Game 32: DAL (12-19) @ GSW (15-15)

[Chicagojk]

Golden state are tough to guard when they are on and Dallas has started the third without a center, but it shouldn’t be this easy. Dallas is just so undisciplined on defense. They are also not great getting a rebound.

[Jakeospikez]

Game was getting too close. Tank commander Martin to the rescue. High level roleplayer.

[GATA]

Caleb Martin has no business playing. Much rather see Hardy

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Anthony Davis will not return to the game due to right groin spasm as reported just now on ESPN by Malika Andrews


Isn't that the same injury he had last year that kept him out forever? Hopefully not the same severity as last year.

[Winter]

Having to constantly think and worry about Anthony Davis kind of sucks the joy out of the Mavericks basketball.

[GATA]

Really need another shooting guard

[Chicagojk]

Man I can’t believe how bad Gafford has been so far this year. I always thought he had fragile confidence and 8 wonder if all the talk plus him fighting injuries are really battling his confidence, he is much better than he has played this year. With or without a lob mate.

It is Kidds job to get Gafford and PJ playing better. Either for here or as an asset. Neither is playing well lately.

[GATA]

Flagg is so good, but with some of these schlubbs, there is nothing he can do

[RBB]

not gonna win many NBA games making only four 3's in the game. and they don't seem to want to take 3's and don't get Klay many decent looks.

[Chicagojk]

Completely different team home vs away. Seems like they can’t beat anyone on the road now but play tough at home.

Golden state didn’t even shoot well after a hot start. It could have been much worse if golden state was hot. They got easy looks all game.

Team has their work cut out for them building the right group around Flagg.

[KillerLeft]

Having to constantly think and worry about Anthony Davis kind of sucks the joy out of the Mavericks basketball.

That ain’t fun, for sure, but what really kills it for me is this horrible, horrible offense. I mean from a design level. I don’t even like what they are TRYING to do, and they are obviously not very good at doing it, anyway.

[Knutsen]

Having to constantly think and worry about Anthony Davis kind of sucks the joy out of the Mavericks basketball.

Don’t say that - we traded for him because he‘s in much greater shape than Luka and has a winner’s mindset.

[Winter]

The Mavericks are a team without a general. And we didn't bring enough energy to compete with these guys on their home court

[ACMFFL]

I really tried to be positive and supportive of him, but honestly at this juncture I have enough of the AD experience.

[Mavs2021]

I really tried to be positive and supportive of him, but honestly at this juncture I have enough of the AD experience.

It´s time they tank the sh*t out of this season and just forget about AD. Clippers and Pelicans have no incentive to tank and shown enough progress to assume they can overtake the Mavs eventually. Charlotte, Brooklyn and Sacramento will be a hard fight. Utah will always tank themselves to the bottom. Carlisle is already at work and Washington is just too bad. Worst case we should have the 7th best odds.

[Chicagojk]

The AD experience is exhausting.  I don't like watching him play either.    I don't want to dump him though.

The tricky part is how do you keep him (hopefully wrapped up very carefully) and find a future running mate for Coop in this draft.  The secret part to all of this is I don't care if AD is here or not if we get  a future running mate for Coop.  In fact, it may be better to have him here.   He can stick here and eventually is moved or come off the cap.    Finding ways to get him to not play is the tricky part though.

[Smitty]

One of the least fun games I’ve watched in a while. It was a FT contest to start. There was no rhythm to the game at all. I switch the channel if I’m not a fan of either team.

Davis goes out early and Flagg was too little too late.

The Mavs lack shooting. Two out of the last three games they’ve made 3 and 4 three pointers for the GAME. Unacceptable in this NBA.

BWill played well. Coop had some nice possessions. The rest was pretty ugly. Also, the Warriors are going nowhere fast!

[Chicagojk]

really tough to go on extended runs when three pointers are not a part of your game.   Even with the Warriors shooting poor they can go a 3 minutes without scoring and then make two threes or get an offensive board and all the work you have done is for not.

[Scott41theMavs]

If AD is out for a while, that has the enormous silver lining of a string of losses despite playing their best. I'm down for it.

[loki]

The AD experience is exhausting.  I don't like watching him play either.    I don't want to dump him though.

The tricky part is how do you keep him (hopefully wrapped up very carefully) and find a future running mate for Coop in this draft.  The secret part to all of this is I don't care if AD is here or not if we get  a future running mate for Coop.  In fact, it may be better to have him here.   He can stick here and eventually is moved or come off the cap.    Finding ways to get him to not play is the tricky part though.

I was just wondering this myself. You can't really send AD home if he's healthy. He's playing for his next contract extension.  One thing they could do is to be overly cautious every time he has an injury. If he tweaks an ankle and needs a night off, give him the week off. If he strains his groin and needs a few weeks, give him a month. Also don't let him play any back to backs. That would probably take care of much of the season. When he is playing, keep him on a strict minutes limit. Ideally he would come out after a short stint in the 3rd quarter of every game and not return.

Between that and keeping Kyrie out for the year, I think they could successfully navigate a tank with him still on the roster. They're going to be walking a tightrope the entire way though. And the hardest part might be to keep their coach from opening his big mouth. The league tends to look the other way about this sort of thing unless you tell on yourself.