MAVS NEWS:

[Reunion Mav]

You know, I go back and forth on this. I swear there are some posts I've made here where I state that I think he won't play center much because the coaching won't demand it. A day later I make a post saying we should all lighten up because of course coaching will demand it.

Damn fickeled!

I just find all this interesting with lots of depth in the thinking. As always I look forward to watching it all play out. I hope Kyrie is around these talented guys a lot so he can lead them in figuring out how they have to play to gain advantages and win. I think he did a tremendous amount of leadership work last year even after he got hurt. All of the guys seem to follow him.

[Winter]

I just find all this interesting with lots of depth in the thinking. As always I look forward to watching it all play out. I hope Kyrie is around these talented guys a lot so he can lead them in figuring out how they have to play to gain advantages and win. I think he did a tremendous amount of leadership work last year even after he got hurt. All of the guys seem to follow him.

Kyrie is a real bonus now in that way. I'm not sure I see things the same way without him.

[Chicagojk]

You know, I go back and forth on this. I swear there are some posts I've made here where I state that I think he won't play center much because the coaching won't demand it. A day later I make a post saying we should all lighten up because of course coaching will demand it.

Damn fickeled!

Ha, I can't tell you how often I have gone back and forth of which one of Gafford, PJ, or AD should or will eventually be traded only to change my mind the next day.  Maybe that decisions fixes itself in time, but I can see a path for any of those three right now.

[KillerLeft]

You know, I go back and forth on this. I swear there are some posts I've made here where I state that I think he won't play center much because the coaching won't demand it. A day later I make a post saying we should all lighten up because of course coaching will demand it.

Damn fickeled!

I go back and forth on what will happen, too. Not on what I think should happen though. 

Even when I try, I can't see a good reason not to start AD/PJW/Flagg as your front court on opening night. I don't expect that to happen, but I do expect that group to close together most games (if PJW is here and extended, of course). 

...and then I remember that Kidd was on that 2020 Lakers staff, and that Harrison was obviously a huge fan of that team. That worries me. 

But, bouncing back to the other side again, as much (too much) as was made back then of the cheap Howard/McGee tandem (hmm...McGee, interesting) and their contributions, I think it's interesting to note that during that season, with those guys both in the rotation and both Kidd and Vogel on the staff, Davis played about 40% of his minutes at center. In the ensuing years, that percentage has climbed drastically, to the point where that's almost exclusively where he was playing before the Luka trade. What is notable about the 2020 Lakers playoff run is that Howard/McGee continued to play some minutes in the playoffs. However, Davis was younger/quicker then, and they had LeBron freaking James at the very end of his prime, along with quite a few uber-effective perimeter defenders. 

I like how insulated the team is against any front court injury. I do. I just wish the starting back court wasn't so wanting, and I worry that having 5 of your top 9 (depending on how you view Flagg) best players be either 5's or 4's might influence the team to be played in such a way that the the results are worse than they might otherwise have been.

[Winter]

I go back and forth on what will happen, too. Not on what I think should happen though. 

Even when I try, I can't see a good reason not to start AD/PJW/Flagg as your front court on opening night. I don't expect that to happen, but I do expect that group to close together most games (if PJW is here and extended, of course). 

...and then I remember that Kidd was on that 2020 Lakers staff, and that Harrison was obviously a huge fan of that team. That worries me. 

But, bouncing back to the other side again, as much (too much) as was made back then of the cheap Howard/McGee tandem (hmm...McGee, interesting) and their contributions, I think it's interesting to note that during that season, with those guys both in the rotation and both Kidd and Vogel on the staff, Davis played about 40% of his minutes at center. In the ensuing years, that percentage has climbed drastically, to the point where that's almost exclusively where he was playing before the Luka trade. What is notable about the 2020 Lakers playoff run is that Howard/McGee continued to play some minutes in the playoffs. However, Davis was younger/quicker then, and they had LeBron freaking James at the very end of his prime, along with quite a few uber-effective perimeter defenders. 

I like how insulated the team is against any front court injury. I do. I just wish the starting back court wasn't so wanting, and I worry that having 5 of your top 9 (depending on how you view Flagg) best players be either 5's or 4's might influence the team to be played in such a way that the team is worse than it might otherwise be.

And following that thought, I never imagined I would be a fan of the team that might really go places if D'Angelo Russell performed better than expected. That guy was never on my bingo card... and now I need to root for him. Hard.

[KillerLeft]

And following that thought, I never imagined I would be a fan of the team that might really go places if D'Angelo Russell performed better than expected. That guy was never on my bingo card... and now I need to root for him.

Right!!!!

I feel the exact same way, and even find myself excited to watch him with this group. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing, really.

[KillerLeft]

I think the variable we might not have discussed enough is how the organization sees the guards they have now.

Have they given up on Hardy like the fans have? Probably, but it wouldn't shock me if they haven't. They drafted him and paid him, after all.

Do they think Max Christie is ready for a starting role, 30 minutes per, and all the rest? If yes, and if they're right, then all of a sudden it's Klay Thompson fighting to stay relevant, which I think we'd all agree is a better situation than we're expecting...again, if Christie is poised to take the next step.

How high are they on Brandon Williams' potential? Probably not as high as the most optimistic amongst us, because they're making Exum a priority, but if he hits the next level, that makes things easier, too.

There's a version of this team that looks GREAT, potentially.

[DallasMaverick]

I go back and forth on what will happen, too. Not on what I think should happen though. 

Even when I try, I can't see a good reason not to start AD/PJW/Flagg as your front court on opening night. I don't expect that to happen, but I do expect that group to close together most games (if PJW is here and extended, of course). 

...and then I remember that Kidd was on that 2020 Lakers staff, and that Harrison was obviously a huge fan of that team. That worries me. 

But, bouncing back to the other side again, as much (too much) as was made back then of the cheap Howard/McGee tandem (hmm...McGee, interesting) and their contributions, I think it's interesting to note that during that season, with those guys both in the rotation and both Kidd and Vogel on the staff, Davis played about 40% of his minutes at center. In the ensuing years, that percentage has climbed drastically, to the point where that's almost exclusively where he was playing before the Luka trade. What is notable about the 2020 Lakers playoff run is that Howard/McGee continued to play some minutes in the playoffs. However, Davis was younger/quicker then, and they had LeBron freaking James at the very end of his prime, along with quite a few uber-effective perimeter defenders. 

I like how insulated the team is against any front court injury. I do. I just wish the starting back court wasn't so wanting, and I worry that having 5 of your top 9 (depending on how you view Flagg) best players be either 5's or 4's might influence the team to be played in such a way that the the results are worse than they might otherwise have been.

Kidd has shown the willingness to tinker with lineups a lot, particularly early in the season, at the expense of wins. I fully expect the same this year, and he’s got a lot of quality parts to tinker with. Even without injuries, I expect lots of permutations.

So at some point, we’ll have a large enough sample size to actually measure the effectiveness of AD with Gafford or Lively or alone.

It may be interesting to theorize, but we don’t really need to decide all that now.

If things are just flat not working, I’d expect some movement near the trade deadline.

[KillerLeft]

Kidd has shown the willingness to tinker with lineups a lot, particularly early in the season, at the expense of wins. I fully expect the same this year, and he’s got a lot of quality parts to tinker with. Even without injuries, I expect lots of permutations.

So at some point, we’ll have a large enough sample size to actually measure the effectiveness of AD with Gafford or Lively or alone.

It may be interesting to theorize, but we don’t really need to decide all that now.

If things are just flat not working, I’d expect some movement near the trade deadline.

Agreed. I just hope they're healthy enough to actually reach the sample size you're suggesting. I expected that collation to occur down the stretch last season but it wasn't in the cards, and now they're going to do 50-75% of this season with no Kyrie. Ugh.

[Winter]

Mavericks Adding Mike Penberthy To Coaching Staff
July 5th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are hiring Mike Penberthy to their coaching staff, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

NBA insider Marc Stein first mentioned Penberthy as a target for the Mavericks’ staff on Wednesday, while Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com later referred to the team’s interest as “serious.”

Penberthy, who has spent the past three seasons with the Nuggets, is known as a shooting specialist and has earned praise from Mavericks star Anthony Davis for helping him improve as a shooter, Afseth notes. Davis and Penberthy worked together in Los Angeles from 2019-22, when Penberthy was an assistant under Frank Vogel.

The Mavericks are reuniting several members of that Lakers coaching staff for the coming season. Current Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was also an assistant from 2019-21 under Vogel, who will serve as Kidd’s lead assistant in 2025/26. Kidd, Vogel, and Penberthy won a championship together in L.A. in 2020.

Another former Lakers assistant, Phil Handy, who was with the team from 2019-24, is also considered a candidate to join Kidd’s staff, though he’s drawing interest from New York too.

The Mavericks, whose assistants weren’t under contract beyond the 2024/25 season, have been overhauling Kidd’s staff since the season ended. All three of Dallas’ top assistants from last season have found new jobs in recent months, with Sean Sweeney joining the division-rival Spurs as associate head coach, Alex Jensen becoming the head coach at the University of Utah, and Dudley heading to Denver. Player development assistant God Shammgod, who has been with the Mavs since 2019, was also hired away by the Magic.

The Mavericks replaced Sweeney with Vogel, while ex-Raptors and Suns coach Jay Triano is the new No. 2 assistant.

[KillerLeft]

Mavericks Adding Mike Penberthy To Coaching Staff
July 5th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are hiring Mike Penberthy to their coaching staff, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

NBA insider Marc Stein first mentioned Penberthy as a target for the Mavericks’ staff on Wednesday, while Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com later referred to the team’s interest as “serious.”

Penberthy, who has spent the past three seasons with the Nuggets, is known as a shooting specialist and has earned praise from Mavericks star Anthony Davis for helping him improve as a shooter, Afseth notes. Davis and Penberthy worked together in Los Angeles from 2019-22, when Penberthy was an assistant under Frank Vogel.

The Mavericks are reuniting several members of that Lakers coaching staff for the coming season. Current Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was also an assistant from 2019-21 under Vogel, who will serve as Kidd’s lead assistant in 2025/26. Kidd, Vogel, and Penberthy won a championship together in L.A. in 2020.

Another former Lakers assistant, Phil Handy, who was with the team from 2019-24, is also considered a candidate to join Kidd’s staff, though he’s drawing interest from New York too.

The Mavericks, whose assistants weren’t under contract beyond the 2024/25 season, have been overhauling Kidd’s staff since the season ended. All three of Dallas’ top assistants from last season have found new jobs in recent months, with Sean Sweeney joining the division-rival Spurs as associate head coach, Alex Jensen becoming the head coach at the University of Utah, and Dudley heading to Denver. Player development assistant God Shammgod, who has been with the Mavs since 2019, was also hired away by the Magic.

The Mavericks replaced Sweeney with Vogel, while ex-Raptors and Suns coach Jay Triano is the new No. 2 assistant.

And almost overnight, the coaching staff has become very AD friendly, which, in theory, makes it fairly Cooper Flagg friendly. 

I've got to say...I kind of like the summer Harrison and Kidd are having, so far.

[KillerLeft]

What I want to read more about now is whatever steps they're taking to fix the dumpster fire that was their medical/training staff last season.

[F Gump]

I think the variable we might not have discussed enough is how the organization sees the guards they have now.

Have they given up on Hardy like the fans have? Probably, but it wouldn't shock me if they haven't. They drafted him and paid him, after all.

Do they think Max Christie is ready for a starting role, 30 minutes per, and all the rest? If yes, and if they're right, then all of a sudden it's Klay Thompson fighting to stay relevant, which I think we'd all agree is a better situation than we're expecting...again, if Christie is poised to take the next step.

How high are they on Brandon Williams' potential? Probably not as high as the most optimistic amongst us, because they're making Exum a priority, but if he hits the next level, that makes things easier, too.

There's a version of this team that looks GREAT, potentially.

1 Hardy? Agree they prob have a longer rope for him than we do, but they MUST see how bad he is too. Right?

2 Christie? I'm hopeful. 

3 Klay? I think he's much better than fans notice and I do NOT think he's on his last legs. That day will come some day, but imo he is vital still. 

I do think he would make a great JET 6th man player, not to phase him out but to use him more wisely. 

4 Exum? I have long said he is 100% in their plans at the right price, and imo him signing has no reflection on anyone other than they find him very useful. I also think they see his defense and ability to play SG as ways to get him in the lineup no matter who else they have.

5 BW? I dont think Exum signing has any relation to him but DAR does. Imo they like BW a lot and see solid upside. But he lacks experience, so they cant trust him enough yet. IMO he can be a solid backup at least, and sooner than we realize because hes been a pro for a few years. I notice when he plays, good things happen -- he has a plus impact on the game- and I believe Mavs see that too. We'll see where it goes but I for one see really good things for him ahead. 

Your overall summary at G is a reminder that maybe Mavs are all set talent wise, and just await the injection of Kyrie and his all star ability added to the mix. He was GREAT last year before getting injured and the idea of some that he will be kinda meh when he returns doesnt wash with me at all.

[KillerLeft]

1 Hardy? Agree they prob have a longer rope for him than we do, but they MUST see how bad he is too. Right?

2 Christie? I'm hopeful. 

3 Klay? I think he's much better than fans notice and I do NOT think he's on his last legs. That day will come some day, but imo he is vital still. 

I do think he would make a great JET 6th man player, not to phase him out but to use him more wisely. 

4 Exum? I have long said he is 100% in their plans at the right price, and imo him signing has no reflection on anyone other than they find him very useful. I also think they see his defense and ability to play SG as ways to get him in the lineup no matter who else they have.

5 BW? I dont think Exum signing has any relation to him but DAR does. Imo they like BW a lot and see solid upside. But he lacks experience, so they cant trust him enough yet. IMO he can be a solid backup at least, and sooner than we realize because hes been a pro for a few years. I notice when he plays, good things happen -- he has a plus impact on the game- and I believe Mavs see that too. We'll see where it goes but I for one see really good things for him ahead. 

Your overall summary at G is a reminder that maybe Mavs are all set talent wise, and just await the injection of Kyrie and his all star ability added to the mix. He was GREAT last year before getting injured and the idea of some that he will be kinda meh when he returns doesnt wash with me at all.

I'm closely aligned with this thinking. 

Here's where I'm a little different:

I agree that Thompson's season was much better than his critics acknowledged, and don't think for a second that the Mavs have buyer's remorse on him in any way. I also believe he'll continue to be useful this season, and hopefully the next. But, given the issues the team faces at POA defender and with general backcourt athletic ability, I think the ideal situation is to get him to "some 2 and some 3, off the bench" as soon as possible. I think that's the role he thrives in to close out his career, and seeing him penciled in as the starting 2 (which I don't think you expect, but most do) worries me a bit. The reason I expect it is that I don't expect them to have a better alternative, at least until Kyrie comes back. But, if they like Christie in that starting off-guard role? Well then, all of a sudden you can kind of see their thinking with POA defense and a variety of other things. 

I also do see correlation between going out of their way to sign Exum and their expectations of Brandon Williams. I think Exum will start the season as the first guard off the bench, acting as the backup PG (unless Kidd hates Russell and Exum wins the starting job). Either way, I think this pushes Williams to the 3rd PG, and while I'm optimistic about him, I think that's a much more comfortable place to be if they expect to be a good team.

[SleepingHero]

Can’t say I am very familiar Mike Penberthy, but he is an established coach.

[Scott41theMavs]

Kidd has shown the willingness to tinker with lineups a lot, particularly early in the season, at the expense of wins. I fully expect the same this year, and he’s got a lot of quality parts to tinker with. Even without injuries, I expect lots of permutations.

If Kidd goes with this approach (being willing to experiment at the expense of wins) this year - with Kyrie rehabbing and Flagg testing his wings and "being made uncomfortable" - that increases my sense (amid all this optimism) that this is another stealth tank year. If the Mavs aren't clearing .400 by the 41-game point, I think that hypothesis will be gelling into a reality. We'll just have to see. 

Overall, though, if AD and Lively (and to a lesser extent Exum) have any degree of health, and if Kyrie returns at a high level, I think this is likely about a sixth seed team that would be a few spots higher had Kyrie been healthy from the get-go. That's all, of course, because of one lucky ping-pong ball.

[KillerLeft]

Can’t say I am very familiar Mike Penberthy, but he is an established coach.

They had me at "shooting specialist."

The only words that would have been more welcome are "stay healthy specialist."

[Scott41theMavs]

So, the roster at this point:

PG: (Kyrie)/Russell/Exum/BWill
SG: Klay/Christie/Hardy
SF: Flagg/Marshall/Martin
PF: AD/PJ/OMax
C: Lively/Gafford/(Jones)/Powell

So, 17 players, and have to get down to 15 if they still want Jones, and if they want to retain BWill on the main roster.

Sorry, know this is a superfluous post, but I just had to get it clear in my own mind.

[BoulderMFFL]

What I want to read more about now is whatever steps they're taking to fix the dumpster fire that was their medical/training staff last season.

We went from one of the best, if not the best medical staff, in the league to seemingly one of the worst.

[KillerLeft]

So, the roster at this point:

PG: (Kyrie)/Russell/Exum/BWill
SG: Klay/Christie/Hardy
SF: Flagg/Marshall/Martin
PF: AD/PJ/OMax
C: Lively/Gafford/(Jones)/Powell

So, 17 players, and have to get down to 15 if they still want Jones.

Sorry, know this is a superfluous post, but I just had to get it clear in my own mind.

I think you've got the depth chart right, but while I like Kai Jones as a cheap, 3rd center, I think in practice he'd actually be a cheap 4th center, and I don't think he's as needed if the plan is to keep Gafford. If they can move Powell, great, only Powell is expiring this season anyway, so I doubt they feel strongly enough about that to attach a 2nd or something. In fact, I'm not even sure there's much of difference there in a practical sense. I'd argue that in the event they got down to depending on either, I might rather have Powell's experience over Jones' athletic ability and potential. This is debatable, but for me it's officially a non-issue (again, if Gafford is staying).