(10-25-2025, 08:53 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Despite me having Youtubetv and also getting league pass on prime, I did not get the game last night.  So I had to scramble for unreliable illegal streams, so it wasn’t an enjoyable watch.  The team played a factor in it too.

I know Flagg had some bad turnovers and was a little uneven, but check out these highlights.  A lot to like.  Have him handle the ball a lot.  Just don’t make him the primary ball handler often or be the only ball handler on the court.  Love PJ but him dribbling up the court is an experience.  Your shooting guard is famous for scoring 50 with like 8 dribbles one game.  Even with the big lineup, if you add a connector who pushes the pace they at least become interesting.  I am not sure that is DLO.  The question is who?

https://youtu.be/v0Se8A0-clU

(10-25-2025, 08:53 AM)Chicagojk Wrote: Despite me having Youtubetv and also getting league pass on prime, I did not get the game last night.  So I had to scramble for unreliable illegal streams, so it wasn’t an enjoyable watch.  The team played a factor in it too.

I know Flagg had some bad turnovers and was a little uneven, but check out these highlights.  A lot to like.  Have him handle the ball a lot.  Just don’t make him the primary ball handler often or be the only ball handler on the court.  Love PJ but him dribbling up the court is an experience.  Your shooting guard is famous for scoring 50 with like 8 dribbles one game.  Even with the big lineup, if you add a connector who pushes the pace they at least become interesting.  I am not sure that is DLO.  The question is who?

https://youtu.be/v0Se8A0-clU

(10-25-2025, 09:30 AM)ThisIStheYear Wrote: Sounds like you’re in the Maverick’s territory and will have to shell out another $13 a year month for Mavs TV through Amazon?  I really like the Amazon environment for League Pass, but these NBA blackout rules are archaic.

(10-24-2025, 09:50 PM)Chicagojk Wrote: man the crowd is dead.   It has been a long time since the crowd was this dead.    I mean last year they were at least booing.

(10-25-2025, 10:39 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: It is unfortunate those moments were wrapped up in one of the worst basketball games I've had the displeasure of viewing in a long time. This team really has no identity or drive. They said how they were going to play twin towers, but have run that lineup for a total of 14 minutes so far (and its only +1, too much noise so far, but if this is supposedly the identity, they sure aren't using it).

(10-25-2025, 11:34 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: @noahweber00

Jason Kidd on the “Fire Nico” chants from late in tonight’s game and the frustration level of Mavericks fans:

“I think they have a right to vent. This is a different team, this is a new team. We’re just getting to understand each other, we’re gonna keep learning each other. I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration, we all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level. This is a game of expression, and the fans have a right to express themselves…”

(10-25-2025, 11:22 AM)mvossman Wrote: They have not been able to do the twin towers much because Gafford is out and they had massive foul issues that first game.  When Gafford gets back we will see a lot more of it (until somebody gets injured again).  I'm skeptical that is going to solve anything.

(10-25-2025, 10:39 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: I will say, that 5 minute run from Cooper in the 4th gave me hope. He looked insane. He did insane things. He is only 18.


It is unfortunate those moments were wrapped up in one of the worst basketball games I've had the displeasure of viewing in a long time. This team really has no identity or drive. They said how they were going to play twin towers, but have run that lineup for a total of 14 minutes so far (and its only +1, too much noise so far, but if this is supposedly the identity, they sure aren't using it).

We were told how this team will be a defensive monster, and aside from great individual moments this team cannot defend for the life of them. It wasn't until Naji actually took some pride and bodied up George with 3 minutes left in the 3rd did the Mavs put together any momentum. Why did it take almost 36 minutes to have anyone give a crap?

Offensively the lack of identity is the most apparent. There is zero plan between any two possessions. Each time everyone is trying to figure it out. Are they running DHO with AD up top to get in the paint? Are they running PnRs? Are they doing isos? Post ups? No one knows. And it requires guys like PJ, Flagg, Naji and Klay to figure out hard passes. The book on the Mavs are to just stop their first attack and they crumble because there is no floor general on the court.

The only time it looked like we had an offense was either when DLo was in running PnR's for 4 minutes in the 2nd and finally did they get some mojo or when Flagg stepped up and just created bucket after bucket for himself.

It's disappointing to say the least. Silver lining is that should this team continue to suck they could potentially get another good draft pick to pair with Flagg.

(10-25-2025, 11:51 AM)hakeemfaan Wrote: The real issue here is we are stuck with a GM who identified an older, slower and less impactful player as a better option than a generational offensive player just because he was overfixated on defense.  

(10-25-2025, 12:28 PM)cow Wrote: Caught the Washington broadcast last night and for whatever it is wroth, they were mentioning that AD came into camp out of shape and is playing his way into game shape right now.  Regardless of the veracity of that statement, he's looked pretty bad and has lacked explosiveness.  

I tried to warn myself about how young Flagg is and don't expect anything near Luka out of the gate, but he really looks lost on offense and I don't think forcing him to playing the point guard role is doing any favors.  The other end is better, but that's also not saying a lot.  Maybe if he'd made the opening night lob attempt, things would have unfolded differently, but that kind of feels like a microcosm of what he is right now.  There are certainly flashes, but he has a long way to go.  I'm not sure his coaching or teammates are doing him a ton of favors either.  

Klay has been absolutely dreadful.   

Aggressive PJ has been fun.

Nembhard looks like a keeper.

I miss Luka.

(10-25-2025, 12:13 PM)mvossman Wrote: Whatever Nico reasons, it was not an over fixation on defense.  That is just the excuse he used after the trade.  His first big trade was dumping KP for Din and Bertans (not defensive stalwarts).  His next big trade was for Kyrie (not a defensive stalwart) and his first big move after Cuban was pushed out was to let DJJ walk and trade for a 34 year old Klay.  His prior history does not show an over focus on defense, it shows a focus on trading for guys he has a prior relationship with.  It looks like he simply had a big beef with Luka and saw an opportunity to get rid of him while bringing in another one of his buddies.

(10-25-2025, 12:13 PM)mvossman Wrote: Whatever Nico reasons, it was not an over fixation on defense.  That is just the excuse he used after the trade.  His first big trade was dumping KP for Din and Bertans (not defensive stalwarts).  His next big trade was for Kyrie (not a defensive stalwart) and his first big move after Cuban was pushed out was to let DJJ walk and trade for a 34 year old Klay.  His prior history does not show an over focus on defense, it shows a focus on trading for guys he has a prior relationship with.  It looks like he simply had a big beef with Luka and saw an opportunity to get rid of him while bringing in another one of his buddies.

(10-25-2025, 01:35 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: In other words he likes old players. That´s probably why Cuban hired him. They share the same a** backwards idea of what a winning time looks like. I blamed it on Carlisle many years, but it was probably mostly Cuban´s directive.

I don´t know, if Morey would have been dumb enough to do PG13 + 3rd pick for Davis, but probably. Could have changed the whole trajectory of the franchise. Now they´ll have to get really lucky to nail that lottery pick in a few months or they are completely screwed.

Patterson
Edgecombe
Flagg
Washington
Lively

Damn that is some Sam Presti level stuff.

(10-25-2025, 01:02 PM)hakeemfaan Wrote: Flagg is a totally different player.  Luka is an offensive savant.  Flagg's celiing is between a better version of an Andrew Wiggins to maybe a Grant Hill or Scottie Pippen.  A player like him will ironically be more valuable when you put him next to a pure scorer. I'm not even saying a Luka, but even a Harden type and then you'll see Flagg's importance.  

So that type of a player will have less of an immediate impact on a team where you don't have a PG or a SG who can create.  He's not a Harper or a VJ or even a Fears or a Tre Johnson who can come in, have the ball in their hands, and can go to work.  We all knew this when he was drafted, but we all knew that he was a taller and better two way player than all of those guys as well, and the hope is that 2 way strength will be easier to build a team around than constantly having to compensate for a weak defensive star. 

On top of all this, he is stuck with a coach who never had any refined offensive game plan to begin with. His best plans were to put the ball in Luka or Brunson's hands and ask them to go to work. So you are stuck with that, having to learn a position that you never played before while doing that at the highest level where no one is going to have mercy on you, with no PG and no SG who can create.  Yet he has found moments to impress and not look totally lost.  

Why so hard on Flagg?

(10-25-2025, 11:34 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: @noahweber00

Jason Kidd on the “Fire Nico” chants from late in tonight’s game and the frustration level of Mavericks fans:

“I think they have a right to vent. This is a different team, this is a new team. We’re just getting to understand each other, we’re gonna keep learning each other. I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration, we all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level. This is a game of expression, and the fans have a right to express themselves…”

(10-25-2025, 11:37 AM)mvossman Wrote: Kidd power play confirmed.

(10-25-2025, 02:44 PM)cow Wrote: I never expected Flagg to be Luka.  My Luka comparison was more about the readiness to be in the league.  I also don't think I'm being hard on him.  It's not his choice to play PG, but a coaching decision.  I'm not saying Flagg can never develop into that, but I really don't think he should be playing that right now.  It's throwing his game off on the offensive end, not to mention the rest of the team.  It's just too easy for a defender to get into him and he has to focus more on his ball handling than running sets which wastes clock.  That also puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the team to try and create something later in the possession and makes it harder for Flagg to get the ball back.  And yeah, I do think he's looked lost at times on offense just as many times as he's flashed.  That's understandable and he'll learn.  He's just really, really, really young.

And that's just the offensive end where I never expected a major impact, but I did expect that he'd show more on the other end and the same is true of a collective unit of AD, DLive and Flagg.  Wemby clowning on us is one thing, but the Wizards put it on us for three quarters and made Bagley look like an NBA player.  Shout out to George, he's going to be something special.  

I don't think I'm being hard on Flagg at all.  I didn't have sky high expectations of him and he's underwhelmed those, but I think a big chunk of that is the position his coaches have put him in and some of the rest of the roster (I must have done something horrible in another life as the basketball gods have seen fit to put D'Lo on the team that I watch(not to mention extending Kidd and trading away one of the greatest basketball minds of this generation)).