Preseason Game 4: Dallas Mavericks (2-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1-3) | 9:30pm EST

[Deebo]

Dlo can go. I rather play Williams and nembhard

[myconsumerclub]

I concur it is starting to look like DLo is odd man out against Nembhard and Williams.

[david75090]

The end of the Mavs bench ended up blowing out the end of the Lakers bench.

[meistermatze]

Alright, so I've watched every preseason game (at least as long as the starters were playing), and here are my observations:

- It feels like our lineups work better if we only play one center (Dereck Lively or AD), which actually makes AD kind of expendable because...

- I already officially hate AD’s game. He feels too soft to do the dirty work and attack inside. He just settles for long 2s or 3s — and he simply can’t shoot them (career best was 34%, and most seasons he’s below 30%).

- Sure, AD looks pretty much unstoppable inside, but he rarely goes there (afraid of injury?). I almost had to puke when he brought the ball up at the end of the first half and jacked up a 3 like he was Luka or something.

- Yes, I would trade AD because I don’t trust his game — and I definitely don’t trust his body. But I know that’s never going to happen, because Nico would basically be admitting defeat. So, on to the positives:

- Even with AD, I think we have a good team on our hands. It’ll be frustrating to watch him play, but if he can stay healthy, we’re solid. We’re obviously great at rebounding due to our sheer size, and if we decide to mostly play only one center, I think we’ll be very strong defensively too.

- PJ needs to play big minutes — maybe even start. He looked great in preseason, and he’s not a spark plug type off the bench.

- DLo has been disappointing so far, but his shooting splits are awful and should regress to the mean. If they do, he’ll look fine. I still think he should play a 6th-man type role, and we should experiment with huge lineups featuring Cooper at the point and run our dribble-handoff offense — which, surprisingly, seems to work quite well.

- Nembhard was a pleasant surprise — he looks super comfortable, not like a rookie at all. I’d definitely give him some burn.

- I’m done with Hardy. I don’t want to see him play.

- DP is the best 4th-string center in league history, and I hope we never have to see him on the court — especially once Gafford is back. But, like I said at the beginning, we have too many bodies in the frontcourt. In an ideal world, we’d move on from AD, but since that’s not happening — and the Mavs seem sold on trying this “even bigger than Cleveland” approach — it’s going to be an interesting season.

- Obviously, our 3-point shooting has been awful (30% over four games). It’ll improve a little over time, but we’re going to be bad in that department and have to make it up by dominating the glass and controlling the paint.
If the team stays healthy and locked in defensively, we’ll be tough to beat. Without Kyrie, though, I don’t see a closer on this roster — and we’re in for some AD hero-ball, which will not work. It might be better with both Kyrie and AD on the floor, because defenses can’t just focus on one of them. But until Ky is back, that’s going to be a huge problem for us.

Flagg is great on both ends of the floor and will inly improve. Not worried about him at all. If we had not won the lottery, I might be done with this team but now I am REALLY excited for what they can do. But I am also prepared for misery (lack of shooting and, most likely, lack of health. Looking at you, AD).

[ThisIStheYear]

Flagg won’t help the team if he’s playing point guard this season. It may advance his development, but it will cost the Mavs games. He’s more of a secondary playmaker, all around Swiss Army knife than a primary shot creator.

[Dahlsim]

Alright, so I've watched every preseason game (at least as long as the starters were playing), and here are my observations:

- It feels like our lineups work better if we only play one center (Dereck Lively or AD), which actually makes AD kind of expendable because...

- I already officially hate AD’s game. He feels too soft to do the dirty work and attack inside. He just settles for long 2s or 3s — and he simply can’t shoot them (career best was 34%, and most seasons he’s below 30%).

- Sure, AD looks pretty much unstoppable inside, but he rarely goes there (afraid of injury?). I almost had to puke when he brought the ball up at the end of the first half and jacked up a 3 like he was Luka or something.

- Yes, I would trade AD because I don’t trust his game — and I definitely don’t trust his body. But I know that’s never going to happen, because Nico would basically be admitting defeat. So, on to the positives:....
....

This is the reality.  AD is expendable.  AD is not really in NBA basketball shape right now.  Eye surgery, recovery from last year's injury, whatever the reason, he's playing himself into condition now. 

Given the 2-timeline age distribution on the roster, the ideal scenario for Dallas right now is to get AD into peak shape, which depends on health and then flip him into assets in sync with the younger Coop timeline.  IF AD can have a healthy season, you have the trade deadline target or more likely get a max performance out of him this season then look for a youth oriented trade similar to the Durant trade that reset the Suns.

[Chicagojk]

You really have to be careful about making any conclusions in preseason.  The lack of shooting and some of the defense on good creators is concerning.

I am not crazy about the starting lineup they threw out there last night.   Although, I don't think I am too pumped about a DLO/Klay starting backcourt either.    Real tricky how to get this to work.  Especially when your four best players are all front court players (Cooper at least in size).   That is not even counting Gafford who may also be one of your top 7 players.  

Has a team ever started a two way guy for their first game?  LOL.   It won't happen but Nembhard made a strong case in the past few games that he deserves rotation minutes.   Limited mistakes and just gets the ball to the open player.  

I think the Vincent threes to start the game were more "tip your hat to him" than poor defense.   Maybe not all of them.  It just feels like teams are getting good three point looks though on penetration.  In today's game you just can't be dominated on three point shooting.  You can play good defense, be physical, control the boards, limit turnover, etc.  But if the other teams makes 10 more threes than you, it may even everything else out.

[Chicagojk]

really forgetful preseason for DSJ.  He wasn't making the roster but he didn't play yesterday and the few times he did play he very rarely had the ball.  He was playing off ball.   In his limited runs, you didn't even see if he still has that explosion.   Whatever he does, he needs to play basketball in a league this year.  Last year, he didn't play.  It is easy to be forgotton about if you aren't playing.  He will have a hard road back to the NBA, but he needs to play to have a chance.  It is probably a low chance at this stage.

I wonder who Dallas gets for that final two way spot. Robinson Earl is not two eligible right? It appears Kidd's comments about him and liking his game was something you say before you release him. I was not a believer in Cisse and his production in college was limited, but thought he looked decent in preseason. Although, he probably would not be my first choice for a two way.

[mvossman]

I try not to read too much into preseason, but its hard not to when it confirms all of your concerns. This team is lacking in creation, shooting and perimeter defense, and playing two bigs exasperates all of those issues. Its hard to watch these games and not think this team should trade one of its bigs for a shooting guard that addresses the above issues.

Having said that, I don't think there is any chance that big being traded will be AD. There is no way Nico pulls that trigger, and it would be a difficult trigger to pull. With his massive salary and age, its hard to see a trade out there that would make any sense. The obvious answer is to send out Gafford (who they signed to a contract seemingly tailor made to trade) plus salary filler and assets for somebody who addresses their weaknesses.

[michaeltex]

With Lively developing his inside game better (I'm liking his jump hook) AD may indeed be expendable. Not wild about him jacking up 3's with zero passes. He's an excellent 5 that wants to play like a 3 or 4, but that keeps PJ off the floor and I'm really liking what PJ/Flagg bring when playing together. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not getting a leadership vibe off AD like you do off Kyrie.

Nembhard continues to impress, despite his size. Getting JJB vibes here.

Strangely, Powell seems to be attacking the basket more aggressively than in any previous seasons. But this is a contract year for him.

Anyone notice a Williams sighting last night? 5 pts, 1 reb in 3 minutes.

[mvossman]

With Lively developing his inside game better (I'm liking his jump hook) AD may indeed be expendable. Not wild about him jacking up 3's with zero passes. He's an excellent 5 that wants to play like a 3 or 4, but that keeps PJ off the floor and I'm really liking what PJ/Flagg bring when playing together. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not getting a leadership vibe off AD like you do off Kyrie.

Nembhard continues to impress, despite his size. Getting JJB vibes here.

Strangely, Powell seems to be attacking the basket more aggressively than in any previous seasons. But this is a contract year for him.

Anyone notice a Williams sighting last night? 5 pts, 1 reb in 3 minutes.

If we forget for a moment that Nico will never trade AD, can you think of a hypothetical trade involving AD that makes any sense?

If there is a guy in this league not impacted by contract year it would be Powell.  That guy gives everything he has every time he is on the court.

Very strange that they would sneak in Williams for 3 garbage minutes.

[Chicagojk]

If we forget for a moment that Nico will never trade AD, can you think of a hypothetical trade involving AD that makes any sense?

If there is a guy in this league not impacted by contract year it would be Powell.  That guy gives everything he has every time he is on the court.

Very strange that they would sneak in Williams for 3 garbage minutes.

He played for a few minutes and then they took him out.   It looks like they tried to get him back in the game with a few minutes left but there were a few minutes of uninterupted play.    He is just coming of injury, but I found that odd as well.

No reason for the Mavs to try to get Nemhard on the roster now, but I wonder if that will be a conversation as the season begins.    Especially if he is getting some minutes.

[ballsrchr]

Alright...preseason is over and It was...painful..to watch. I don't think we have a team that fits together. I see trades being mentioned, soooo I finally took a look at the roster. Wow!...what a mishmash. We have some good players--Christie, AD, Exum*, FLAG, Gafford, Kyrie!, Lively, Marshall, Nembhard (yes...Nembhard), Powell (yes...Powell), PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, I'll add Brandon Williams. Some of the rest I have no idea who they are.

Back to the trades. A team has to mesh--play like a many headed...Mongoose--I was going to say snake, but.... We are not moving as a team on the floor. It still looks like a G league team. "high quality", yes, but still G league...not meshing.

Who would I trade? I don't think I can do any worse than Nico whatever his name is, so I'll give it a shot. I may even have a reason for the trades....like getting players that work in positions of need, stock pile high picks---oh hell no!, not plan powder--, stay under the apron, etc.

Anthony Davis
Jaden Hardy--I was high on him, but now I'm low...
Caleb Martin--I don't even know why we have him.
Dlo...unless he magically shows something to the coaches...soon.
Dennis Smith--I though he would be ok now with a few good years under his belt...but...nope.
Klay Thompson--yeah...I would...I think it's time. Past time...

Dante Exum?--Nobody has been higher on Exum than I've been, but we need to know that he can play. He is really good at running a team, off ball, and defense, but he's got to get on the floor.

There's a lot of bench warmers. I know nothing about them. Cannon fodder, G league, what ever. Benchwarmers.

[michaeltex]

FWIW, I think Smith is on a camp contract, so he's not clogging the roster.

I noodled around with the ESPN Trade Machine for a bit, but everything I tried was a failure since everybody's is tight on cap space. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing Hardy and Martin find another home. I don't know who the sellers are going to be in this season TDL participants, so it's hard to determine where to focus for trade partners.

[Chicagojk]

https://youtu.be/9MBwBNauDcU?si=DgxnR7nhAbUASPqY

The last two plays are simple but really good. The first one does not show the full play. Ryan went under the basket like Nash use to and got switched with a big. He immediately knew Lively had a guard on him and got him the ball in the paint.

The second is just basic movement clearing out but it makes your defender react. Then he gets the ball and is ready to shoot.

[Jym]

https://youtu.be/9MBwBNauDcU?si=DgxnR7nhAbUASPqY

The last two plays are simple but really good.  The first one does not show the full play.  Ryan went under the basket like Nash use to and got switched with a big.  He immediately knew Lively had a guard on him and got him the ball in the paint.

The second is just basic movement clearing out but it makes your defender react.  Then he gets the ball and is ready to shoot.

He should play 15 to 20 minutes a night immediately 
We need him

[F Gump]

No reason for the Mavs to try to get Nemhard on the roster now, but I wonder if that will be a conversation as the season begins.    Especially if he is getting some minutes.

As the season begins? The Mavs have no room on the 15-man, so they couldn't put him on the 15-man even if they wanted to.  

Plus, there is no circumstance in which they would have any need to change things with him "as the season begins." He's on a 2-way, so he can play in about half the games on his current deal. If he is out for some games with an injury, or they otherwise opt to make him inactive in various games, that extends his availability even further than mid-season. And even if they use up all his eligibility, the Mavs have his rights this whole season and control in the summer.

As the season goes along, things are going to be fluid at PG. B Will could be great, or he could be meh, we have no idea. But we will know more as we go, well before midseason. Kyrie's return - whenever it happens - will make minutes at PG much harder to come by. We also have plenty of question marks on DAR and Exum, as to when they will play, and how helpful they will be. So it's possible Nemby gets buried deep enough where he's inactive and doesn't even play for many games.

BOTTOM LINE: There's no need for them to fiddle with that anytime soon. Later on, who knows? By later, we should also have a better idea of whether he is needed or not, and what he can truly contribute. But that discussion also entails clearing a roster spot (which can be done in a variety of ways, but makes the move far more complicated). If he is vital, they can eventually clear a spot, and a reason to do so (and convert him to the 15-man) is to make him postseason-eligible. That's probably the real deadline.

[Nowitzki Way]

I'm agreeing most everyone here. AD is expendable, especially if he's not playing the 5. The team would mesh better with Lively or Gafford as the big with PJ and Flagg in the frontcourt. AD playing out of position ruins the fit.

I just dont see Nico trading him this soon. But i still want to see what those trades would look like in a perfect word. I wish we could find a way to get a young volume scoring guard to fit the Lively/Flagg timeline.

[KillerLeft]

I have a different take than most: I looked it up a while ago, and before LA traded Davis he was playing north of 80% of his minutes at the 5. Anyone with eyes can see that should be his primary position, and I think this idea that he's going to play the 4 is based more on the balance of the roster and the need to get all the good players on the court than on his wishes. I'm sure even he realizes he's more 5 than 4, frankly, and I expect that to be the way things shake out, particularly if the big lineup has all the problems we expect (many of us). If it shakes out how those who like it expect, then none of us will have issues with it, but if it's not working, you have to think the smart basketball minds in the organization will adjust.

With that logic in mind, I think it would be nutbar-factor-9 to trade probably the best defensive center in the league in order to create roster balance. I don't understand how people will claim it's not a big deal for Lively to go halvsies on the center minutes with Gafford, but then balk at the idea of him instead splitting the position with Anthony Davis, who is actually a far superior player at this point in time. FAR superior.

I get that the contract is excessive, but that's a done deal, and you're not getting $60 million of GOOD salary in return, even in a great deal. The reality is that any deal involving AD at this point results in a less talented roster, at least for a year or two (depending on what type of draft capital you get in return and how you're able to flip anything you get in the deal).

The one solid argument in favor of trading AD, imho, is that he's an injury waiting to happen, but clearly that hasn't scared the Mavs to this point. So, my hope will continue to be that they actually play him a lot at CENTER, where he is a difference maker on a level that's being trivialized here aggressively.