Random Mavs News & Articles

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by MFFL

Lamar Odom’s stint with the Dallas Mavericks was a well-documented one. It was clear to everyone that it was a poor fit as Lamar didn’t want to be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Mark Cuban definitely didn’t like his effort on the court.

However, Odom’s latest thoughts on his doomed tenure with the Mavs revealed a new angle. He reportedly told Mark Cuban that he would only be getting a fraction of what he used to be during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers.

Odom was on the Winging It With Vince Carter on The Ringer and revealed more details about why it happened in such a state.

“When I was traded to Dallas, I was in a really tough place. One of my closest cousins just got killed. And I think I was probably still grieving for my son passing away, which I never really got over or got the chance to grieve because of the position I held in the family. I felt like they couldn’t let them see me look down and out. I was in a messed up mental place and I told Mark Cuban about that when he traded for me, that you won’t be getting the Lamar Odom that used to go at Dirk. You’re getting a shell of him.”

Odom only spent one season with the Mavs before returning to Los Angeles for one final ride with the Clippers. During his stay at the American Airlines Center, his production sharply dropped to 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 35.2-percent shooting. He was also atrocious from three (25.2-percent) and the free-throw line (59.2-percent). Currently, Odom is not playing basketball as he was deactivated for the 2019 season by the BIG3. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to return this coming season.

https://clutchpoints.com/mavs-news-l...-shell-of-him/

Yeah I remember pretty well he had his son and a close friend die and I wasnt expecting great out of him. It was clear why Odom was let go from LA. Hate that Cuban didnt see it and get him some help before he deteriorated, regardless of being on the team.

[dirt_dobber]

from espn Zach Lowe:
Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the Luka Doncic-Dwight Powell dance
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...t-powell-dance

#8. Respect the Mavs' other big men
I never got the mostly quashed rumblings Dallas might be interested in Andre Drummond. Kristaps Porzingis should eventually play more as the Mavs' lone big man, and in the meantime, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell are doing just fine alongside him.

Skeptics in the preseason perceived the Mavs roster as top heavy: two stars and a motley crew of bench guys. It's true (it's damn true!) Dallas does not have anyone like a third member of past championship Big 3s. But they do have (by my count) seven guys you might describe as quality fifth starters -- seven fifth-best players, all but one (Tim Hardaway Jr.) on value contracts. There is power in giving zero minutes to below-average players.

Powell has always been a dangerous rim-runner, but he has exploded as Luka Doncic's go-to pick-and-roll dance partner. Only three player pairs have teamed up on that play more often. (For trivia purposes, the top three in volume: Spencer Dinwiddie/Jarrett Allen, Damian Lillard/Hassan Whiteside, and the Lou Williams/Montrezl Harrell symphony.)

The Mavs average a ginormous 1.18 points per possession anytime Doncic or Powell shoots out of the pick-and-roll, or passes to a teammate who launches -- ninth-best among 226 duos who have run at least 100 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

Powell has improved as a passer on the move -- crucial when teams trap Doncic:

Kleber does a little of everything. He's a serviceable screen-and-dive guy. He is hitting 41% from deep on a career-high attempt rate, and he makes canny plays off the bounce when defenses rush at him:

Kleber is a sturdy, smart defender across multiple positions. Rick Carlisle has trusted him to guard extra-large ball-handlers, including LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Simmons. He's a solid rim protector with some hops.

Dallas is starting Kleber and Powell in the absence of Porzingis, and the Mavs have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.

Kleber and Powell earn $18 million combined this season -- $9 million less than Drummond. Drummond holds a much-discussed player option for 2020-21. Kleber and Powell are under contract through 2023. Leaving aside money and whatever assets Detroit might demand, it's unclear whether giving Kleber/Powell minutes to Drummond would even make Dallas any better.

[EricaLubarsky]

Damnit Lowe. Stop restarting the Drummond discussion

[turin]

Looks to me like the guy reads our forum. :-D

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by dirt_dobber

from espn Zach Lowe:
Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the Luka Doncic-Dwight Powell dance
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...t-powell-dance

#8. Respect the Mavs' other big men
I never got the mostly quashed rumblings Dallas might be interested in Andre Drummond. Kristaps Porzingis should eventually play more as the Mavs' lone big man, and in the meantime, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell are doing just fine alongside him.

Skeptics in the preseason perceived the Mavs roster as top heavy: two stars and a motley crew of bench guys. It's true (it's damn true!) Dallas does not have anyone like a third member of past championship Big 3s. But they do have (by my count) seven guys you might describe as quality fifth starters -- seven fifth-best players, all but one (Tim Hardaway Jr.) on value contracts. There is power in giving zero minutes to below-average players.

Powell has always been a dangerous rim-runner, but he has exploded as Luka Doncic's go-to pick-and-roll dance partner. Only three player pairs have teamed up on that play more often. (For trivia purposes, the top three in volume: Spencer Dinwiddie/Jarrett Allen, Damian Lillard/Hassan Whiteside, and the Lou Williams/Montrezl Harrell symphony.)

The Mavs average a ginormous 1.18 points per possession anytime Doncic or Powell shoots out of the pick-and-roll, or passes to a teammate who launches -- ninth-best among 226 duos who have run at least 100 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

Powell has improved as a passer on the move -- crucial when teams trap Doncic:

Kleber does a little of everything. He's a serviceable screen-and-dive guy. He is hitting 41% from deep on a career-high attempt rate, and he makes canny plays off the bounce when defenses rush at him:

Kleber is a sturdy, smart defender across multiple positions. Rick Carlisle has trusted him to guard extra-large ball-handlers, including LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Simmons. He's a solid rim protector with some hops.

Dallas is starting Kleber and Powell in the absence of Porzingis, and the Mavs have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.

Kleber and Powell earn $18 million combined this season -- $9 million less than Drummond. Drummond holds a much-discussed player option for 2020-21. Kleber and Powell are under contract through 2023. Leaving aside money and whatever assets Detroit might demand, it's unclear whether giving Kleber/Powell minutes to Drummond would even make Dallas any better.

This guy Pomeranians.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by dirt_dobber

from espn Zach Lowe:
Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including the Luka Doncic-Dwight Powell dance
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...t-powell-dance

#8. Respect the Mavs' other big men
I never got the mostly quashed rumblings Dallas might be interested in Andre Drummond. Kristaps Porzingis should eventually play more as the Mavs' lone big man, and in the meantime, Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell are doing just fine alongside him.

Skeptics in the preseason perceived the Mavs roster as top heavy: two stars and a motley crew of bench guys. It's true (it's damn true!) Dallas does not have anyone like a third member of past championship Big 3s. But they do have (by my count) seven guys you might describe as quality fifth starters -- seven fifth-best players, all but one (Tim Hardaway Jr.) on value contracts. There is power in giving zero minutes to below-average players.

Powell has always been a dangerous rim-runner, but he has exploded as Luka Doncic's go-to pick-and-roll dance partner. Only three player pairs have teamed up on that play more often. (For trivia purposes, the top three in volume: Spencer Dinwiddie/Jarrett Allen, Damian Lillard/Hassan Whiteside, and the Lou Williams/Montrezl Harrell symphony.)

The Mavs average a ginormous 1.18 points per possession anytime Doncic or Powell shoots out of the pick-and-roll, or passes to a teammate who launches -- ninth-best among 226 duos who have run at least 100 such plays, per Second Spectrum.

Powell has improved as a passer on the move -- crucial when teams trap Doncic:

Kleber does a little of everything. He's a serviceable screen-and-dive guy. He is hitting 41% from deep on a career-high attempt rate, and he makes canny plays off the bounce when defenses rush at him:

Kleber is a sturdy, smart defender across multiple positions. Rick Carlisle has trusted him to guard extra-large ball-handlers, including LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Simmons. He's a solid rim protector with some hops.

Dallas is starting Kleber and Powell in the absence of Porzingis, and the Mavs have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.

Kleber and Powell earn $18 million combined this season -- $9 million less than Drummond. Drummond holds a much-discussed player option for 2020-21. Kleber and Powell are under contract through 2023. Leaving aside money and whatever assets Detroit might demand, it's unclear whether giving Kleber/Powell minutes to Drummond would even make Dallas any better.

Meh.

If DP keeps the level from the last 3 games up then hell give him another raise for all I care. I'll reserve more critical judgment in the playoffs IF we make it.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Meh.

If DP keeps the level from the last 3 games up then hell give him another raise for all I care. I'll reserve more critical judgment in the playoffs IF we make it.

October - 4pts, 4reb, 50.0% shooting
November - 7.4pts, 4.3reb, 64.7% shooting
December - 10pts, 7reb, 57.8% shooting
January - 14pts, 7reb, 74% shooting

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

October - 4pts, 4reb, 50.0% shooting
November - 7.4pts, 4.3reb, 64.7% shooting
December - 10pts, 7reb, 57.8% shooting
January - 14pts, 7reb, 74% shooting

So in the playoffs he should be 24pts, 13rebs...or bust.

[turin]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

October - 4pts, 4reb, 50.0% shooting
November - 7.4pts, 4.3reb, 64.7% shooting
December - 10pts, 7reb, 57.8% shooting
January - 14pts, 7reb, 74% shooting

There's a funny thing about stats. They don't differentiate between playing and blowing out a smallish GS Warriors team and then getting smacked around by the Lakers. However, the stats from both those games are lumped together to come up with an average, and that average can be very misleading. Strictly looking at the average of the stats for these 2 games, one might conclude that Powell played pretty well, but anybody who watched both games knows that Powell was not the same player in both games - especially not the player the average of the stats would have you believe he is - especially in the Laker game, so yeah, while he may be effective and have some nice games against backups and smaller lineups, when the rubber meets the road against a bigger, more physical playoff bound team with 5 legitimate NBA starters, well, let's just say that Powell won't be sniffing the average of his stats. He's clearly not the same player in these matchups that his stats would lead one to believe imo.

Can somebody even name for me 2 or 3 other NBA teams who would have Powell as their starting 5 if he were on their team?

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

So in the playoffs he should be 24pts, 13rebs...or bust.

At the rate he's going, he should be averaging 24pts, 10.2rebounds in 45.6min per game :b

[turin]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

At the rate he's going, he should be averaging 24pts, 10.2rebounds in 45.6min per game :b

I think you're underestimating him. He should be able to go for at least 50 minutes/game on the trajectory he's on. ;-)

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by turin

I think you're underestimating him. He should be able to go for at least 50 minutes/game on the trajectory he's on. ;-)

If we're still in the playoffs in June, he'll average 26.5pts and 11rebounds in 49.6min guaranteed

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by turin

I think you're underestimating him. He should be able to go for at least 50 minutes/game on the trajectory he's on. ;-)

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

If we're still in the playoffs in June, he'll average 26.5pts and 11rebounds in 49.6min guaranteed

Solid points. But why stop in June? Stretch the playoffs out until September. Then he would surpass Harden on offense and we would only have a month long offseason.

[Lestat_1795]

https://theundefeated.com/features/t...und-this-long/
Nice story about TC.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Lestat_1795

https://theundefeated.com/features/t...und-this-long/
Nice story about TC.

“If you ask me, I should have finished my career in Dallas. I should have played the last 10 years, and play 20 years, and finished there. But I also feel like everything happens for a reason. My journey was a hell of a journey. And I wouldn’t change it.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by MFFL

“If you ask me, I should have finished my career in Dallas. I should have played the last 10 years, and play 20 years, and finished there. But I also feel like everything happens for a reason. My journey was a hell of a journey. And I wouldn’t change it.

That stung a little to read.

[turin]

Originally Posted by Lestat_1795

https://theundefeated.com/features/t...und-this-long/
Nice story about TC.

Nice read. TC is a solid guy. I wasn't a fan of him leaving.

[Underdog]

I didn’t mind Cuban blowing up the Championship team... Except for Tyson.

[particleman]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

October - 4pts, 4reb, 50.0% shooting
November - 7.4pts, 4.3reb, 64.7% shooting
December - 10pts, 7reb, 57.8% shooting
January - 14pts, 7reb, 74% shooting

Does Dwight Powell get better as the season progresses or does he feast on weak competition and insignificant games?

Hopefully it's the former.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by particleman

Does Dwight Powell get better as the season progresses or does he feast on weak competition and insignificant games?

Hopefully it's the former.

He did start the season injured so some of it is him rounding into shape. And some guys are more effected than others by lineup changes. He’s never going to be a great rim protector or rebounder but it seems like RC and Luka are really good at putting him in situations to succeed.

[KillerLeft]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I didn’t mind Cuban blowing up the Championship team... Except for Tyson.

TY and Barea both should've been brought back. Most of us knew it at the time, but Cuban just had to chase Howard and Paul.

[CanadianMavsFan]

Originally Posted by Lestat_1795

https://theundefeated.com/features/t...und-this-long/
Nice story about TC.

Nice read. Tyson was a fantastic competitor and a great guy. I remember hating him in that 2008 series against New Orleans (Mavs lost in 5 I think) because he was such a pest in the middle. He showed how great Dirk was when playing beside a good center. If he had Tyson or a guy on his level from 2003 onward I think the Mavs would have become a dynasty.

[EricaLubarsky]

Now that we're halfway through the season, a few stats to see where we stand

Amazing (top 10)
OFFRTG - 1st
Assist to TO ratio - 5th
offensive rebound % - 8th
overall rebound % - 5th
eFG% - 5th
3pt% - 9th
TOs - 2nd fewest in league
PFs committed - 6th fewest
+/- - third in league behind only Lakers and Bucks
FTA rate (how often we get freebies) - 9th (should be way higher with how Doncic is officiated)
Opponent eFG% allowed - 9th (some say a decent measure of defense)

Mediocre (middle 10)
DEF RTG - 16th
pace - 19th
FT % - 15th
Blocks - 19th in the league
second chance points allowed - 19th
3FG% in fourth quarter - 13th
Fast break points - 18th

Baadddd (bottom 10)
Opponent points in the paint - 22nd
Opponent fast break points allowed - 30th (dead last)
Steals - 28th in the league
Opp TO% - 30th in the league in forcing turnovers.

Seems like our offense is pretty stellar, but we really slow down in the fourth quarter.
We are only mediocre at defense but are truly terrible at causing TOs and getting steals
We're really good at not turning it over, but we're really terrible at getting our opponents to cough it up
Our inside defense is baddddd
Our transition defense is baddddd
For a fast team, we play REALLY slow (18th in fast break pts, 19th in PACE)

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Now that we're halfway through the season, a few stats to see where we stand

Amazing (top 10)
OFFRTG - 1st
Assist to TO ratio - 5th
offensive rebound % - 8th
overall rebound % - 5th
eFG% - 5th
3pt% - 9th
TOs - 2nd fewest in league
PFs committed - 6th fewest
+/- - third in league behind only Lakers and Bucks
FTA rate (how often we get freebies) - 9th (should be way higher with how Doncic is officiated)
Opponent eFG% allowed - 9th (some say a decent measure of defense)

Mediocre (middle 10)
DEF RTG - 16th
pace - 19th
FT % - 15th
Blocks - 19th in the league
second chance points allowed - 19th
3FG% in fourth quarter - 13th
Fast break points - 18th

Baadddd (bottom 10)
Opponent points in the paint - 22nd
Opponent fast break points allowed - 30th (dead last)
Steals - 28th in the league
Opp TO% - 30th in the league in forcing turnovers.

Seems like our offense is pretty stellar, but we really slow down in the fourth quarter.
We are only mediocre at defense but are truly terrible at causing TOs and getting steals
We're really good at not turning it over, but we're really terrible at getting our opponents to cough it up
Our inside defense is baddddd
Our transition defense is baddddd
For a fast team, we play REALLY slow (18th in fast break pts, 19th in PACE)

Great stuff Erica, thanks! Pretty much matches the eye test.

So we need what we have all basically thought we've needed: a post defender, another shot maker/creator, more athletic perimeter players. Not necessarily in that order. I would say that short of trades we can't solve the interior defense or shot creator very well in house, unless some combination of JJB along with improvement from Delon and Seth in that regard does it. Not going to cut it come playoffs and Luka will be worn down.

More minutes for Delon and less for Brunson would be my solution to better "takeaway" numbers, as he is our best perimeter chaos agent. I'm pretty confident we are getting someone before the deadline, but the high upside play may just be to unleash Delon, sit the midget, and live with his mistakes as he gets more comfortable with the offense. Delon brings a nice mix of defense, rebounding and attacking on offense and has shown he can shoot the 3 at a decent clip if given regular minutes. Even for the sake of trade value, maximizing Delon's potential is good for us. Brunson will maintain his trade value, such as it is, with that team-friendly contract.

[BPo001]

Pretty good read on DP. I think a lot of the stuff he does for the community goes unnoticed. You can’t deny he’s a hard worker and is a great team guy. Hopefully him working himself back has the same effect in the team Caron did on the championship team. I think the 2011 team used Caron as motivation seeing how hard he was working to get back and help that team win.

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2020/1...way-imaginable

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

At the rate he's going, he should be averaging 24pts, 10.2rebounds in 45.6min per game :b

I'd like to revise my prediction.

[ChileanMavsFan]

Ugh, terrible news

https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/12...422733829?s=20

Mavs PR
@MavsPR
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that center Dwight Powell suffered a rupture of his right Achilles tendon.

Powell is currently weighing his surgical options and updates will be provided as appropriate.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by ChileanMavsFan

Ugh, terrible news

https://twitter.com/MavsPR/status/12...422733829?s=20

Mavs PR
@MavsPR
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that center Dwight Powell suffered a rupture of his right Achilles tendon.

Powell is currently weighing his surgical options and updates will be provided as appropriate.

1) He is out 9-14 months. That's this season and most of next
2) He probably will never be the same player again

[ChileanMavsFan]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

1) He is out 9-14 months. That's this season and most of next
2) He probably will never be the same player again

Dwight is a workaholic so I'm confident he will do his best to come back strong from this, but history is against him. Just have to hope for the best.

I guess this means we will see a lot more Boban from now on. We probably also need to find another big now for some depth.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by ChileanMavsFan

Dwight is a workaholic so I'm confident he will do his best to come back strong from this, but history is against him. Just have to hope for the best.

I guess this means we will see a lot more Boban from now on. We probably also need to find another big now for some depth.

Nope. Powell's curse is that he relies almost entirely on his athleticism which Achilles injuries love to destroy. Not saying Powell can't still be an NBA player, but the Powell we knew won't exist anymore. Sucks.

[SMC0007]

I feel for him. There are maybe a handful of players in the league that hustle on his level. As much as we bitched about his role here, he made himself from how hard he worked. Tough luck man.

[KillerLeft]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Nope. Powell's curse is that he relies almost entirely on his athleticism which Achilles injuries love to destroy. Not saying Powell can't still be an NBA player, but the Powell we knew won't exist anymore. Sucks.

This is kind of what I'm thinking, too. Really sucks, and I feel bad for him.

[particleman]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Nope. Powell's curse is that he relies almost entirely on his athleticism which Achilles injuries love to destroy. Not saying Powell can't still be an NBA player, but the Powell we knew won't exist anymore. Sucks.

Which part of ChileanMavsFan's post were you disagreeing with?

[SMC0007]

Where would one go to rant about the fact that Alex Caruso is getting lots of all star votes? Why is this a thing...and why is no one annoyed about it? Thanks

[LukaMagic]

Originally Posted by mac222b

More minutes for Delon and less for Brunson would be my solution to better "takeaway" numbers, as he is our best perimeter chaos agent. I'm pretty confident we are getting someone before the deadline, but the high upside play may just be to unleash Delon, sit the midget, and live with his mistakes as he gets more comfortable with the offense. Delon brings a nice mix of defense, rebounding and attacking on offense and has shown he can shoot the 3 at a decent clip if given regular minutes. Even for the sake of trade value, maximizing Delon's potential is good for us. Brunson will maintain his trade value, such as it is, with that team-friendly contract.

Yes. Makes sense. But this would not be without significant problems. Our playmaking drops significantly when the second unit takes the floor, and I like having both Brunson and Delon on the floor at that time, because they can kinda take the load off of each other - i.e. when one runs out of options, he can pass it to the other to give it a go. I think that's RC's logic with playing both of them at the same - and it kinda works. I think if you push either one, and start consistently expecting too much out of them, they will crack. You gotta do it gently. But I am all for giving more minutes to Delon. I think the sooner he is truly christened, the better.

[Dallas41]

I think the Mavs should package Brunson, Jackson & Lee for either Covington or Iggy

If it's Iggy you could then play him off the bench with Wright and Curry because Iggy could also facilitate the offense

If it's Covington you could start him at PF upfront with KP and DFS to finally give our small ball starting 5 some actual length for once.

Defense around Luka with that trio would be outstanding and the mavs would hold up better vs the Clippers tandem of big wings & Lebron with the Lakers

I just don't think there is much upside to Jackson or Brunson unless they turn into a poor man's version of Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher down the road

[EricaLubarsky]

[LukaMagic]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Wow. Impressive stuff. Carlisle turned him around. Now it's time for KP )

[LukaMagic]

Longish video but worth watching.
A very sound analysis.
Helps explain some of our problems in the clutch and with a clear prescription on how we should improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jLCQVrb4Yg

Also, RC must be aware of this and is probably the reason he likes to play JJ with Luka occasionally. Luka's perfect partner would be something of a two-way, creative player. Can handle but can also let go of the ball. Like Delon Wright, but with an offense that matches the defense.

[KillerLeft]

Originally Posted by LukaMagic

Longish video but worth watching.
A very sound analysis.
Helps explain some of our problems in the clutch and with a clear prescription on how we should improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jLCQVrb4Yg

Also, RC must be aware of this and is probably the reason he likes to play JJ with Luka occasionally. Luka's perfect partner would be something of a two-way, creative player. Can handle but can also let go of the ball. Like Delon Wright, but with an offense that matches the defense.

I think the one thing the front office tried this summer that didn't work out as well as they thought it would is Wright. Yes, he's as good as advertised on defense, maybe better. But, while he's not totally useless on offense, he is extremely prone to making poor decisions with the ball - so much so that he can't really be played as much as I'm sure they hoped.