Who was the player of the game who elevated his game to get the win?

I thought this question is so huge, that it deserves it´s own thread. Also I feel like the discussion around it has evolved in a few different threads. Furthermore I wanted to add a poll.

So here are the facts:

Current salary for 2020/21:

J-Rich - 10.865 mio - he has a player option for next year at 11.615 mio 
THJ - 18.975 mio - he is a UFA

Cap-hold: 
J-Rich (if opted out) - 16.5 mio 
THJ - 28,5 mio (crazy!) 

1st scenario: J-Rich opts in

Given his poor play, I have become more and more hesitant, if J-Rich will in fact opt out. I still think him opting out is more likely, as there isn´t really a  good FA market and a few franchises with cap room. It certainly isn´t the worst market to be a FA. 
Still, let´s assume he opts in. That would mean his 11.615 mio would become guaranteed (I don´t want to discuss, what that means for Mavs FA ambitions in this thread.) If you keep THJ, then the offseason is basically over. So I assume J-Rich basically will decide, what we´ll do with THJ´s caphold, as I can´t see us holding THJ on the books, if J-Rich opts in.

2nd scenario: J-Rich opts out

This is, where it gets really interesting. I could see arguments for any strategy here except keeping both capholds on the book. I think in this case it comes down to either renouncing both or renouncing one of them. This leads us to the crucial question: What do we pay THJ or J-Rich?

In my eyes, there are only these realistic outcomes: 

- J-Rich opts in and we let Timmy go.

- J-Rich opts out and we renounce Timmy: Given J-Rich would be interested in staying, I wouldn´t pay him more than 8 mio per year. He´s shown 
nothing this year that suggests he deserves a double digit contract.

- J-Rich opts out and we keep Timmy on the books: Given THJ would be interested in staying, I would offer THJ 12 mio per year. His defensive limitations are real and as much as I enjoy him as a offensive spark plug, with Luka and KP the margin for error on the defensive end is just too small to pay him a bigger portion of our cap.

- Both opt out and we just let them walk.

What do you think about these outcomes? Do you actually see us keeping THJ on the books, if J-Rich opts in?

Edit: Of course there is the possibility of renouncing the cap holds AND still resigning players. But this seems not very likely, as you can´t go over the cap in this case.

MAVS PULVERIZE WARRIORS IN SAN FRANCISCO
DONCIC TRANSCENDENT

On the second night of a back-to-back, on their fifth game in seven days, without Porzingis and Richardson, coming off an embarrassing blowout to the Kings, the Mavericks looked like aliens had taken over their bodies, smashing the Warriors in the mouth from the first minute and never taking their foot off the gas. WOW!!!


GAME STORY

KP and Richardson remained out with their respective injuries. Redick returned to the lineup after sitting out a game. Luka, Maxi and DFS were all listed as questionable earlier in the day, but were okay to play by game time. Carlisle went with a starting lineup of Luka, Burke, DFS, Maxi, and Powell.

I don’t know what Carlisle said to the boys after their dismal start in the Sac game, but they came out blazing against the Warriors. They began with two Maxi jumpers and a 77-7 alley oop, triggering a GSW time out in the first two minutes. Steph took a one-possession lead, and then the Mavs put together an astounding 25-0 run in the last 8:40!!! Unbelievable! It was a season record low for the Mavs for opponents points scored in a quarter. 

The second period featured a low offensive output by both teams. The Mavs put up a modest 26 points, but the Warriors had a humiliating 17, failing to reach 30 points in the half. Mavs led 62-29 entering the locker room. This was a Golden State season record for fewest points scored in a half and biggest deficit in a half. Whoo-ee!

Golden State came to life in the third quarter, managing to score 35 points, but the Mavs were even stronger with 41. Luka was phenomenal, with a stupendous 29-point frame on 9-11 shooting. That’s more than most players score in a game! OMG!!

The entire fourth period was extended garbage time, and that was the only quarter GS won, with a 39-30 margin over the Mavs’ C team. 

What an incredible game!


STATISTICS

Look no further than the shooting stats. Dallas shot a blistering 51% from distance with 18 treys. They were also 53% inside the arc, and 86% from the line. Comparable percentages for GSW were 44/37/79. Every single Mav who attempted a three shot at least 40% from range except Nate Hinton, who was 0-2 in garbage time. Your boys dominated the entire court, with a 50-34 advantage in PIP. The Warriors played a surprisingly sloppy match, losing 21 points on 18 turnovers, and surrendering a 19-12 advantage in fast-break points. 

The Mavericks had a 28-0 run in the first and second quarters, which is the largest run for any NBA team this season, and the largest one in Mavs history. UN-BE-LIEVABLE!


PLAYERS

DONCIC. This was the Luka Show, pure and simple. He set the tone early, and the match evolved into a continuous Luka highlight reel. Thirty-nine points, 15-23 shooting, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals in a mere 28 minutes of play. After long minutes the night before. Just one breathtaking play after another, not leaving the opponent a moment to breathe. We can only stand in awe. 

STARTERS. Burke got his first start of the season and led the team in minutes with 31. He had 8 points on 2-13 shooting, but did a very good defensive job on Curry in the first half, mostly as half of a double team. Dorian had 13 points and 8 boards. I think DFS is looking a lot more confident of late — that deer-in-the-headlights look he used to sport is pretty much gone now. Maxi’s bruised back looked like it was feeling no pain, as he put up 10 points and 6 rebounds, and only had to play 21 minutes. I didn’t think this was the greatest of nights for Powell. He did grab 8 boards, but wasn’t connecting well, and scored only 3 points in 19 minutes. 

RESERVES.  The bench mob scored an amazing 60 points, soundly thrashing their Warriors counterparts, who had 33. Hardaway and Melli had 13 points apiece, and Brunson was close behind with 12. It probably should be noted that all of Melli’s points came in the fourth quarter. Rick described him as a "sneaky good athlete." Willie had only 6 points and 5 boards in 23 minutes, but was a team-high +41.

GOLDEN STATE. This was a horrible performance by the opponents. Before the contest, Steve Kerr had described it as the biggest game of the season. He threw a tantrum the likes of which I had never seen from him over an alleged double dribble by DFS, and looked like he was in serious distress the entire game. Afterwards, he said he was very disappointed in himself for not having his guys prepared to play. Steph Curry, Destroyer of Worlds, was limited to 27 points. His back-court mate Mychal Mulder had 26 on 10-16 shooting. Draymond had 11 boards, but did not score. 


OBSERVATIONS

Absolutely amazing. A joy to watch. Without KP and J Rich, on the fifth game in seven nights. Very impressive win from an extremely motivated looking Dallas team. It was really satisfying to watch Shaq and DWade have to do pushups for betting against the Mavs, lol. 

I don’t know where this version of the Mavs has been hiding, but I would be happy to see more of them, especially in the postseason. 

Well, not to be a downer, but even a beautiful, spectacular win counts the same as any other. The Lakers and Blazers both won their games tonight, so the Mavericks remain one game ahead of Portland, and two games behind LA. 

The season marches relentlessly on. Your Dallas Mavericks face Detroit on Thursday. I’ll be smiling until then!

Who was the player of the game who upped his game to help the team win?

DEPLETED MAVS LETHARGIC IN LOSS AT SACRAMENTO

Well, this is why we can’t have nice things. The short-handed Mavericks put on a very lackluster performance and were put in their place by one of the league’s worst defensive teams. The franchise appeared to look off this game, with their eyes on the next night’s engagement in San Francisco. They parked three of their important players — Kris, J Rich, and Redick — on the bench, played Maxi only 10 minutes, and delegated much of the battle to such seldom-seen personages as Green, Burke, and Boban. 

The deep bench players actually stepped up pretty admirably, but the constantly changing, jerry-rigged, seldom-or-never-used lineups did not make for much team chemistry, and the team as a whole didn’t seem to play with much urgency. Maybe they figured that a match against an opponent that was missing its best scorer, was on the second night of a back-to-back, and was the worst defensive team in the NBA would be a pillow fight. SMH. 


GAME STORY

KP and Richardson continued out with their injuries, and Redick joined them with some aggravation of his heel soreness. Luka, DFS, and Maxi were all listed as questionable earlier in the day, but were able to go. D’Aaron Fox was out for Sacramento. 

One characteristic of this version of the Mavs is that they pretty much just refuse to come out ready to play, preferring, to quote Harp, to spend the first few minutes getting ready to play. Within the first two minutes, the Mavs were down 2-8, triggering an early timeout. To no avail. Before the period was halfway over, Dallas was trailing 3-20. To the Kings. Not the start Carlisle wanted, by a long shot. Your boys were on the wrong end of a 17-31 scoreline after one. The Mavs were 0-9 from three, whereas Sac had a 7-11 performance from deep. Dallas also had 7 turnovers in the period. 

The second did not begin any better. Within the first three minutes, the Mavs gave up a three-attempts basket to the Kings. Dallas broke out their zone, but Delon Wright immediately drove to the basket for a layup over Willie. Eventually, the visiting team managed to gain a little traction, thanks to unlikely saviors Trey Burke and Boban. They whittled the deficit to 3 at a couple of points, but the Kings made a run at the end, and the Mavericks went into halftime down 52-59. Carlisle opted for a bench-heavy lineup in the frame, with Maxi, THJ, and Powell on the bench the entire 12 minutes. Only three Mavs scored in the quarter, but they scored fast and furiously, with 15 points from Burke and 10 apiece from Luka and Boban. 

The Mavericks came out sizzling in the third, and quickly gained their first lead of the game. However, Sac went on a 8-0 run about five minutes in, and maintained a cushion for most of the period. Dallas put together a nice run to end the quarter, highlighted by two Cauley-Stein slams. They had drawn within 2, at 85-87. Harrison Barnes went to the locker room at 6:30 and did not return. We later learned that he had an abductor injury.

Dallas retook the lead for one possession at 10:25 in the fourth, but never led again. The Mavericks entered the last five minutes down 5 and lost the rest of the game 9-11. The clutch unit was Luka, Burke, Hardaway, DFS, and Willie. The Mavs were 0-7 from three in the quarter. 


STATISTICS

The Mavs played a pretty good possession game, getting 11 more shots up than the Kings, and 13 more 3PTAs. However, their very poor shooting from distance and at the line took its toll. They were 62% inside the arc, 29% from three, and 57% from the line, while comparable percentages from Sac were 56/45/89. Maverick point differentials were +4 on points from twos, -3 on points from threes (despite having 13 more attempts), and -8 on made free throws. The visitors went to the line for only 14 attempts, and missing 6 of those in a 7-point loss didn’t help matters. 

All five starters were in deep negative territory, although the bench were all positive. Sac turned the ball over 18 times for a loss of 23 points, but the Mavs somehow were not able to capitalize. The Kings have the dubious distinction of being the league’s worst team in transition defense, yet they led the Mavs 16-11 in fast-break points. Turrible. 


PLAYERS

We’ll list the players in order of minutes tonight, in order to put into focus the resources that the team brought to bear in this match. 

DONCIC (37 minutes).  Luka had a 24/7/8 line, but had 4 turnovers, and was only 8-20 from the field. His clutch management in this game was not his best. In the last five minutes, he had five points — a midrange floater, one of two free throw attempts, and a late layup, —no assists,  and two missed threes in the final minute. In more cheerful news of late, he was chosen Western Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time in his NBA career.

DFS (33 minutes). Doe-Doe had a respectable 10/7/4 line, along with a couple of steals. He had a highlight minute in the first quarter when he grabbed a rebound and danced all the way down the court for a bucket. He also had a great cut in that period to receive a pass from THJ for a basket. However, on the defensive end, he was getting blown by pretty regularly. 

THJ (29 minutes). When I looked at Tim’s box score, I was somehow surprised it wasn’t worse. He had 19 points, but was 8-20 overall and 3-12 from distance. I had halfway expected Rick to cut him from the closing unit again, but I guess they were desperate for scoring at that point, and who else was there? I hope they can think of something to break Timmy out of this slump. The Mavericks badly need him to play well. 

BURKE (28 minutes). Trey came out of semi-retirement from the rotation to bedazzle the arena with a 15-point second quarter.  His 19 points on the night made this his third-highest scoring game of the season. Harp deemed him the best player on the floor on the night. Rick and Coach Jenny both commended him for always remaining engaged and staying positive, saying that the coaching staff unanimously thought he would be ready for this game. 

WCS (27 minutes). Willie had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals in his de facto role as primary big man on the night. His most passionate moment was probably when he put Buddy Hield on a poster with a vicious tomahawk dunk in the third. He was active at the rim all night, on both ends of the court, and gave it the old college try. 

MELLI (21 minutes). Nico did not score, and indeed took only three shot attempts, but had 6 rebounds and a steal.

BRUNSON. (18 minutes). Another rather meh game for Jalen, who had 7 points and 3 assists, and was 3-9. He did have a defensive highlight in the first quarter, when he drew an offensive foul on his defender in the opponent’s backcourt.

GREEN (16 minutes).  Josh got some substantial minutes here, and had 2 points and 3 rebounds for the evening. Most of his impact appeared to be on the defensive end. For example, late in the third quarter, Josh forced a shot clock violation with aggressive defense against Haliburton, drawing cheers from the bench.  In the fourth, he tied the game on a transition slam for an offensive contribution. Rick said he put Green in the mix with Richardson and Redick out, and thought he showed good energy.

POWELL (13 minutes). Dwight had 5 points and 5 rebounds, as the Kings’ switch-heavy defense really exposed him. Must have been a downer, after his game against the Lakers on Saturday.

KLEBER (10 min). Maxi was a game-time decision with his back bruise, and he only played in the first quarter. Rick said the German wasn’t moving well, so he elected to give him a rest and go with another scorer in Trey Burke. It seems clear that his back injury is truly hampering him. 

BOBAN (9 minutes). Bobi had 10 points, all in the first half, on 4-4 shooting. He was an offensive terror in the second quarter, as the Mavs repeatedly found him for a shower of easy baskets. With Sacramento’s tendency to play small, athletic players, it was a good matchup for Bobi offensively, although not so hot defensively. Coach Jenny said she wasn’t sure why Carlisle didn’t go back to Boban in the second half, speculating that Rick was struggling to find any effective lineup, and cited the defensive matchup in Bobi’s case. 

KINGS. The Kings’ leading scorer, D’Aaron Fox, was out for COVID protocols. Another of their most important contributors, former Mav Harrison Barnes, had to leave the game early and played only 24 minutes. He managed to put up 19 points and 6 rebounds on 7-10 shooting in his abbreviated time on the court. Richaun Holmes lit the Mavericks up with 24 points on 9-12 shooting and 6-6 FTAs. That was one point less than the Mavs’ 4 big men combined. Buddy Hield registered 16 points, and rookie Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 10 assists. 


NBA ITEM

Sad news came down today that a long-time Mavs media commentator, Jonathan Tjarks of the Ringer, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, thought to be a sarcoma. Thoughts and prayers to Jonathan, his wife, and his one-year-old son.


OBSERVATIONS

Carlisle labeled the contest “very disappointing,” laying the primary blame on the very bad start. He admitted that it is frustrating being a broken record on the subject. 

Coach Boucek descried her team’s “subpar” performance. She echoed Rick’s disappointment in the lack of a sense of urgency, resulting in a very slow start. She thought the Kings showed a lot of passion and played very well, but still thought the Mavs "should have" won. Down the stretch, she criticized the squad’s inability to get stops, very bad shot selection, and poor offensive decision-making. She cited Richaun Holmes as a player that the Mavericks never had an answer for, noting that Willie and Powell both had difficulty defending Sac’s athletic bigs. She observed that several of the players are “dinged up,” but sees no excuse for the lack of aggressiveness and punch, ascribing it to a “maturity issue.”

This is a loss that should embarrass the Mavs organization, from tip to toe. The players, for the most part, were disappointing. However, one can also point a finger at the coaches and higher-ups for bringing a water gun to a knife fight -- both in terms of guys not playing, and in the attitude of the guys who did play. I guess the other possibility is that the sitting Mavs really were too hurt to play, which is an even more discouraging prospect.
 
It remains to be seen who will even play on Tuesday night — Carlisle told the reporters not to ask about that because he is tired of talking about who will play on any given night. Okay, then. In any case, Portland and the Lakers both won and increased their records vis-a-vis the Mavericks by a whole game. 

The Mavs face Golden State on the SEGABABA. I really don’t know what to expect. 

Here is why you trade for a 35 year old JJ Reddick.  Notice where Kuzma is standing in the half court set.  This is not in transition, but after the offense and defense are set.

MAVERICKS BLOW OUT LAKERS IN COMEBACK VICTORY
MAVS DOWN 17 IN SECOND QUARTER

Your Dallas Mavericks, with KP and J Rich out injured, laid a rope-a-dope on the visiting Lakers, even if unintentionally, playing a second half that left the opponents trudging off the court wondering what hit them. WOO-HOO!!


GAME STORY

KP was out with a sprained ankle from the previous evening, and Josh Richardson was also on the injured list with a hammy. KCP was newly out for the Lakers, and AD’s minutes restriction was raised to 25 minutes. Rick went with a starting lineup of Luka, Hardaway, DFS, Powell and Maxi. 

The Mavs got out to as much as a five-point lead a couple of times in the first quarter, but the Lakers closed well, with Dallas trailing 23-26 after one. New Laker Ben McLemore torched the home team Mavs with 12 points, and the visitors boasted 6 threes in the quarter. Meanwhile, the Mavs’ jump-shooters were not hitting, and Dallas had only one triple in the entire frame. No Maverick scored more than 4 points, and the team had 5 turnovers. 

The Mavs put up a clinic in the second quarter on how to give away a game. Shoot terribly — check. They were 6-20 from the floor. Turn the ball over — check. Five more giveaways for a loss of six points, and a 7-0 Laker margin in fast-break points. Allow the opponent a red carpet to the rim — check. Lakers had an 18-6 advantage in PIP. Do not adjust to the opponent’s defense — check. The Lakers double-teamed Luka the entire time, and the Mavs consistently failed to make them pay. The offense was creating open looks, but no one could hit the broad side of a barn, and Luka’s teammates continued to stand around gaping while he was repeatedly trapped. The Lakers lead ballooned to 17 at one point, and the Mavs were at a 46-58 disadvantage going into the locker room. 

The Mavericks adjusted with a vengeance in the third on both ends of the floor. Dallas ratcheted up their defense big-time, and the Lakers were held to six made shots in the quarter. The Mavs shooters started feeling it, and five triples helped the cause. The ball and the players were moving, and an astounding 11 of Dallas’ 12 made baskets were assisted. This frame, it was the Mavs who were dominating the lane, for a 14-2 advantage in PIP. The game was knotted at 79-all after thirty-six minutes on the basis of a 33-21 quarter by the Mavs. 

WHAT A FOURTH QUARTER!  The Mavericks put together a 29-14 final frame, fueled by a 12-point period from Dwight Powell, who dunked on the Lakers five times, as the Luka-Powell PNR repeatedly flummoxed the visitors. The Lakers absolutely crumbled, going 0-10 from distance, completing only six shots, and being out-rebounded 6-15. Their late-game execution was a mess, whereas the Mavs looked sharp and crisp, putting together a breathtaking 19-6 run in the last five minutes. The Mavs took the lead for the first time in the second half at 5:41, and never trailed again. For the period, 8 of Dallas’ 11 made baskets were assisted. The Mavericks excellent clutch unit consisted of Luka, Redick, DFS, Maxi, and Powell. RAIN DOWN THE CONFETTI!!!!


STATISTICS

The Lakers put up 8 more shots than the Mavs, and 15 more 3PTAs (!). Maverick point differentials were +8 on points from twos, +3 on points from threes, and +4 on made free throws. The shooting stats tell the story, the Lakers hitting 51% inside the arc, 27% from three, and 79% from the line. Comparable percentages from the Mavs were 52/43/76. Live by the three, die by the three, and the Mavericks were living large, percentage-wise. The home team also unexpectedly dominated the glass with a 51-36 rebounding advantage. OTOH, they did have a dismal 18 turnovers, for a loss of 19 points, and the opponent had an 11-2 margin in fast-break points. Kudos to Carlisle for the halftime adjustments, and to the players for their high-intensity second half. 


PLAYERS

POWELL.  This match included a superb demonstration from Powell, who played 28 minutes in a starting role. He led the team with 25 points on spectacular 11-12 shooting, and also chipped in 9 rebounds. Dwight’s rolls, dives, and cuts made for one easy basket after another, totally embarrassing the Lakers, who were getting dunked on by #7 on consecutive plays. It was a season-high in points for Powell, and a career-high in second-half points with 21. Who saw that coming? WOW!!

DONCIC.  Luka had 18 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes. The Lakers aggressively double-teamed him, leading to his recording 6-15 shooting along with 6 turnovers.  But he attacked in the second half, pick-and-rolling the hapless visitors to death, and passing brilliantly out of those traps. He did get called for his 13th technical foul of the season for erupting in the second quarter. I feared he might get another, as he looked quite frustrated and even flustered with the constant traps, but he maintained his poise going forward. He was a splendid game manager in the clutch, completing or assisting on 12 points in the last five minutes, including a remarkable 34’ shot from the sideline with Schroder’s hand in his face.  Great job, Luka!

DFS. Dorian had an excellent showing, with an amazing 21 points on 8-13 shooting, together with 7 rebounds, some stifling defense, and a team-high +28. In the third quarter, he was called for an over-the-back foul on Drummond, and a slight tug on Andre’s jersey as he came down. Drummond put on a fake-tough show for a couple of minutes, scowling, punching the air alongside Doe-Doe, screaming for Dorian to stay off him, and calling him a son of a bitch. DFS left the play laughing, as the refs assessed double techs on the tussle, lol.

KLEBER. Maxi had a season-high 9 points, 10 boards, and a career-high 5 assists on his return from a back bruise. He was only 3-9 from the floor, but all of his completed shots were treys. He was listed as questionable before the game, and I was really glad he was able to play. I think it’s fair to say that it would have been much harder to make this win happen without him. Accordingly, he was awarded the DPOG belt.  

MENTIONS. It was a nightmare evening for THJ, who was 2-13 and played some pretty sketchy defense. He did have a highlight moment with a 29’ pull up three to tie the game at the end of the third quarter. He put one in the basket in the fourth, but was called for an offensive foul. Not a great night for Brunson, who registered 7/5/3 on 1-7 shooting, but he did have some good defensive plays. Redick played 20 minutes off the bench, had 8 points on 3-4 shooting, was in the clutch unit, and was the only bench player in positive territory at +7. He did have three rather awful turnovers, but I guess we aren’t required to nitpick in a victory of this nature. Willie had 19 minutes, and put up 8 points, providing a lob threat, and playing some energetic defense. Melli rounded out the bench mob with 6 points and 5 boards in 14 minutes. He had some good contributions on both ends of the floor, including a pass to Willie for a lob in the first quarter, and a return-the-favor lob-dunk from Willie in the third. 

LAKERS. Ben McLemore led the visitors in scoring with 20 points, including six threes. He got into foul trouble in the fourth, limiting him to six minutes in the final period. Davis had a better night than he did on Thursday, but was still held to 17 points, completing only five of his 19 shot attempts, and going 0-6 from range. Schroder continued to be a thorn in Dallas’ side with 16 points and 10 assists, although he was limited to 7-18 from the field. Kuzma had 14 points. 


OBSERVATIONS

This game was very much a tale of two halves, with the scoreline reading 46-58 at the interval, and Mavericks seemingly coming out of nowhere to stun the Lakers with an incredible 62-35 second half.

I think the opponent followed the blueprint the league has set for defending the Mavs — double-teaming Luka and daring the others to beat them. The second quarter is a poster-child period for how not to respond to the defensive focus on Doncic. It goes without saying that the other Mavs have to be able to score and hit shots in such a case. In this contest, the home squad seemed to have forgotten the process in the first half, especially in the second quarter. The four other Mavs on the floor CANNOT simply watch Luka struggle against two defenders, standing around with their thumbs up their butts. The guys have to MOVE to create passing angles and outlets for their star, It did not surprise me to see Redick and Powell in the closing unit, as they each add a unique dimension to the offense, and both are good movers. Hopefully, the Mavericks will take note, and play in a winning way henceforth, as they did in the second half. 

Such a fun victory!! I can’t emphasize enough how important this sweep of the mini-series was. The Mavs now move a full game ahead of Portland and are only a game and a half behind the Lakers, with this win giving Dallas the tiebreaker over LA. 

We face Sacramento again on Monday. That team embarrassed us in the last match, and we need to take care of business this time. 

All this without Kris and Josh! Cool beans, MFFLs!