MAVS NEWS:

[SleepingHero]

One thing I will say is that the few remaining Mavs fans should be nice to AD and MC. It's not their fault that they don't add up to half a Luka.

1 billion trillion % correct

Not AD’s or Christie’s fault at all that they were chosen to be in this trade. I will root for them very hard. I want them to succeed!!

But I will forever hate the circumstances how they got here. Man Luka with AD would’ve been something.

[SleepingHero]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRz8fvL8LHo


Link for the introductory press conference Nico is too good to show up for

@townbrad
Davis: “I know who Luka was to this franchise and this city. I’m never going to downplay that. I’m not surprised by the fan reaction and city reaction. It’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do.”

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

One I had heard is removing the corner 3 so that the line goes out of bounds at the sideline.

This is the scenario I could see happening. This would also be the scenario that hurts Lukas play making the most. I wonder how teams would adjust because that’s still the easiest place to space the floor but now that math does work in your favor.

[Chicagojk]

Per Iztok, AD's words a week before the trade:

‘I think we need another big. I think I've always been at my best when I've been the four, having a big out there. We know it worked when we won the championship with JaVale and Dwight at the five and me at the four. I think our 19-20 team was a perfect construction of a team.’ - Anthony Davis

So, here are the highlights from that year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5v--pbkax8

[Chicagojk]

Per Iztok, AD's words a week before the trade:

‘I think we need another big. I think I've always been at my best when I've been the four, having a big out there. We know it worked when we won the championship with JaVale and Dwight at the five and me at the four. I think our 19-20 team was a perfect construction of a team.’ - Anthony Davis

So, here are the highlights from that year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5v--pbkax8

a lot of the highlights though are with him at Center, so I don't know.

I know that Laker team was a littly fluky with the bubble championship.  Just weird seeing Rondo, KCP, Danny Green, Kuzma, Caruso all with that team.    The next year, I believe all were gone right?  Westbrook?   Crazy.

[mvossman]

LEBRON: AD 4 | Luka 5 
VORP: AD 8 | Luka 36
WS: AD 11 | Luka 90
PIPM: AD 5 | Luka 26 
PER: AD 4 | Luka 10


I'm not saying that AD is better than Luka. No stat is perfect, actually all of them are flawed. Just that I can squint and see some evidence that suggest the media talking heads aren't brain dead. Factor in what Christie can be and who knows. I personally would much rather have Luka for several reasons and think that this trade will backfire in more ways than one.

Is this ranking?  A lot of those stats are win estimations, so of course Luka is going to be lower because he has missed a lot of time.  Most of them are also box score stats, which are generally inferior.  The best of those is VORP but that is a win prediction.  VORP is based on BPM (estimated plus/minus) where AD is 5.8 and Luka is 7.

Even if you could squint and see that they are equal players (I can't) there is still the issue that the trade created a gaping hole in offensive creation, which Nico did nothing to address before the TDL.  Add to this the difficulty in making they play style changes necessary to accommodate the change in personnel in such a short time, and I think all evidence suggests the media talking heads saying Mavs have a better chance this year after the trade are completely brain dead.  Hell, just look at Vegas.  The Mavs odds to win the West completely tanked after that trade.

[Knutsen]

A line-up of

Irving
Christie
Washington
Davis
Lively

could be really nice on defense.

[Smitty]

Marc Stein on the DLLS postgame show about Max Christie says “I can tell you that around the team, that there already is a lot of chatter and whispering like ‘wow this guy is better than we thought’.”

[Scott41theMavs]

Marc Stein on the DLLS postgame show about Max Christie says “I can tell you that around the team, that there already is a lot of chatter and whispering like ‘wow this guy is better than we thought’.”

Some people have more luck than sense.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

A line-up of

Irving
Christie
Washington
Davis
Lively

could be really nice on defense.

They all would have to cover for Kyrie though. Lol.

[Knutsen]

They all would have to cover for Kyrie though. Lol.

Kyrie would be free to pressure and go for steals with all these length and athleticism at every other position. 

But sure, for a decisive defensive possession you could play Exum at the one.

[Chicagojk]

Lively is already really good on defense, but he is going to learn so much watching AD every game and playing with him.

The more I think about Martin vs Grimes/pick the more I think it is mainly for a salary slot. They obviously think Martin is a good player and hope he can show that. Although, Dallas has ways to get a good salary player or potential a great salary player. I think they would prefer to hold on to PJ, Klay and Christie, but if you add a solid player in Marshall, a solid player in Gafford and hopefully a solid player in Martin you have a lot of players who are priced correctly. You can pair them with first round picks. So the team gets solid players on good contracts plus first round picks. If the player the mavs are looking to trade for is really good, that is where PJ comes in and maybe Christie enter the equation. Just gives them a lot of flexibility to make a competitive offer. It lacks the stud young player (unless you include Lively) that some teams can offer but it could interest some teams.

[F Gump]

Marc Stein on the DLLS postgame show about Max Christie says “I can tell you that around the team, that there already is a lot of chatter and whispering like ‘wow this guy is better than we thought’.”

That's been my impression, for sure. He is young, good on both ends of the floor, very athletic. Lots of upside, it would seem. AD plus Christie looks way better than it did at first.

[DanSchwartzgan]

That's been my impression, for sure. He is young, good on both ends of the floor, very athletic. Lots of upside, it would seem. AD plus Christie looks way better than it did at first.

Christie has closed three games in a row.  Think about that.  The 21 year old newbie who just started starting about 25 games ago.  I also thought it was significant that he started the second half in place of PJ.

It wasn't hard to see the vision for this in a playoff setting.  The start of the game was pretty impressive.  18 blocks! Now we just need some health.

If we had just gotten the 30 swap I'd be happier. Don't care about Knecht and we probably weren't getting the 31.

[mvossman]

Christie has closed three games in a row.  Think about that.  The 21 year old newbie who just started starting about 25 games ago.  I also thought it was significant that he started the second half in place of PJ.

It wasn't hard to see the vision for this in a playoff setting.  The start of the game was pretty impressive.  18 blocks!  Now we just need some health. 

If we had just gotten the 30 swap I'd be happier.  Don't care about Knecht and we probably weren't getting the 31.

Actually the rumor is the 31 was originally in the deal be Pelinka wanted to talk to Luka regarding extension so Nico took it out.

[KillerLeft]

Lively is already really good on defense, but he is going to learn so much watching AD every game and playing with him.  

For those looking for that impactful silver lining, this is it. Really, really good point.

[audiosway]

That's been my impression, for sure. He is young, good on both ends of the floor, very athletic. Lots of upside, it would seem. AD plus Christie looks way better than it did at first.

I couldn't agree more. Max has really impressed me. He is a very good defender, great rebounder, very good passer, shooter. The more he shoots the better he seems to get. And to think that he's only 21.

Then, as was mentioned, Lively getting to basically be an understudy of one of the best two way players in the league? That's a huge thing that is getting missed. He will be 21 next week. Those two players could make a huge impact in Dallas for a very long time.

[DL2RimRocker]

I couldn't agree more. Max has really impressed me. He is a very good defender, great rebounder, very good passer, shooter. The more he shoots the better he seems to get. And to think that he's only 21.

Then, as was mentioned, Lively getting to basically be an understudy of one of the best two way players in the league? That's a huge thing that is getting missed. He will be 21 next week. Those two players could make a huge impact in Dallas for a very long time.

That's why I hope we don't trade our pick for another old player. 
We do seem to have somewhat of a nice but very young duo to build around, so I'd like to see them add another one from the draft to develop.
I've given up on Hardy but still have a slim hope that OMax will eventually become starter material.

What still has me boiling is that we could have had it both ways. 
We seemed to be setup perfectly to make a 2 year run with Kyrie and Klay, but still young enough to start the rebuild process with Lively and either a 27 yo Luka, or the plathora of young players and draft picks we would have gotten in a Luka/PJ and some others trade with a sane GM.

I'm sorry, I love AD and Christie's games but I'll boil over this for years. The fact we lost Luka and Brunson and have what?, only a couple of draft picks over the next 5 years is beyond unforgivable, downright pitiful and sickening.

[SleepingHero]

Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth)
While still being listed on the Dallas Mavericks' official website as an assistant coach, Marko Milić, who has strong ties to Luka Dončić, including his work as an assistant coach on the Slovenian national team, has not been seen or heard from since the Dončić trade.

[SleepingHero]

Davis on his injury:

"Just the leg got tight, like a little spasm," Davis said from his locker, which is the stall previously occupied by Doncic. "Just came back and tried to get it loose and everything. Obviously, dealing with the ab strain still, so just tried to get it loose. It wouldn't really loosen up and let go, but it's nothing serious. I'm fine."