Game 3: Memphis Grizzlies (0-4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (3-0) | 110-125 WIN!!!!!!

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I’m so pissed I couldn’t watch this. Balley is STILL down.

Do you have a direct subscription with them?

Im basically paying Fubo $90 a month just for that one channel.

[KillerLeft]

Do you have a direct subscription with them?

Im basically paying Fubo $90 a month just for that one channel.

I do.

[omahen]

Mavs won, which is of course great and I love it. Another dominant performance by Luka, it really shows he came in playing form, similar to last season. Had to play him 40 minutes though, again similar to last season. DJJ had best game of his career. Powell was awesome in his minutes and I am not sure why he didn't play a bit more minutes over Maxi, who was average again imho. Williams, Green and Curry were solid. THJ chucking as usually, with the difference, that this was the game where they mostly went in. I think we learned so far, it doesn't last. As DirkfansinceIdon'tknowwhichyear put it nicely, Hardy made THJ look like a pass first guard. Again no minutes for Omax

However, I was not really enjoying watching the game. Offense, especially Luka less offense, was mostly just contested shot after contested shot. Mavs had just 84 shots and 47 of them were three pointers Mavs hit at almost 50 %. Needless to say this kind of percentage is not sustainable. Defense was also not great and they were lucky Memphis missed several relatively easy shots in the paint.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

I know the Grizz climbed back in the 4th but the performance from the moment it pulled to a 4 point lead on was great. We are now 3 for 3 with good crunch time performances full of lots of good defensive possessions in those moments, a very different story from last year.

[ItsGoTime]

I liked that it was a decisive win in the end. No heroics needed. More of those please!

[The Jom]

Mavs won, which is of course great and I love it. Another dominant performance by Luka, it really shows he came in playing form, similar to last season. Had to play him 40 minutes though, again similar to last season. DJJ had best game of his career. Powell was awesome in his minutes and I am not sure why he didn't play a bit more minutes over Maxi, who was average again imho. Williams, Green and Curry were solid. THJ chucking as usually, with the difference, that this was the game where they mostly went in. I think we learned so far, it doesn't last. As DirkfansinceIdon'tknowwhichyear put it nicely, Hardy made THJ look like a pass first guard. Again no minutes for Omax

However, I was not really enjoying watching the game. Offense, especially Luka less offense, was mostly just contested shot after contested shot. Mavs had just 84 shots and 47 of them were three pointers Mavs hit at almost 50 %. Needless to say this kind of percentage is not sustainable. Defense was also not great and they were lucky Memphis missed several relatively easy shots in the paint.

Ok, Eeyore. But Kyrie was unavailable. Lively was not allowed to play. It was a road game. They had road refs. And Luka was only +6 in a +15 game. Yes, it’s cool to be a pessimist. But it’s not always smart.

[Reunion Mav]

I just got home and will have to watch the game tomorrow. The Rangers won too so it’s a celebration for me. I’m watching for progress from our guys so I look forward to watching the guys some have mentioned: DJJ, Powell and Triple Double Luka of course.

[The Jom]

I just got home and will have to watch the game tomorrow. The Rangers won too so it’s a celebration for me. I’m watching for progress from our guys so I look forward to watching the guys some have mentioned: DJJ, Powell and Triple Double Luka of course.

Green looked good. Maxi had some moments. GW lit it up in the first. You’ll enjoy the game. Memphis is a bunch of punks though.

[chaparral]

[quote="RoyTarpleysGhost" pid="195556" dateline="1698720486"]

Do you have a direct subscription with them?

Im basically paying Fubo $90 a month just for that one channel.

Did you see the game via Fubo tonight? Balley App is 19.99 a month but like KL said, it is still down.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I’m only at halftime watching my recording of this, but Powell looks timid.  You are a 100% shooter from 3.  Put it up when you get it son.  I mean, four blocks are nice and all but zero shots in 12 minutes.  We are basically playing 4 on 5 on offense when Powell is out there.

[mvossman]

So much Kidd hate here, but the DJJ overreactions slowed by this evening’s performance, I would think.

I was on the pro DJJ bus and he had a great game, but I still don't think it makes sense to start him, especially next to Lively.

[IamDougieFresh]

I happy to be 3-0, but I’m not happy with the rotation. I’m not trying to be negative. I just think there will be a big reality check vs Denver. Certainly don’t rule out the classic stinker vs the Bulls as well. Kidd has some leeway here at the beginning of the year, especially with the “easy” early schedule. If I was the coach, my primary objective would be preparing our best players for the playoffs while trying to rack up as many wins as possible.

We’ve seen 3 games of leaning on vets with lesser talent to avoid any early growing pains (loses) from younger players. It will work well enough vs bad teams, but it won’t when we have to play good teams. It’s a long season and I’m hoping as it goes on, Kidd can find a bit more balance.

[LukaMVP]

Green looked good. Maxi had some moments. GW lit it up in the first. You’ll enjoy the game. Memphis is a bunch of punks though.

especially smart IMHO. dude did a good job guarding luka on a few possessions and he also played good in offense somehow. but he's still a cunt.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

I feel like even though Josh didn’t have a great scoring game, he looked very confident just putting his head down and going to the rim. He just barely missed a running left hander going left and had two 3 point shots rattle in and out. Still would like to see more dribble handoffs for him at the top of the key— he is really fast going downhill with a head of steam.

[surfpuckmd]

This was easily our best game of the season.  Luka again looked terrific.  A lot of the role players had excellent games as well-  Grant Williams, Josh Green, THJ.  Dwight Powell was really good defensively and I was surprised to see him blocking shots.  

Derrick Jones Jr. may not have another game this impactful for the rest of the season but what a performance last night!  He actually showed he could take the ball to the rim and finish and not just dunk in transition and on lob threats.  He obviously hit a lot of 3s.  Great game for him and he was our second most impactful player last night.

As for the bad, I still think DJJ has no business starting.  I hope Kidd doesn't continue with this.  IF Kyrie is out, either Exum or THJ make more sense as starters.  I'd like to have at least 3 players on the floor with Luka who can hit the 3.  

Lively didn't get to show much due to fouls.  Jaren Jackson Jr. was allowed a lot more contact on defense than Lively was on the other side of the floor.  Hopefully, Lively gets better treatment from the refs as he gains experience.  

Overall, amazing game.  I thought it was a lot of fun to watch as well.  Although Memphis is still missing Ja, that's still a talented and very well-coached team.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Interesting to me that we were +10 in the non-Luka minutes without Kyrie.  10 of the 12 players who've gotten minutes this season are positive in their On-Court (Irving -1.6 and Hardy -21.4 are the exceptions).  Luka is +8.1 On Court, but his On - Off is -6.3.  That doesn't say that Luka is bad necessarily.  What has happened is we've gotten very productive minutes from bench guys like Curry, Exum and THJ.  In other words, in a small sample against bad teams we are winning the non-Luka minutes.

It appears Green is pretty established as a closer of games even if he doesn't start them.  

I think Kidd is doing a good job of getting the guys just outside the top 7/8 a few spot minutes to keep them connected.  I'm thinking mainly of Powell, Exum and Seth here.  For all the complaining people do about Jones Jr., he's only averaging 17 minutes a game.  Luka 36.7, Irving 35, GWill 32, Green 30.7 and THJ 29 are the main guys followed by Jones and the center by committee guys.

From summer league a year ago I've said the biggest thing that will make or break Hardy is decision making.  Last night was not impressive.  

Well, we've seen three versions of Lively in 3 games.  Hard to know which is the outlier and which is the norm.  I'm not too worried about the bad games (especially early).  I saw what I needed to see in the first game.  When a young player shows what he's capable of, the work isn't getting to some new level.  The work is making what he's already shown something that happens more consistently.

[mvossman]

Interesting to me that we were +10 in the non-Luka minutes without Kyrie.  10 of the 12 players who've gotten minutes this season are positive in their On-Court (Irving -1.6 and Hardy -21.4 are the exceptions).  Luka is +8.1 On Court, but his On - Off is -6.3.  That doesn't say that Luka is bad necessarily.  What has happened is we've gotten very productive minutes from bench guys like Curry, Exum and THJ.  In other words, in a small sample against bad teams we are winning the non-Luka minutes.

It appears Green is pretty established as a closer of games even if he doesn't start them.  

I think Kidd is doing a good job of getting the guys just outside the top 7/8 a few spot minutes to keep them connected.  I'm thinking mainly of Powell, Exum and Seth here.  For all the complaining people do about Jones Jr., he's only averaging 17 minutes a game.  Luka 36.7, Irving 35, GWill 32, Green 30.7 and THJ 29 are the main guys followed by Jones and the center by committee guys.

From summer league a year ago I've said the biggest thing that will make or break Hardy is decision making.  Last night was not impressive.  

Well, we've seen three versions of Lively in 3 games.  Hard to know which is the outlier and which is the norm.  I'm not too worried about the bad games (especially early).  I saw what I needed to see in the first game.  When a young player shows what he's capable of, the work isn't getting to some new level.  The work is making what he's already shown something that happens more consistently.

One of the many positive things about this last offseason was that the team got deeper, and that has showed already in these first three games.  A few comments regarding that depth:

Hardy is concerning.  I think I see why they tried to make him a playmaker in summer league.  They are trying to reduce his chucking.  So far it has not taken.

If DJJ can shoot like that regularly his value will skyrocket, both to this team and in the market.

I'm glad to see some life in Maxi after a disappointing start.  Hopefully he is just getting his sea legs.

I would like to see at least a little bit of Holmes.  We barely saw him in pre season but he didn't look terrible.

Given how deep this roster is, it will be tough to break in Omax.  Think he needs to do a stint in G League.

[Scott41theMavs]

Given what Hardy showed this summer and in this game, I'm beginning to be concerned that this is going to become a major Roddy B situation - we're going to be pissed they didn't trade him this summer when his value was highest.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

Given what Hardy showed this summer and in this game, I'm beginning to be concerned that this is going to become a major Roddy B situation - we're going to be pissed they didn't trade him this summer when his value was highest.

That's been my concern all along.  Over-exposure has depleted our asset values in the past like Roddy B and Marquis.  If you know the HC isn't going to play them, trade them when they're unexposed and their value is high.

[KillerLeft]

Given what Hardy showed this summer and in this game, I'm beginning to be concerned that this is going to become a major Roddy B situation - we're going to be pissed they didn't trade him this summer when his value was highest.

I don't know that I'm as worried as you in a "the sky is falling" sort of way, but I do think Hardy is the "good" asset I'd be thinking about shopping, given all of the constants. Green is needed here, and since Hardy clearly isn't, I'd rather cash in on him than '27, if there's an opportunity to do so to make sense. Definitely wouldn't trade him just to trade him, because you never know what's down the road.