MAVS NEWS:

[FireNicoHarrison]

Stop living your life scared!

Man... After a Porzingis max extension and the Luka-street clothes trade can i be scared? 

[Smitty]

Interesting counting stats comparison between two young Mavericks. One is talked about as being a young guy with upside/potential, who's steadily improving, and the other is talked about as a bust, based on draft status and expectations entering the league. Here's an unbiased snapshot of the last two years for each. The Per36 for comparison sake:


   


I'm not trying to make the case that ZR is better than Max or vice versa. They're different players for sure. Asked to do different things for their teams over that time period. I'm also not trying to say that everyone calls ZR a bust. Just pointing out that the two players are kind of similar over the last two seasons. At least offensively. ZR has played more games, but the 'minutes played' is close enough to compare. ZR attempts a few more shots inside the arch, at a higher clip, and Max is a bit more accurate from outside.

Anyway, I see both guys battling for more playing time next season. Fighting for the starting spot even. Both will try and fill that 3&D role -- POA defender between Kyrie and Flagg. 

Max is 23 years old -- Risacher, 21... Both still have tons of potential. Will be interesting to see which one, if not both, can realize it.

[Chicagojk]

Interesting counting stats comparison between two young Mavericks. One is talked about as being a young guy with upside/potential, who's steadily improving, and the other is talked about as a bust, based on draft status and expectations entering the league. Here's an unbiased snapshot of the last two years for each. The Per36 for comparison sake:





I'm not trying to make the case that ZR is better than Max or vice versa. They're different players for sure. Asked to do different things for their teams over that time period. I'm also not trying to say that everyone calls ZR a bust. Just pointing out that the two players are kind of similar over the last two seasons. At least offensively. ZR has played more games, but the 'minutes played' is close enough to compare. ZR attempts a few more shots inside the arch, at a higher clip, and Max is a bit more accurate from outside.

Anyway, I see both guys battling for more playing time next season. Fighting for the starting spot even. Both will try and fill that 3&D role -- POA defender between Kyrie and Flagg. 

Max is 23 years old -- Risacher, 21... Both still have tons of potential. Will be interesting to see which one, if not both, can realize it.

This is a big year for Zacc.   I agree with this take below. I think there needs to be a clean path for consistent minutes....thus I don't think the Mavs are done.  Maybe he loses those minutes but I think to start the year he will get consistent minutes.  

His goal at seasons end is to be considered part of the young core, not a salary that we are looking to expire soon.   


https://x.com/NickVanExit/status/2082328240408900042

[HoosierDaddyKid]

“I have spoken on the phone once with Masai [Ujiri] for about 120 seconds,” Cuban continued, in response to emailed questions from The News. “Same with Patrick [Dumont]; day of [Ujiri’s] hiring. “I’ve had two texts with Masai, both I think maybe 2- or 3-word responses, a couple with no response. Which is fine. His choice. I absolutely expected it when they hired Masai. That’s why they hired him. To run basketball. “Fans are excited to see what happens, and as a Mavs fan, so am I.” Cuban is pivoting away from his beloved Mavericks, the NBA franchise he owned from 2000 to 2023 and in which he still has a 27% stake, but from which he’s become increasingly estranged. “The pivot away from the Mavs was not my choice,” Cuban told The Dallas Morning News on Friday, a day after Harbinger Sports Partners, of which he is general partner and president, bought an undisclosed percentage of the A’s.

Dallas Morning News

[BigDirk41]

“I have spoken on the phone once with Masai [Ujiri] for about 120 seconds,” Cuban continued, in response to emailed questions from The News. “Same with Patrick [Dumont]; day of [Ujiri’s] hiring. “I’ve had two texts with Masai, both I think maybe 2- or 3-word responses, a couple with no response. Which is fine. His choice. I absolutely expected it when they hired Masai. That’s why they hired him. To run basketball. “Fans are excited to see what happens, and as a Mavs fan, so am I.”  Cuban is pivoting away from his beloved Mavericks, the NBA franchise he owned from 2000 to 2023 and in which he still has a 27% stake, but from which he’s become increasingly estranged. “The pivot away from the Mavs was not my choice,” Cuban told The Dallas Morning News on Friday, a day after Harbinger Sports Partners, of which he is general partner and president, bought an undisclosed percentage of the A’s.

Dallas Morning News

Maybe he shouldn't have sold the team if he still wanted all the benefits of being the owner..lol. He just sounds petty at this point. This was all your doing Mark.

[Jym]

Maybe he shouldn't have sold the team if he still wanted all the benefits of being the owner..lol. He just sounds petty at this point. This was all your doing Mark.

Shocking he thought there would be a different outcome 
He didnt sell to a bro he had a connection with. He sold to sold some scummy casino people he barely knew

[cow]

“I have spoken on the phone once with Masai [Ujiri] for about 120 seconds,” Cuban continued, in response to emailed questions from The News. “Same with Patrick [Dumont]; day of [Ujiri’s] hiring. “I’ve had two texts with Masai, both I think maybe 2- or 3-word responses, a couple with no response. Which is fine. His choice. I absolutely expected it when they hired Masai. That’s why they hired him. To run basketball. “Fans are excited to see what happens, and as a Mavs fan, so am I.”  Cuban is pivoting away from his beloved Mavericks, the NBA franchise he owned from 2000 to 2023 and in which he still has a 27% stake, but from which he’s become increasingly estranged. “The pivot away from the Mavs was not my choice,” Cuban told The Dallas Morning News on Friday, a day after Harbinger Sports Partners, of which he is general partner and president, bought an undisclosed percentage of the A’s.

Dallas Morning News

Not a real fan if he is pivoting away.  Real fans had to endure his dumbassery that wasted the twilight of Dirk's prime and led us down the road of trading away a generational talent under the "watchful" eye of a casino conglomerate and yet, are still here. Hopefully he buys another professional sports team not in Dallas and annoys the hell out of that fanbase.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Stop crying Mark, nobody trust you.

You sold the team to someone who gifted away Luka Doncic. Shut up.

[Moviemavguy]

If he is pivoting away then why is he suing them? "Pivot away not my choice" says the guy who sold the team.

Is anyone around here still a Cuban fan? Guy just cannot stand how irrelevant he is now.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Interesting counting stats comparison between two young Mavericks. One is talked about as being a young guy with upside/potential, who's steadily improving, and the other is talked about as a bust, based on draft status and expectations entering the league. Here's an unbiased snapshot of the last two years for each. The Per36 for comparison sake:


Anyway, I see both guys battling for more playing time next season. Fighting for the starting spot even. Both will try and fill that 3&D role -- POA defender between Kyrie and Flagg. 

Max is 23 years old -- Risacher, 21... Both still have tons of potential. Will be interesting to see which one, if not both, can realize it.

This is the comparison that led me to call Risacher a SG - or if you don't like the terminology, a 3&D wing or a 3 point specialist.  Basically, a wing who can shoot, but isn't great at creating for himself/others.  I get that some like to call Flagg the SG in such an arrangement, but it seems silly to call Flagg a guard and Max a forward.  Just call Flagg a Point Forward...but I digress.

I'd probaby also put Biberovic in this category with Max and ZR.  Aldama might be a taller version of the same thing.  Nothing says you can't have Aldama, Risacher and Max all on the floor together if you have enough creation elsewhere - certainly two of the three works.

[Smitty]

This is the comparison that led me to call Risacher a SG - or if you don't like the terminology, a 3&D wing or a 3 point specialist.  Basically, a wing who can shoot, but isn't great at creating for himself/others.  I get that some like to call Flagg the SG in such an arrangement, but it seems silly to call Flagg a guard and Max a forward.  Just call Flagg a Point Forward...but I digress.

I'd probaby also put Biberovic in this category with Max and ZR.  Aldama might be a taller version of the same thing.  Nothing says you can't have Aldama, Risacher and Max all on the floor together if you have enough creation elsewhere - certainly two of the three works.

Don't get me going down that rabbit hole again, haha. You know how I feel about position labels. Playstyle, archetype, role are what I think people are trying to describe when using them. I don't believe anyone this day and age thinks a coach is drawing up a play and saying the SF is setting a screen for the SG here, yada yada. Or that a player would be lost, if he didn't know if he was playing 'PF' or 'C' on the next possession down the floor.  

I think Flagg will initiate a ton of offensive possessions. I also think he'll play "off-ball" a ton, as a secondary playmaker/initiator. Some call the latter a SG. Most call the former a PG. Some call a catch and shoot/movement shooter only (like Klay) a SG, who's only a play finisher. Others might call it a SF. It is what it is.

To your point, yes. I think they've added a ton of 'positionless' type guys that can do a bit of everything. That are especially switchable defensively. Having the size to do so. It's the way of the modern NBA game, and I'm all for it!

[F Gump]

I am glad to see this discussion and the points being made. This aligns with my previously-stated belief that the Mavs don't see themselves as having some sort of massive unfilled hole at SG that they are desperately trying to fill -- if all of Max, Tarik, and ZR easily fill that whatever-you-wanna-call-it slot (along with Klay), and I think they do, then the Mavs the only thing remaining on their plate is to find a good way to reduce the roster by one player.

My personal belief is that on today's rosters there's a lot of flexibility for who plays where, especially the players in the middle, and for the most part it's likely to look like this:
5 - BIG/CENTER
4,3,2 - 3 WINGS of various size, skills, etc
1 - POINT (typically small)

The preference is to have some position flex across those 3 categories, with some bigger wing(s) who can perhaps play center at times (and maybe vice versa), and some other wing(s) who can perhaps play point at times (and maybe vice versa).

I see an easily proportionate Mavs roster, that fits the above archetype, with 3 bigs, 3 points, and the rest in the middle, and plenty of position-flex players in the mix.

[Smitty]

I am glad to see this discussion and the points being made. This aligns with my previously-stated belief that the Mavs don't see themselves as having some sort of massive unfilled hole at SG that they are desperately trying to fill -- if all of Max, Tarik, and ZR easily fill that whatever-you-wanna-call-it slot (along with Klay), and I think they do, then the Mavs the only thing remaining on their plate is to find a good way to reduce the roster by one player.

My personal belief is that on today's rosters there's a lot of flexibility for who plays where, especially the players in the middle, and for the most part it's likely to look like this:
5 - BIG/CENTER
4,3,2 - 3 WINGS of various size, skills, etc
1 - POINT (typically small)

The preference is to have some position flex across those 3 categories, with some bigger wing(s) who can perhaps play center at times (and maybe vice versa), and some other wing(s) who can perhaps play point at times (and maybe vice versa).

I see an easily proportionate Mavs roster, that fits the above archetype, with 3 bigs, 3 points, and the rest in the middle, and plenty of position-flex players in the mix.

I’ve said this more times than I can count. I think that’s exactly how it will play out with this roster makeup. Another big component is spacing. Nearly every non-Big (true center) is a plus 3PT shooter. Welcome to the modern NBA, ‘26-‘27 Dallas Mavericks.

[Scott41theMavs]

I am glad to see this discussion and the points being made. This aligns with my previously-stated belief that the Mavs don't see themselves as having some sort of massive unfilled hole at SG that they are desperately trying to fill -- if all of Max, Tarik, and ZR easily fill that whatever-you-wanna-call-it slot (along with Klay), and I think they do, then the Mavs the only thing remaining on their plate is to find a good way to reduce the roster by one player.

My personal belief is that on today's rosters there's a lot of flexibility for who plays where, especially the players in the middle, and for the most part it's likely to look like this:
5 - BIG/CENTER
4,3,2 - 3 WINGS of various size, skills, etc
1 - POINT (typically small)

The preference is to have some position flex across those 3 categories, with some bigger wing(s) who can perhaps play center at times (and maybe vice versa), and some other wing(s) who can perhaps play point at times (and maybe vice versa).

I see an easily proportionate Mavs roster, that fits the above archetype, with 3 bigs, 3 points, and the rest in the middle, and plenty of position-flex players in the mix.

I get what you're saying, but in that model, at least one of those "wings" or whateveryawannacallem absolutely has to have creational ability, whatever traditional position or number you'd want to assign them. Cooper is the only guy they have right now with sufficient dollops of that, and news flash, he can't play 48 mpg. With the POINTs (Kyrie, Sasser, Sergio), in 2026, ideally those players have both creational and playmaking (aka creating shots for others) abilities. Kyrie is a great creator and a decent playmaker. Sasser is a lesser version of a similar model. Sergio looks to be an extremely talented (tho not NBA-experienced) playmaker, while needing a large amount of work to become a serviceable creator. I honestly view him at this stage of his career as a shooting guard who happens to be more of a facilitator than a creator.

Point being, if the Mavs want to play .500 ball or better this year, and have ambitions toward that, they need another creator at the wing, or another creator/playmaker at the one. Ergo, there's still a hole, and still more roster work to do than simply opening up slots, so I would very strongly disagree with the point you're making.

[Smitty]

I get what you're saying, but in that model, at least one of those "wings" or whateveryawannacallem absolutely has to have creational ability, whatever traditional position or number you'd want to assign them. Cooper is the only guy they have right now with sufficient dollops of that, and news flash, he can't play 48 mpg. With the POINTs (Kyrie, Sasser, Sergio), in 2026, ideally those players have both creational and playmaking (aka creating shots for others) abilities. Kyrie is a great creator and a decent playmaker. Sasser is a lesser version of a similar model. Sergio looks to be an extremely talented (tho not NBA-experienced) playmaker, while needing a large amount of work to become a serviceable creator. I honestly view him at this stage of his career as a shooting guard who happens to be more of a facilitator than a creator.

Point being, if the Mavs want to play .500 ball or better this year, and have ambitions toward that, they need another creator at the wing, or another creator/playmaker at the one. Ergo, there's still a hole, and still more roster work to do than simply opening up slots, so I would very strongly disagree with the point you're making.

They will always need “something”, at least until it’s a championship team. 29 other teams are in the same boat every year. Baby steps. It’s a process.

[F Gump]

I get what you're saying, but in that model, at least one of those "wings" or whateveryawannacallem absolutely has to have creational ability, whatever traditional position or number you'd want to assign them. Cooper is the only guy they have right now with sufficient dollops of that, and news flash, he can't play 48 mpg. With the POINTs (Kyrie, Sasser, Sergio), in 2026, ideally those players have both creational and playmaking (aka creating shots for others) abilities. Kyrie is a great creator and a decent playmaker. Sasser is a lesser version of a similar model. Sergio looks to be an extremely talented (tho not NBA-experienced) playmaker, while needing a large amount of work to become a serviceable creator. I honestly view him at this stage of his career as a shooting guard who happens to be more of a facilitator than a creator.

Point being, if the Mavs want to play .500 ball or better this year, and have ambitions toward that, they need another creator at the wing, or another creator/playmaker at the one. Ergo, there's still a hole, and still more roster work to do than simply opening up slots, so I would very strongly disagree with the point you're making.

I get your point. 

I think you might be somewhat underselling the Mavs abilities. They have 3 PGs who I believe they will use each of them in creating offense as well as running the point, when they play. (I think if Sergio is not as skilled as needed, they work to bring his level up, rather than find someone else to play.) They also have 2-3 wings who create offense - definitely both Flagg and also Naji, and perhaps PJ will also do some of that to some extent (and in an emergency, Martin has that skill set in his history). Keep in mind that they only need to play 1 or 2 at a time, and their 2 team leaders will be on the floor A LOT, so they have lots of ways to get a 3rd or 4th player on the floor to have plenty to make it work quite well. 

I also think that to the extent that the above might (or might not) somehow be a tad short, it's close enough where the Mavs are thinking, "We're good. Let's roll with this." You never get the PERFECT roster. If you have small holes (and you always will) you just find ways to work around them. That's why May gets the big bucks, to figure it out. 

So while we dream up all kinds of wild trade ideas to change this or that to some degree, I actually think they are essentially done.

[Scott41theMavs]

I get your point. 

I think you might be somewhat underselling the Mavs abilities. They have 3 PGs who I believe they will use each of them in creating offense as well as running the point, when they play. (I think if Sergio is not as skilled as needed, they work to bring his level up, rather than find someone else to play.) They also have 2-3 wings who create offense - definitely both Flagg and also Naji, and perhaps PJ will also do some of that to some extent (and in an emergency, Martin has that skill set in his history). Keep in mind that they only need to play 1 or 2 at a time, and their 2 team leaders will be on the floor A LOT, so they have lots of ways to get a 3rd or 4th player on the floor to have plenty to make it work quite well. 

I also think that to the extent that the above might (or might not) somehow be a tad short, it's close enough where the Mavs are thinking, "We're good. Let's roll with this." You never get the PERFECT roster. If you have small holes (and you always will) you just find ways to work around them. That's why May gets the big bucks, to figure it out. 

So while we dream up all kinds of wild trade ideas to change this or that to some degree, I actually think they are essentially done.

You might be right. It's a spec on what the Mavs are thinking, rather than really saying, "Oh, they're just fine." Imho, they're fine for now, *if* they want to see the season as more developmental than anything else. If that's the case, it rubs me the wrong way in that I don't see the urgency they ought to have in that scenario to clear roster space for Seva. I think he has a sky-high ceiling, however low his current floor might be. It also would seem to indicate that 1) Kyrie really loves the city of Dallas, and that 2) he's having more fun and fulfillment mentoring than he would be in a winning situation. 

Another thing with the developmental approach, I really do believe the PJ-for-Scoot move is there on Portland's end, so if the Mavs aren't doing it, they either don't think much of Scoot at all, or they value PJ long-term more than we think they might, or a blend of those two. In any event, not pulling the trigger on that must mean there are limits to the developmental approach.

[mvossman]

I get your point. 

I think you might be somewhat underselling the Mavs abilities. They have 3 PGs who I believe they will use each of them in creating offense as well as running the point, when they play. (I think if Sergio is not as skilled as needed, they work to bring his level up, rather than find someone else to play.) They also have 2-3 wings who create offense - definitely both Flagg and also Naji, and perhaps PJ will also do some of that to some extent (and in an emergency, Martin has that skill set in his history). Keep in mind that they only need to play 1 or 2 at a time, and their 2 team leaders will be on the floor A LOT, so they have lots of ways to get a 3rd or 4th player on the floor to have plenty to make it work quite well. 

I also think that to the extent that the above might (or might not) somehow be a tad short, it's close enough where the Mavs are thinking, "We're good. Let's roll with this." You never get the PERFECT roster. If you have small holes (and you always will) you just find ways to work around them. That's why May gets the big bucks, to figure it out. 

So while we dream up all kinds of wild trade ideas to change this or that to some degree, I actually think they are essentially done.

I think they are mostly done as well, but I can't help but have PTSD from last summer when folks were on here saying they are fine from a creation standpoint.  That we are free from Luka heliocentric basketball and now we can have more "flow" to the offense.  The Mavs are obviously better off than last year, but if you have to mention PJ (and Martin, LOL!) then we are likely going to be in for some pain.

[KillerLeft]

I think they are mostly done as well, but I can't help but have PTSD from last summer when folks were on here saying they are fine from a creation standpoint.  That we are free from Luka heliocentric basketball and now we can have more "flow" to the offense.  The Mavs are obviously better off than last year, but if you have to mention PJ (and Martin, LOL!) then we are likely going to be in for some pain.

So you're saying they DO need Mathurin?! Happy you've seen the light - I concur.

[F Gump]

You might be right. It's a spec on what the Mavs are thinking, rather than really saying, "Oh, they're just fine." Imho, they're fine for now, *if* they want to see the season as more developmental than anything else. If that's the case, it rubs me the wrong way in that I don't see the urgency they ought to have in that scenario to clear roster space for Seva. I think he has a sky-high ceiling, however low his current floor might be. It also would seem to indicate that 1) Kyrie really loves the city of Dallas, and that 2) he's having more fun and fulfillment mentoring than he would be in a winning situation. 

Another thing with the developmental approach, I really do believe the PJ-for-Scoot move is there on Portland's end, so if the Mavs aren't doing it, they either don't think much of Scoot at all, or they value PJ long-term more than we think they might, or a blend of those two. In any event, not pulling the trigger on that must mean there are limits to the developmental approach.

1 Seva
I know you really like Seva. I saw what you saw, but was not nearly as impressed. While I think he showed some possible "potential," in a few ways, I think the NBA level would be way way over his head at this point. I want him to become a starter-level NBA player, and think he needs a better basketball foundation first. I don't think he's a small step away, but rather it would be several giant steps upward, too many.

Not to talk him down, but NBA is an incredibly advanced level of competition, and the Euro guys can show a little bit, but never obtain the tools to get their foot in the door. His league is even lower. 2nd rounders from the US usually have played several years at a much higher level than some Euro leagues, and even those guys are borderline just to stick on the end of someone's bench. (My biggest Seva issue?  IMO Too passive - he didn't look even close to being ready for a war this hard.)

2 Kyrie
From everything I've seen, he wants to be here, stay here, be a mentor and leader, create a legacy here. And win while he does so. I'm good with that. Don't see the Mavs FO rocking that boat at all. MY admittedly optimistic take on Kyrie -- I don't think this season will be a to-be-determined test run of that, but more like an extension of what he's already been doing here. Yes, at some point I think his skills will begin to decline, but I think when that happens, he's more likely to sign to stay at a reduced salary, rather than either side push him out the door. 

One other point: as they develop kids, Mavs will need veterans to set the tone and lead the way. Kyrie fits there, but he won't be doing that stuff alone. DP was a big part of that, but I don't think he will be back. That off-the-court landscape will be a factor in who else stays (or perhaps who is added at some point) as they go forward.

3 Scoot
He's a small offensive-specialist PG whose offense is meh, and after 3 years it doesn't seem to be getting better. He's not the offensive answer you might be looking for. I'm not particularly interested (and since POR traded for a player to start instead of him, maybe POR isn't high on him either.) He might be VERY cheap in another year or two (not that I would be eagerly waiting) as a "second draft" project player, for a team who might think they can develop him into something useful.

As for the fact the Mavs haven't traded PJ for him, not sure it tells us anything about the Maqvs overall approach. As for why, there's no way to know based on the fact we know ZERO about what each team thinks of the other's player, or their own player, or whether either team even considered such a trade at all. I value PJ way more highly, and it's not close in my book.