MAVS NEWS:

[Chicagojk]

Again, I didn’t put any hope in the March 6th date. I was going to be surprised if any big returns in March. But the mavs set a date. I think all the diehards have been talking g about that date for weeks. We know with the Kyrie injury that the update is meaningless now. But they set the date. To not even give an update is a kick in the balls. Mark cuban said in the interview that the mavs need a voice. Right now they are either incompetent or scared to talk. I got news for you, if they continue to hide this will co RJ is to get worse. Any rumor will get legs. Fans will get madder. A crisis management and a PR team is drastically needed if Nico isn’t going to be the voice of the organization. There are no right answers and it will be hell to talk now. Although if you don’t the issue will continue to spiral out of control.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

And to compound all this, the Lakers are rolling along with 8 straight wins since Luka arrived, after knocking off the Knicks. They don't have size in the middle, but they may not need it against most of the teams they'll face. They have good wing defenders in Doe, Vando, and Rui, and they're team defense has really picked it up, and Jaxson Hayes has been really good. And Luka is getting his mojo back. They'll be a formidable foe in the playoffs.

[Hooper21]

I wonder where Casey Smith might have gone after Nico fired him…

The strange thing is Casey was here when Kidd played.  You'd think that would put him on the cool list and Kidd would go to bat for him.  

The common opinion is the injury bug hits Thib's teams because he overloads them.  Is the current group the anomaly?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I wonder where Casey Smith might have gone after Nico fired him…

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/da...-knicks-24


He's on the Knicks.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqJk6STZHlE


Cuban interview after the trade. 8 minutes

[Knutsen]

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/da...-knicks-24


He's on the Knicks.

Thanks Hoosier, I was just being ironic - sometimes hard to tell on the internet. Maybe it‘s just a coincidence, but that the Knicks are having the least injuries in the league despite Thibs usually playing his players into the ground and that we‘re having the worst injury problems ever is just stupid.

[mvossman]

Thanks Hoosier, I was just being ironic - sometimes hard to tell on the internet. Maybe it‘s just a coincidence, but that the Knicks are having the least injuries in the league despite Thibs usually playing his players into the ground and that we‘re having the worst injury problems ever is just stupid.

I know it was overtime, but every Nicks starter played over 40 minutes.  Crazy.

[omahen]

I know it was overtime, but every Nicks starter played over 40 minutes.  Crazy.

They simply don't play their bench, going on with roughly 9 man rotation. Guys like Delon Wright don't seem to get any minutes. However, this was a really rare game where Lakers starters also played heavy minutes. Hayes and Reaves the only ones under 40 minutes, but I am sure Reaves would play even more if his shot would be falling. 

Excellent game though, real playoff like effort imho. Some tough one on one defenses, but both teams still created a bunch of open looks. Neither team shot well, Knicks were horrible with 23 % from three. Lakers making most of their open looks in 4th was the difference. The game imho showed once again that Towns is not a winning player. When things go serious, he is at a weak role player level. His defense is bad and was targeted by Lakers whole game. Just 3 of 13 on offense. Very dissapointed by Mikal Bridges. Took just 6 shots in 43 minutes. Too small to guard LeBron. They had Anunoby on Luka, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to switch them. Hart fights really hard, if only he would take more threes, as Lakers were literally intentionally leaving him wide open whole game. 

Lakers with another awesome performance on defense. LeBron was guarding KAT and Hayes was on Hart and it mostly worked. Reaves wasn't great in his first game back, so some reserve there. It seems so far that their small ball is really a challenge for opponents. No idea why they went with Len as their emergency back-up center, as smaller but more agile Jemison (2-way deal) works much better in their defensive scheme. Lakers bench was 7 of 12 from three thanks to Vincent and Knecht (New York one was 2 of 12).  Luka had a very good game, even though he had some struggles against great defense by Anunoby (weird thing to say since Luka scored 32 points). He was simply a much better floor general than Brunson.

[omahen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqJk6STZHlE


Cuban interview after the trade. 8 minutes

This is a really weird look, where a significant owner of the Mavs publicly criticizes Mavs moves. This is either Cuban pumping his ego since he was cut from basketball operations, or this is a preparation to fire Nico. Dumont can't really publicly attack Nico, since he gave him support after the trade. So, perhaps they are using Cuban to do the work.

[khaled1987]

This is a really weird look, where a significant owner of the Mavs publicly criticizes Mavs moves. This is either Cuban pumping his ego since he was cut from basketball operations, or this is a preparation to fire Nico. Dumont can't really publicly attack Nico, since he gave him support after the trade. So, perhaps they are using Cuban to do the work.

Do they really need preparation?

[cow]

As funny as it is for Cuban to criticize someone making bad basketball deals, I have confidence that even he could have gotten more for Luka.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Scotto] Mavericks star Anthony Davis (adductor strain) has been cleared for more dynamic on-court movements. Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) is now doing individual court work. Davis and Lively II will now be evaluated weekly. Daniel Gafford (knee sprain) will be evaluated again in 2 weeks

[SleepingHero]

[Scotto] Mavericks star Anthony Davis (adductor strain) has been cleared for more dynamic on-court movements. Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) is now doing individual court work. Davis and Lively II will now be evaluated weekly. Daniel Gafford (knee sprain) will be evaluated again in 2 weeks

I have a feeling that this update would’ve been of a different nature if Kyrie didn’t just tear his ACL

[mvossman]

As funny as it is for Cuban to criticize someone making bad basketball deals, I have confidence that even he could have gotten more for Luka.

I don't think Cuban ever even considers trading Luka.

[SleepingHero]

@Fullcourtpass
Nico Harrison’s job with the Mavericks is safe for now, per
@BrettSiegelNBA


“There are no indications suggesting Harrison's job is in jeopardy at this time. Dumont has continued to defend him, and the Mavs are committed to seeing this vision through.”

[Jmaciscool]

This is a really weird look, where a significant owner of the Mavs publicly criticizes Mavs moves. This is either Cuban pumping his ego since he was cut from basketball operations, or this is a preparation to fire Nico. Dumont can't really publicly attack Nico, since he gave him support after the trade. So, perhaps they are using Cuban to do the work.

Based on how Cuban initially messaged his sale of the Mavs as "I'll still be the basketball operations guy" to being completely cut out, I think that Cuban has far less (zero) input in basketball decisions then he thought he was going to have and wants more.  He's a minority owner and has zero ability to change how much input he's allowed to have, so his only "tool" is the way he messages things.  Like him or not, he's still far more recognizable than Dumont or Nico and what he says (or doesn't say) can make news pretty easily.

I think he's trying for a "if you're not going to let me have input, then I'm not going to 100% sunshine pump your decisions, but if you DID let me have input then I can try selling this more to the public" type of move.  It's tricky since HE'S the one who hired Nico AND sold the Mavs, but even so I bet he's still more popular right now than bottom of the list Nico/Dumont so his messaging still carries some weight.

I'll be curious to see if Cuban's criticism increases as time goes on.

[mavsmagic]

@Fullcourtpass
Nico Harrison’s job with the Mavericks is safe for now, per
@BrettSiegelNBA


“There are no indications suggesting Harrison's job is in jeopardy at this time. Dumont has continued to defend him, and the Mavs are committed to seeing this vision through.”

Just read the article and it’s pretty damning. Basically Nico went on a power trip and because his moves last year were successful, Dumont 100% trusts and supports him to do whatever he wants.

[mvossman]

Just read the article and it’s pretty damning. Basically Nico went on a power trip and because his moves last year were successful, Dumont 100% trusts and supports him to do whatever he wants.

Nobody bothered to tell him it was all Linsey.

[SleepingHero]

Just read the article and it’s pretty damning. Basically Nico went on a power trip and because his moves last year were successful, Dumont 100% trusts and supports him to do whatever he wants.

That’s just…. Sigh…


Welp. I didn’t think we could get a worse owner than Cuban. Turns out we got someone even more clueless and incompetent.

[Jmaciscool]

That’s just…. Sigh…


Welp. I didn’t think we could get a worse owner than Cuban. Turns out we got someone even more clueless and incompetent.

If I've learned one thing from the Mavs this season it's that it can always get worse.