PLAY IN GAME 2: Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies

[F Gump]

Not really - prefering an outside chance of getting a top 4 pick and a higher draft pick at 11 or 12 to an embarrassing demolition against the Thunder isn’t really anti Mavs, is it? For me the chance at Cooper Flagg is much higher than a championship this season, so I‘m rooting for the first.

My 1st choice of any outcome (by far) is Cooper Flagg. But I strongly suspect that all they would really lose by winning tonight would be to move down in the draft from about 12 to about 15, which I don't see as a big deal at all.

My 2nd choice of any outcome is winning a title (even if it means we're stuck longer with Nico the Dolt), which of course you have to play (and learn to do well at) before you can win.

Also I think it could be interesting to see how good this team with a dominant interior could go, without Kyrie but with a BWill- Exum PG rotation (both of whom are efficient scorers and shoot 3s at a high rate, to open the floor). I have a sneaky suspicion they can be as good as all the teams sitting in the 48-50 win plateau, and I DON'T think OKC or HOU are shoo-in's to the WCF at all (even though they ended on a much higher tier than everyone else in the West). IOW seems to me the West is wide open, and it feels like it would be a bad year to stay home from that party.

TL/DR. I'm likely to root for a W tonight, because I think there's going to be more to be gained by that outcome. BUT if they lose, I'll be expecting Cooper Flagg as the consolation prize, because, well, why not!?