MAVS NEWS:

[DallasMaverick]

The fact that the Mavs are still just 1 game out of a top 6 seed is mind boggling to me.

I think it's because they have a pretty strong and deep roster.  If anything, they have a problem with too many talented players who want and deserve more minutes than a healthy roster would allow.

So, perhaps it's been a blessing in disguise. Lots of additional minutes available.

Seems like it's important to have guys on the bench who can "be ready" and reasonably content with uncertain playing time.  Maybe Grimes wasn't that guy. Maybe guys in the prime of their careers aren't good candidates for that role.

If DLive was healthy and playing 30 minutes a night, I get the feeling that maybe Gafford wouldn't be content with the remaining 18.  But Lively has missed lots of games, and even when he was healthy, Kidd did a good job of keeping their minutes similar.  Gaff strikes me as an easygoing guy who cares about his career, but won't demand star billing or dollars.