class. Oh, and he’s also the best defensive prospect in the class not named Jaden Quaintance or Caleb Wilson and has been since high school.

This guy is inevitable and frankly the only reason debate rages on about who should be first overall this coming June is because he’s missed time due to the hamstring (an injury that can linger if not fully healed and very easily be tweaked again) and a need for content to fill the draft news cycle (stone, glass house, yadda yadda). If the Mavericks miraculously land the number one pick again, I know who I’m taking.

David S.: My hot take is Keaton Wagler is a lottery pick and I don’t mean at 14th. Stop me when hear something that doesn’t make an NBA scout drool.. Wagler is an 18 year old jumbo secondary initiator with a tight handle that can shoot the three, has great passing skills, and a high IQ player. He is more crafty than athletic, but his height, ability change speeds, shoot, and distribute the basketball make him an elite offensive weapon on and off the ball. Wagler is averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists with only 1.4 turnovers. Wagler is shooting around 40% from behind the arch and 82% from the free throw line.

Defensively Wagler’s length and IQ make him a promising defender in the NBA. On tape he has a long wing span, but we likely won’t know how long til the NBA combine. Physically Wagler will need to add more muscle to his wiry frame be a solid wing defender at the next level.

While I don’t see Wagler as a number one option in the NBA. If he becomes an average defender, he has the tools to help spread the floor for a teams number one option. The 6’6 combo guard will benefit greatly from an Illini deep run in the March Tournament.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...icks-cam-boozer-darryn-peterson-keaton-wagler

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

3 considerations as the Mavericks host the Los Angeles Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks (19-26) host the Los Angeles Lakers (26-17) on a potentially snowy Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are arguably playing their best team basketball of the regular season to date and are currently riding a four-game win streak against a wide variety of opponents. The Lakers visit Dallas after stumbling against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Each team has had at least one day of rest in what should be an outstanding primetime game on ESPN.

Here’s three things you should think about before tip-off.

For the love of basketball Mavs fans, no one trash talk Luka, okay?​

Luka Doncic returning to Dallas will be weird until the end of his career. There’s no way around that. But one thing everyone can do is not poke the bear. The middle of the season for Luka has always been hard to give a shit about. You know exactly what I mean by that too. Some games, Doncic just isn’t all that focused and he seeks out things to piss him off. Everyone be very, very nice to him. Shout out about how good he is and remind him that stepback threes are a better shot for him than drives at the rim. No Luka Magic tonight (there will be Luka Magic).

The center minutes for both teams​

On the Dallas side of things, Daniel Gafford should be coming back from injury, Dwight Powell is always and forever, and Moussa Cisse is a bit underripe in terms of experience. And Luka Doncic loves to hunt a center that cannot defend in space (or is his friend in Dwight Powell). While I don’t think Dallas should send doubles at Doncic like last game, how these centers hold up in the mismatches may well determine the game.

For the Lakers, DeAndre Ayton has hit his expiration date for caring and Jaxson Hayes is limited. If neither bigman pulls their weight on the boards, Dallas is going to eat the Lakers up on the glass on both ends of the floor and that may well determine the game.

For either team the center managing to hold might help pull their team across the finish line.

How long can the Mavericks keep this up?​

The Mavericks won five of six games starting in late November. They’ve now won five of six again, starting with that win at home over the Brooklyn Nets on January 12th. The Lakers are not an easy opponent, but I see no reason why Dallas can’t beat them outright on Friday night. The special sauce to winning the drudgery games of January and February is playing hard, and head coach Jason Kidd has the Mavericks playing above their place in the Western Conference. Granted, part of why they’re winning is the red-hot three-point shooting (42.5% in these five wins), but the schedule is shaping up in a way the Mavericks could take advantage of. A win against the Lakers would mean five wins, and they play the Milwaukee Bucks on a short turnaround, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is now out for at least a month with a calf strain, and the Timberwolves have down night,s and then there’s the Spurs… ok, well maybe a seven-game win streak is the length this goes. But a guy can believe, yes?

How to Watch​

This one will be on ESPN starting at 7:30 pm.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...rs-game-preview-espn-luka-doncic-cooper-flagg

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

NBA Power Rankings Watch: The Dallas Mavericks refuse to quit

The Dallas Mavericks may be the hardest playing team in the NBA. They certainly play the hardest among teams not currently in the playoff picture. They’ve accumulated their fair share of dumb losses this season — and stolen several eye-catching wins — but one guarantee every time the ball is tipped is that Jason Kidd’s group is going to give effort. Maybe that says more about the state of the team, that they play hard and still lose a considerable amount, but it’s worth applauding while they ride a win streak amidst the deepest darkest parts of the NBA season.

It is that season best four-game win streak (winners of five of their last six) that highlights this week’s power rankings watch. These next two weeks may tell us a lot about the future direction of this team, with the trade deadline looming. For now, it’s a waiting game.

ESPN​

Ranking: 24​

Last week: 24​

Will Anthony Davis return to the Mavs’ lineup?

The team announced that Davis would be sidelined six weeks because of ligament damage in his left hand. And while the Mavs’ interim co-general managers continue to engage in trade discussions involving Davis, sources said that ownership does not feel pressure to make a deal if Dallas doesn’t get offers that it deems as good value. If Davis remains on the roster past the Feb. 5 deadline, expect discussions about whether it’s in the franchise’s best interest for the star forward to return at all this season. — MacMahon

The Athletic​

Ranking: 24 (Tier 4: Not the Tier to Fear)​

Last week: 24​

All-Star Weekend rep: Cooper Flagg, Rising Stars

Flagg is the No. 1 overall pick, so this one is easy. But some thought that Flagg may have had a shot at being a rare rookie All-Star. Not happening. The Mavericks had a decent week overall, aided by two home games against a Jazz team sitting Lauri Markkanen. But Dallas is squarely in the bottom five in the West, and that should keep them from having an All-Star for the first time since Luka Dončić’s rookie season.

NBA​

Ranking: 24​

Last week: 25​

• The Mavs scored 124.4 points per 100 possessions during the homestand, their best four-game stretch of offense this season. They saw a jump in 3-point rate in the two games without Flagg, totaling 37 3-pointers over the two games. Additionally, their 12 corner 3-pointers on Thursday were the most for any team this season.
• Klay Thompson shot 20-for-40 from beyond the arc over the homestand and seems to like playing against Utah, as he’s had at least 23 points in each of the Mavs’ last three games against the Jazz. Thompson’s season-long 3-point percentage (37.6%) would still be the worst mark of his career, but he’s shot 42.0% from beyond the arc (sixth among 34 players with at least 150 attempts) since Thanksgiving after shooting 32.1% prior.
• The Mavs are now the only team without a lineup that’s played at least 75 minutes together. Thompson is actually one of three Mavs who have played in at least 40 games, with Naji Marshall the only one who has played in all 43.

Coming up: Thompson has shot 22-for-48 (46%) from 3-point range in his five games against the Warriors over the last two seasons. He’ll face his former team again on Thursday as the Mavs continue a stretch where they’re playing 10 of 13 at home.

Bleacher Report​

Ranking: 23​

Last week: 26​

The Dallas Mavericks are on a four-game winning streak. And although two of those came against the sub-.500 Utah Jazz, and another was over a Golden State Warriors team reeling from the loss of Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL, Monday’s was over the New York Knicks. And wins are wins.

Now, there may be a contingent of fans who’d prefer those not add up right now. The idea of adding one of this upcoming draft class’s top prospects to Cooper Flagg is intriguing. But he might already be too good to tank.

For the season, Flagg is averaging 21.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per 75 possessions when Anthony Davis (who’s out for the foreseeable future and could be traded ahead of the deadline) is off the floor.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...allas-mavericks-espn-athletic-bleacher-report

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

4 Things to Watch for as the Mavericks Visit the Bucks

The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks (18-26) after losing to Luka Doncic’s Lakers on Saturday. The Mavs had their four-game win streak snapped by the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. After a quick turnaround, they hope to regroup as they enter Sunday’s showdown with the Antetokounmpo-less Bucks, who are coming off a home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Here are three things to think about as Dallas looks to get back on track in Milwaukee.‘

How tired will they be?​

The Mavericks did not get to leave Dallas on Saturday night.

Mavs wanted to fly to Milwaukee tonight but were unable to. They got to the airport but weren't cleared for takeoff. They'll try to get out tomorrow. https://t.co/iYJuGLuNSV

— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) January 25, 2026

Teams always try to travel the night before so players can get some rest and acclimate to the the area they’re playing in. The Mavericks will try to come in hot and eek out a win despite being low on any reasonable amount of energy.

Antetokounmpo Out with Calf Strain​

The misery of the Milwaukee Bucks’ season deepened on Friday night after Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game against the Denver Nuggets with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It was later revealed he suffered a right calf strain, the same injury that kept him sidelined three weeks earlier this season. He’ll miss 4-6 weeks this time around.

Despite the disappointing year for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has played like his MVP self. In 30 games, he’s averaged 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.3 stocks (steals + blocks). He’s the fifth most efficient scorer in the NBA at 64.5% from the floor. In November’s 116-114 win over Dallas, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points on 11/18 from the floor and eight rebounds. No Antetokounmpo leaves a big hole in the middle. If the Mavs want to keep their win streak alive, they’ll have to expose the paint on both ends of the floor and Milwaukee’s lack of a true big man.

The Bucks’ Offensive Struggles​

The Bucks are a .500 team with Antetokounmpo, but are dreadful without him. In the 14 games he’s missed this season, Milwaukee is 3-11. The Bucks are 27th in the NBA in offensive rating this season at 111.9 points per 100 possessions. With Antetokounmpo, they have an offensive rating of 116.3 points, which would be fifth in the NBA. Without him, they sit dead last in the NBA with an offensive rating of 108.0 points, just behind the Brooklyn Nets. Without Antetokounmpo’s gravity, it’s challenging for Milwaukee to find consistent good looks at the basket.

The next two big men in line for the Bucks are Myles Turner and Bobby Portis, who both spend a lot of time on the perimeter, along with power forward Kyle Kuzma. Without the main cog in the wheel, Milwaukee will try to rely on its shooting to bail them out. They are second in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 39.2%.

Milwaukee has scorers, having seven players who average double digits in points: Antetokounmpo (28.0), Kevin Porter Jr. (16.8), Ryan Rollins (16.1), Bobby Portis (13.1), Kyle Kuzma (12.5), Myles Turner (12.4), and A.J Green (10.5). The Bucks’ second-best scorer in Kevin Porter Jr. is out due to an oblique strain. One silver lining for Milwaukee this season has been the growth of guard Ryan Rollins. The 44th overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Warriors found his way on the Bucks roster last season and has propelled himself to a potential future cornerstone. Expect him to have the ball in his hands a lot.

The Mavericks’ Offense Has Been Rolling​

On the Dallas side, they’ve been one of the best paint-scoring teams in this recent stretch of good basketball, getting to the rim at will. The Mavs’ quickness on the perimeter with Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard, and Max Christie has allowed them to have their way against opponents inside. Add in the craftiness and ability to get to their spots of guys like Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg, and defenses have their hands full. Dallas sits at sixth in the NBA in points per game scored in the paint at 53.3. Attacking and finishing against this Bucks defense should be a top priority for the Mavs.

Although the Mavs haven’t been great this season from beyond the arc, they have been better as of late, making double-digit threes in five consecutive games: 10, 13, 15, 18, and 19. Max Christie continues to shoot the lights out as the league’s seventh-best three-point shooter at a scoring 45.7%. Klay Thompson has been on a heater in January as well. In his last five games, he’s 20/42 from distance, 47.6%. Dallas will need to keep knocking down deep shots if it wants to get back in the win column.

How to Watch​

Tipoff is 6 PM and you can watch on KFAA-TV, Mavs.com, or NBA League Pass.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...ee-bucks-game-preview-start-time-cooper-flagg

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks’ Sunday game at the Milwaukee Bucks is postponed

The Dallas Mavericks had a quick turnaround after a 116-110 loss to the Lakers Saturday night. The original plan was for the Mavericks to fly from Dallas to Milwaukee after last night’s game, for their 6 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The massive snowstorm affecting a significant portion of the United States had other ideas.

The Mavs were unable to fly out Saturday night, opting instead to make an attempt Sunday morning. To no one’s surprise, nothing came easy. The NBA announced Sunday afternoon that the Mavericks-Bucks game was officially postponed “due to the Mavericks’ inability to leave Dallas as a result of inclement weather.”

Officially official. pic.twitter.com/mzt0z6kC3R

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 25, 2026

Several reports on Sunday indicated that a make-up date against the Bucks would likely be scheduled on Feb. 19, shortening the Mavericks’ All-Star Break by a day.

Mavs won’t play the Bucks tonight. No announcement from the NBA, but the most likely make-up date for Mavs at Bucks is Feb. 19. Officials hoped Mavs still might get out of Dallas today to play tomorrow in Milwaukee, but frigid temps prevented plane from being adequately de-iced.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 25, 2026

The Mavs are already scheduled to at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 20, so as inconvenient as shortening their break may seem, it’s the lesser evil here. Had the Mavericks tried to play the Bucks on Sunday, they likely would have been forced to field a roster that more closely resembles the Texas Legends than a real, competitive NBA team. Cooper Flagg was previously listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game at Milwaukee, and Max Christie was questionable.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/mavericks-news/55144/maverickss-vs-bucks-game-postponed

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Stats Rundown: 3 numbers to know from the Mavericks 116-110 loss to the Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 116-110 Saturday night in Dallas. It was a very weird, up-and-down game, with the Lakers jumping on the Mavericks early, Dallas storming back in the third quarter, then the Lakers returning the favor in the fourth.

This was former Mavericks star Luka Doncic’s first game back in Dallas this season, and only his second total since the shocking trade to the Lakers last year. Doncic was very good in this game, while the Mavericks struggled offensively outside of that third quarter burst.

It was a disappointing finish for sure, as the Mavericks had a 15 point lead at one point in the fourth quarter. Dallas didn’t get enough from their best players, as Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford all struggled, with Washington and Gafford putting up some pretty egregious stinkers.

This game snaps the Mavericks three-game winning streak. Onto the stats.

14-to-10: Lakers advantage in 3-point makes​

In a game this tightly contested, the Lakers superior shooting was the biggest difference. Los Angeles won by six in a game they outscored Dallas at the three point line by 12.

The Lakers offense wasn’t doing too much outside of getting hot from three. Luka Doncic had 11 assists, most of them to shooters in the corner. The Lakers were 5-of-12 on corner threes. Dallas on the other hand, couldn’t make much — going 10-of-29 from three overall. This was the first game in what felt like weeks where the Mavericks couldn’t get their drive game going, so a lot of the Mavericks threes were end-of-shot clock, contested looks.

4: Combined points scored by PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford​

It was a disastorious night for two of Luka’s former NBA Finals teammates. Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington were starters with Luka on that 2024 Finals team, but both came off the bench tonight as they are working their way to full health after nagging injuries.

Washington had the bigger stinker of the two, but it wasn’t a great night for either: Washington had two points in 26 minutes on 1-of-5 shooting, with only three rebounds and zero assists. Gafford had two points on 0-of-1 shooting, with two rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes. At least Gafford had one impact play, a terrific blocked shot in the first half that felt like the first time all season we saw the old Gafford athleticism in action.

The Lakers are top-heavy, after Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves (who was out with injury), their depth drops off a cliff. Dallas theoretically has the advantage in depth but when two of their best players play like this? Woof. Dallas needed more from these two, even if they’re still working their way back from injuries.

3: Caleb Martin 3-pointers​

This was a lousy game for Dallas, so I’ll end on a somewhat positive, although funny note: Caleb Martin nearly doubled his season three point total in one game. Martin entered tonight with five made three pointers: he made three, going 3-of-4 from deep.

Martin has been one of the worst rotation NBA players since arriving in Dallas last year, and injuries surely haven’t helped. This is the longest stretch of games Martin has played in the rotation and healthy, and it appears he might be inching back toward his Miami Heat form that earned him that multi-year deal with Philadelphia initially.

Who knows how long this lasts or where it goes. Martin did have six combined points in the previous three games. But Martin showing a pulse matters for a Mavericks team that needs all the help it can get.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...from-the-mavericks-116-110-loss-to-the-lakers

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg selected for All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars

This was something of a foregone conclusion, of course, but Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Los Angeles.

Flagg will enter the Rising Stars game as one of the league’s marquee youngsters, bringing season averages of 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists into the game through the first 43 games of his NBA career. He’s the only player to rank in the top five in points (second), rebounds (third), assists (fourth), steals (second) and blocked shots (third) per game among rookies this year.

The NBA announced today that Mavericks forward/guard Cooper Flagg has been selected to compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/yI9uYWMigo

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 26, 2026

Flagg turned 19 on Dec. 21, and before that, had piled up an NBA resume only rivaled by LeBron James as an 18-year-old. On Dec. 15, just six days before his 19th birthday, Flagg became the only 18-year-old in NBA history to record a 40-point game, when he scored 42, brought down seven rebounds and dished six assists in a 140-133 loss to the Utah Jazz. Only James scored more points (625) in NBA history as an 18-year-old than Flagg did this season.

He was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for both October/November and for December.

Flagg has been one of the best clutch players in the league all year long, which will give him some consideration in All-Star voting circles, but the selection to the Rising Stars game likely ends his candidacy for an All-Star reserve spot. All-Star Game reserves will be announced on Feb. 1 ahead of the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played on Feb. 13 and the All-Star Game itself, which will be played on Feb. 15. All the festivities will be held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif.

Blake Griffin was the last rookie to be named an NBA All-Star in 2011.

The Rising Stars Challenge is a four-team, three-game mini-tournament featuring selected rookies and second-year players split into three teams, with the fourth team in the field made up of players from the NBA G League. Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tourney. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.

Third-year Maverick Dereck Lively II participated in each of the last two Rising Stars challenges. The MVP of 2025’s Rising Stars mini-tournament was San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

The three 2026 Rising Stars teams, made up of NBA rookies and second-year players, will be drafted on Tuesday. The field of players for the Rising Stars mini-tourney is as follows:

Rookies​

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)
VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)
Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)

Sophomores​

Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)
Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)

NBA G League Players​

Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs)
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...ected-for-all-star-weekends-rising-stars-game

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Grading the Mavericks: Max Christie should be a part of the future

The Mavericks were 1-1 this past week and remain locked into 12th place in the West. They played both games at home, beating Golden State (123-115) and losing to the Los Angeles Lakers (116-110). Dallas was supposed to fly to Milwaukee for a game on Sunday, but due to inclement weather, the game was postponed. Naji Marshall led the team in scoring with 25.5 points per game. Kyrie Irving (knee) and Anthony Davis (finger) remain out.

Grade: C+​

The Mavericks had a good win against the Warriors. They survived an onslaught from Steph Curry, which, frankly, was breathtaking to witness. Curry had 38 points on 8-of-15 from deep, and each subsequent shot was more incredible than the last. Still, Dallas was able to mitigate the “other guys” and likely got saved from a massive night from Jonathan Kuminga when he exited with an injury after scoring 10 points in nine minutes. Naji Marshall, Max Christie, and Cooper Flagg were all really good, and had the fourth quarter of the Lakers game not happened, this might have been an A+ week.

But the Mavericks get a C+ instead. And yes, that fourth quarter was so bad, it cost them two grades. With 9:38 remaining in the game, the Lakers had put together one of the worst 14.5-minute stretches of basketball I have ever seen to begin the second half. They had scored 14 points until then, and Dallas held a 93-79 lead. From that point forward, Los Angeles outscored the Mavericks 37-17 in just over 9.5 minutes of game time. If you don’t want to do the math, that’s a pace of 187 points per 48 minutes the Mavericks allowed to close the game.

Their defense was putrid, they got stagnant on offense, and head coach Jason Kidd refused to shake things up. Brandon Williams had an excellent run to close the third and was a big reason why Dallas held that lead. But his magic ran out quickly in the final frame, and yet Kidd stuck with him until the clock hit zero. Cooper Flagg was passive and settled. P.J. Washington was in the game, but you could not tell. The lack of a point guard on this team was never more obvious than when Dallas could not get a good shot for what seemed like hours while the Lakers got bucket after bucket on the other end.

And, as horrible as the Lakers’ (and specifically Luka Doncic) defense was in the first three periods, they were just as lights out defensively in the fourth. It was the kind of loss that would have driven everyone mad if the Mavericks were playing for a playoff seeding. With three games in four days this week, they need to flush that collapse and build on the seven quarters they played at a very high level.

Straight A’s: Max Christie​

I could have given Naji Marshall A’s this week, too, but Marshall is just doing what he has done all year. Christie, on the other hand, has added things to his game that he did not have last season, and maybe not even earlier this year. Everyone knows about the shooting: 45.5 percent from 3-point range on 5.8 attempts per game. But what I have been most impressed with is his two-point shot diet. He shot 50 percent on 12 twos this week and showed off some moves that were very mature. One stands out against the Lakers, where he caught the ball in transition, pushed, and used his body effectively on a slow euro-step to go into Jake LaRavia and draw a foul:

He has rapidly improved in his time in Dallas. Christie is just 22 and making under $9 million for the next two seasons. He may be playing well enough to bring in a serious return in trade, but I think it is in Dallas’s best interest to retain him as part of their young core. Much like how I felt about Quentin Grimes, it is important to actually keep some of the young, talented guards you have instead of trading them for cost control purposes. Christie certainly falls in that category and is an excellent complementary piece for a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.

Currently Failing: P.J. Washington​

Washington has not been the same since injuring his ankle against Houston earlier this month. In the three games he has played since, he has scored just 24 points in 79 minutes while shooting 33 percent from the floor. His impact has been overwhelmingly negative, and he just looks off. His head is not there right now, and you can tell by the way he is moving on offense. Every dribble and push shot or floater looks a step slow, and you can see his brain over-analyzing what to do in real time. It’s not a matter of talent, because we all have seen what he can be. Washington just needs to refocus and stop thinking as much when he is out there. With all the trade talk surrounding Dallas, it is probably a good thing for Washington that he cannot be dealt this season. It is in his best interest to focus on playing for the rest of the year without distractions and finish strong.

Extra Credit: Luka Doncic​

Before Saturday’s game against the Lakers, former Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic reached out to 22 online personalities to invite them to the game for a meet-and-greet, as well as a chance to sit in his suite for the action:

Dallas will always be special to Luka

Almost a year after the trade to LA, Luka surprised 22 fans who supported him on social media with a suite for Lakers–Mavs, a pregame meet & greet, and gift bags with Luka Lakers jerseys and his signature shoe. pic.twitter.com/hdznSXx5bv

— ESPN (@espn) January 25, 2026

This group included our very own editor-in-chief, Kirk Henderson, who brought his son with him for an experience they will both remember for the rest of their lives. It was an awesome gesture by Doncic, and one that he absolutely did not have to do. In talking with people who were invited, everyone agreed that he could not have been nicer.

Doncic will always be loved in Dallas. He will never look normal in purple and gold. We don’t know if he has had thoughts about returning to play for the Mavericks one day, but it is clear that he still thinks about the city and the fans regularly.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...s-max-christie-should-be-a-part-of-the-future

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

The Dallas Mavericks are a preventable tragedy

On Saturday night, January 24th, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers came to town with their new franchise star, Luka Dončić, for his second trip back to Dallas since the trade that shattered everything.

In just a few days, we’ll mark the one-year anniversary of that midnight surrender — the moment Dončić was sent away for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, a future pick, and the kind of package you might offer for a slightly bruised star, not a generational one. I was at my desk that night. I remember staring blankly at the screen as I typed a column called “The Worst Moment in DFW Sports History Is Here.” I meant every word.

And a year later, nothing — not the ping-pong miracle that delivered Cooper Flagg, not the long-overdue firing of Nico Harrison, not even the surreal image of Dončić returning to the AAC as a Laker while gifting 22 fans a luxury suite experience — comes close to eclipsing the emotional and strategic catastrophe of that trade.

Because the truth is simple and brutal: You never close a championship window voluntarily.

In the coming days, as the trade deadline nears, much of the Mavs discourse will focus on what veterans Dallas might ship off. Klay Thompson. Daniel Gafford. Maybe even P.J. Washington. It’s a familiar cycle by now: tear down, reshuffle, pray for the ping-pong balls to be kind again. But I’d ask Mavericks fans to pause — to feel — before submitting fully to this future-tense loop.

Because the real tragedy of this past year wasn’t just the trade itself. It was how easily so many moved on. How quickly the refrain became “we weren’t going to win anyway,” or “he was leaving eventually,” or worse, “he’s not our guy anymore.”

Luka didn’t just put this team back in the national spotlight. He took a roster stapled together by trade deadline grit and dragged it to the NBA Finals. Three wins away from a parade. And the response from the front office? Not joy. Not commitment. But cold calculus and revisionist logic.

Nico Harrison, shortly after pulling the trigger, told reporters:

“The easiest thing for me is to do nothing. Everyone would praise me for doing nothing. We really believed in it. Time will tell if I’m right.”

Patrick Dumont, echoed that detachment just weeks later:

“We got to the championship games and we didn’t win… so we had to decide: how do we get better?”

As if getting to the championship games…ahem, NBA Finals isn’t what every team in the league is begging the basketball gods for. As if three wins short of the mountaintop is cause to abandon the hike altogether.

Here’s the part that gnaws at me. Most teams never get a Luka. Most teams never get a Dirk. They get glimpses. Moments. And if they’re lucky, a window. The Mavericks had one. Open. Real. Proven. And they chose to board it shut.

I’m not saying another Finals run was guaranteed. Of course it wasn’t. Sports don’t offer that. Life doesn’t offer that. But the point isn’t the parade. It’s the pilgrimage. It’s the chance. You stay in the window until time or nature or the laws of basketball physics close it on you. But you don’t quit on it after one failed attempt. You don’t trade the star who took you there for a player on the back end of his prime and a few half-measures. You don’t make a move Babe Ruth-level in consequence and rationalize it with a shrug.

And if you do?

You don’t get to act surprised when the crowd doesn’t clap.

Saturday night wasn’t just a basketball game. It was a requiem. Luka put up 33 and 11 with a +18 in 39 minutes — in that building, against this team. But the stat sheet wasn’t what made the night surreal. It was the suite full of Mavs fans — invited by Luka himself — who came to thank the player this franchise gave up on. Some of them had defended him through the ugliest moments of last year. And he remembered.

But the reaction online, from the “just move on” crowd, was predictable. Scoffs. Side-eyes. “He’s not your guy anymore.”

Except maybe he is.

Because for some of us, caring about a team means not forgetting. It means mourning what could’ve been. It means feeling both pride and heartbreak when the player you raised becomes something historic — just no longer in your jersey. Being a fan isn’t just about who suits up today. It’s also about honoring the ghost of what was supposed to happen. Dirk did not win it all until he did. We cannot say for certain what would have happened had Doncic been allowed to play out his era, but many of us would rather have continued on those train tracks—wherever they may have led.

Cooper Flagg is the future now. And he deserves our full attention, our full hope. But hope doesn’t require amnesia.

The Dallas Mavericks will rebuild. They’ll market. They’ll sell tickets. They’ll hire a GM outside of the sneaker industry. But they will never undo the moment they chose to walk away from a title window rather than walk through it.

And until the next banner is raised — if it ever is — we will remember. We should remember.

Because sometimes the greatest loyalty is found in the refusal to forget.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...he-dallas-mavericks-are-a-preventable-tragedy

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Preview: 3 storylines to watch when Dallas hosts Minnesota

As the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex emerges from its three-day winter standstill, the Dallas Mavericks (19-27) get back to regularly scheduled basketball programming on Wednesday, when they host the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves (28-19) at American Airlines Center.

The sudden onset of winter weather caused the Mavericks to miss their game on Sunday in Milwaukee, giving the team an extra day of rest after Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Mavs’ four-game winning streak on Saturday, 116-110, with a furious fourth-quarter comeback.

The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 37-17 in the game’s final 9:35 on Saturday, and wintry precipitation in DFW kept the team’s plane from taking off the following day, giving Dallas an extra day to stew in the melting puddle of misery that has been the 2025-26 season.

With the recent fingy injury suffered by Mavs forward Anthony Davis, we don’t even have much excitement to look forward to with the NBA Trade Deadline little more than a week away. Around these parts, trade deadline hysteria season has given way to injury management season, as both Cooper Flagg (ankle) and Anthony Edwards (foot) are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game on the NBA’s injury report as of 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

The basketball gods have spoken. We do not, in fact, deserve nice things. Even still, here are three storylines to watch when the Timberwolves come to town.

The best ability​

Edwards has played through ongoing right foot issues in recent games, but missed Monday night’s 108-83 win over the Golden State Warriors with what was listed as “right foot injury maintenance.” The fact that he’s generally been able to play through any pain associated with the foot injury, but got the night off on Monday, may point to the superstar guard being available on Wednesday in Dallas. Edwards is averaging 29.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game coming into Wednesday’s matchup. His 29.7 points-per-game average is good for third in the NBA though 46 games, just a hair ahead of Boston’s Jaylen Brown.

Anthony Edwards midseason tape

29.7 PPG I 5.2 RPG I 3.6 APG I 62.5% TS https://t.co/9MhX2QE86E pic.twitter.com/pX8OGiQIa9

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 27, 2026

Flagg is also listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game, getting the same “injury management” designation as Edwards on the latest NBA injury reports. He missed a pair of games, both against the Utah Jazz, less than two weeks ago, so who knows when the rookie star’s next off-day will come. Dallas seems to have two feet traveling in opposite directions, with some remarkable recent wins against seemingly quality opponents but a dismal outlook in the Western Conference standings with little, if any, hope of making noise down the stretch.

If both stars are available for their respective teams on Wednesday, the matchup clearly favors Minnesota, but the Wolves were mired in a muck of their own making before Monday’s win over the Warriors. They came into that game losers of five straight, including losses at Utah and at home to the Chicago Bulls. They’re part of the Western Conference contingent made up of teams that might be good enough to make a deep run even if they’re not laying out a particularly convincing case at the moment.

Shooting ability​

The Timberwolves come into Wednesday’s game fourth in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (37.2%) as a team. Much has been made of the Mavericks’ inability to shoot the long ball this year and how much the lack of shooting has held the team back in the standings. Entering Wednesday’s game, the Mavericks sit 24th in the NBA in the same category, at 34.5%. Dallas’ recent four-game win streak was largely fueled by 3-point heaters from Klay Thompson and Max Christie. Christie has been the Mavs’ lone bright spot from long range this year, shooting it at a 45.5% clip, good for sixth in the league as a sharpshooter.

Both Edwards (41%) and Jaden McDaniels (42.3%) shoot the 3-ball at above 40% for the Wolves, while big man Naz Reid comes into the game shooting it at a 39% clip. The Timberwolves own most of the matchup advantages against the injury-depleted Mavericks and have the ability to run the home team out of its own gym. What’s plagued Minnesota during its recent run is a lack of focus and leadership that presents itself on the floor as a tendency to turn the ball over and let struggling teams stay in the game long enough for the tide to eventually turn.

Neither team shot it particularly well when the Wolves dominated the Mavericks in the teams’ first meeting, 120-96 on Nov. 17. The Mavericks looked lost with 20 turnovers that night, falling behind by 33 points before the reserves played for most of the fourth quarter in the blowout.

The ability to dictate terms​

The Mavs enter Wednesday’s game with a distinct disadvantage in firepower, with or without Flagg, but the Wolves’ own tendency to coast may be Dallas’ path to another unlikely win. The Mavs have proven their own ability to absorb blows this year. They’re a try-hard bunch. They nip at the heels of superior rosters, and sometimes it works.

All it takes is one or two hot stretches from this or that unsung role player, and the Mavs just have a knack for making games of what on paper appears to be a lopsided matchup. If the Wolves don’t dictate the terms of the Mavericks’ surrender from the opening tip, the Mavs will once again make a game of what should be a blowout loss.

And we’ve seen it a number of times this year — anything can happen if Dallas finds a way to stay in the game when crunch time rolls around.

How to watch​

The Mavericks host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and regional sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewership area, or you can catch the stream on MavsTV or NBA League Pass where available.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dalla...orylines-to-watch-when-dallas-hosts-minnesota

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

MMB Lounge: Trade season then All Star break

The NBA Trade deadline is in about a week and seeing the comment count on the previous lounge thread means it’s time for a new one.

As usual this is your one stop shop for talking about whatever in the world you want to. Potential Maverick topics likely include the usual: trades, tanking, and the various prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Trade front has gotten weird. When Anthony Davis went down with his one millionth injury, the market for rumors cleared right up. I hope that’s a good thing because Dallas needs to move someone, they’re too bad to be this expensive. While I’d love for them to keep Naji Marshall, if they can get a future first for him they simply have to. Daniel Gafford should be movable, but there hasn’t been any chatter about him. It’s all very weird. But a lot can change in a week.

As for tanking or pushing towards the play-in… I think the loss to the Lakers broke the hope. That would’ve made five straight wins. But who knows. If thye win half these games going to All Star maybe they give it another go. But I somewhat wish they wouldn’t because…

The guys in the draft rule. I love watching these guys and hearing people argue about them. The top 5 seems to fun and then the depth at guard looks great. This is a real key for the Mavs future. Who is your guy at the moment?

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/mavericks-rumors/55249/mmb-lounge-trade-season-then-all-star-break