Game 3: Dallas Mavericks (1-1) vs San Antonio Spurs (0-2) | 7:00 CST

[Moviemavguy]

Scouting reports on De Larrea's strength were way off. Kid was going toe to toe with Stephen Castle. That's so crucial since he isn't very athletic. His size and strength more than make up for it.

[Mavs2021]

Scouting reports on De Larrea's strength were way off.  Kid was going toe to toe with Stephen Castle.  That's so crucial since he isn't very athletic.  His size and strength more than make up for it.

It was not necessarily about physical strength, but his finishing ability. I know it´s connected. In the NBA he has been a lot better than in Europe, so far on the small sample size. The defense/rim protection is also more physical in Europe, so in that regard he might benefit from being in the NBA. 

I´m most impressed how quickly he seems to have adapted to the NBA 3pt line and added some in between game, which helps navigate some problems at the rim. Tobi Lawal is also making great strides from SL to preseason. That´s another part of scouting/trading Cuban always neglected, personality. How hard do you work, how quickly can you process things, how quickly can you solve problems, how quickly can you make adjustments. That´s honestly what I would test during interviews, if I was scouting prospects. All the tape is there anyway. I´d give them physical and mental challenges/puzzles, maybe a little more sophisticated than the "how many balls are in the room" question to test their personality. 

The new FO surely puts more emphasis there, cause it´s impossible to do less than Cuban. Combine that with a capable developmental staff and you might actually see rookies that improve unlike under Cuban, where you basically got mostly finished products (Luka, Brunson, Crowder, Howard, JJB) or it was always hopeless.

[FireNicoHarrison]

3 for 3 games with Naji leading the team in assists.

Yes, we have a huge problem at the PG... i hope Sergio, Clayton or something else will step up during the season.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Scouting reports on De Larrea's strength were way off.  Kid was going toe to toe with Stephen Castle.  That's so crucial since he isn't very athletic.  His size and strength more than make up for it.

Sergio can be a big surprise for a lot of people... like i said months ago, he is not Luka but he has a tremendous potential. Watch out.

[Winter]

Just looking at stats...

The Mavs shot 51%
They shot 39% from the three-pt line
They were out-rebounded only by one - 42-43
They had 29 assists (SAS had 34)

This would have been more competitive if the Mavs had been better on defense and not turned the ball over so much (18 TOs). The Spurs also had double the number of offensive rebounds.

There were long and mostly promising looks at Sergio, Lawal, and Sasser. Also a nice intro of Walter Clayton who had 5 assists in 15 minutes.

While it wasn't a win, this was largely a learning game and the loss completely expected.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

With all 3 of Larry, Sasser and Clayton Jr bringing a spark tonight, I continue to feel one of them should be the 5th starter.

The benefits are obvious. This might be the best game Gafford has had since ‘24.

They need to play Larry and Gafford together.  Having a real PG really unlocks Gafford.

edit: especially if rehabbing his trade value is a goal for this season

[Chicagojk]

Any reason why Marshall got limited minutes late? Only 21 minutes for a shortened roster.

[Winter]

Any reason why Marshall got limited minutes late?  Only 21 minutes for a shortened roster.

Maybe to give Clayton some minutes? It's a back-to-back.

[JamesConway816]

Maybe to give Clayton some minutes? It's a back-to-back.

I feel old saying this but he probably got a bit overexposed out there. He has not calmed down yet I hope that happens soon.

Just crazy how many young guys with promise they now have on the roster. Even Lawal and Jett Howard made an impact. Cisse, Sergio, Risacher, Morez, Clayton, Flagg, Christie the list is pretty long and in all kinds of different roles.

Definetely a fun team to follow.

Nesmith still pisses me off. Flagg is already the nr 1 guy on a nightly basis and now he will be out for a few games.

I just hope this does not get an ugly dynamic until he is back. Just one strong opponent after another. 

Aldama and his skill level inside also would not hurt.

[cow]

Any reason why Marshall got limited minutes late?  Only 21 minutes for a shortened roster.

The kids had a good thing going so I think May was just trying to see if they could keep it up and when it got out of hand, the end of the bench got minutes.  The Clayton substitution kind of killed the momentum though.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I planned to wait several more games before making any knee-jerk reactions, but there are a few things I thought I’d mention here.  Bear in mind our superstar has missed half the season so far and Kyrie has missed 1/3 of it…thus knee-jerk.

We have been really good and really bad at times, but I’m pleased that we are playing a fairly fun and largely competitive brand of basketball.  I’m surprised that our pace is below average right now (20th).  But our fast break efficiency (when we do run) is really good).  We are just too young to expect a well developed half court game - not to mention the aforementioned time Flagg and Kyrie have missed.  We don’t rebound well and don’t get to the line much.  We get a lot of blocks and steals for a mediocre defensive team.  

Houston sped us up too much and our inexperience showed.  But, when things are going well, man it is fun.  We are just getting acclimated to each other and to a system and some of our players are absolute babies.  Absent bad health, I think it only gets better from here.

I mentioned a couple of times in the offseason that I liked the possibilities I saw with Larry (trey-Larrea), Sasser and Naji as a grouping off the bench.  We haven’t seen that as May has tried to keep one of Flagg or Kyrie has often stayed on with the bench guys.  Naji with Flagg has been good.  Naji with Kyrie has not been good.  The surprise has been how good Larry and Sasser are.  Naji has been overexposed because of injuries, but it doesn’t have to be that way when everyone is healthy. I think Larry/Sasser allows you to use Naji in a more secondary creator role instead of having to do too much.

Christie has been flat out bad.  I don’t think it will last (recall he was shooting 45% from three last season as late as early February).  He made a couple of critical baskets last night when SA went on a couple of mini-runs.  He’s not a lost cause and I suspect will find the correct role.  If he doesn’t, I can easily see him being moved to the bench for any number of players.

It is hard to know whether to be super encouraged or super concerned about Risacher.  He works hard and runs and disrupts and if he was super efficient offensively, he’d be quite the role player.  But, he’s not efficient.  But every now and then he makes offensive plays where you go - more please.  I hope the fan base and the coaches will give him runway.  It might even be a more than one year runway.  Who knows how long it takes, but it isn’t that he can’t do things you want him to do.  He just doesn’t do them consistently.

Morez has more athleticism than either of his Michigan teammates and really than almost anyone else in his draft class (other than Lawal).  But, he’s looks like more of a project than I was hoping.  He positively impacts the games thus far, but seems to be feeling his way through it.  Expectations are a funny thing.  The upside is huge for Morez, but as the 9th pick I can see people being a little disappointed.  I’m not as I think he’s special.  Meanwhile, the expectations for Larry are much lower and he’s jumping over that low bar easily so far.

Whether at the TDL or the summer, we need a consolidation trade.  The trick is figuring out whether we need a better version of PJ alongside Flagg or a better version of Max alongside Kyrie.  I’m pretty pleased with the bench guys like Sasser, Larry, Naji, Risacher and Morez.  Obviously Lively would make a huge difference on the defensive end with the starters if that ever happens, but it feels (like it always has) that something needs to happen among at either the Christie or the PJ position without giving up on any of the guys I mentioned as bench players.  

BTW, Lawal is really intriguing.  It will be interesting to look back on Morez/Larry/Lawal three years from now.

[Chicagojk]

I planned to wait several more games before making any knee-jerk reactions, but there are a few things I thought I’d mention here.  Bear in mind our superstar has missed half the season so far and Kyrie has missed 1/3 of it…thus knee-jerk.

We have been really good and really bad at times, but I’m pleased that we are playing a fairly fun and largely competitive brand of basketball.  I’m surprised that our pace is below average right now (20th).  But our fast break efficiency (when we do run) is really good).  We are just too young to expect a well developed half court game - not to mention the aforementioned time Flagg and Kyrie have missed.  We don’t rebound well and don’t get to the line much.  We get a lot of blocks and steals for a mediocre defensive team.  

Houston sped us up too much and our inexperience showed.  But, when things are going well, man it is fun.  We are just getting acclimated to each other and to a system and some of our players are absolute babies.  Absent bad health, I think it only gets better from here.

I mentioned a couple of times in the offseason that I liked the possibilities I saw with Larry (trey-Larrea), Sasser and Naji as a grouping off the bench.  We haven’t seen that as May has tried to keep one of Flagg or Kyrie has often stayed on with the bench guys.  Naji with Flagg has been good.  Naji with Kyrie has not been good.  The surprise has been how good Larry and Sasser are.  Naji has been overexposed because of injuries, but it doesn’t have to be that way when everyone is healthy. I think Larry/Sasser allows you to use Naji in a more secondary creator role instead of having to do too much.

Christie has been flat out bad.  I don’t think it will last (recall he was shooting 45% from three last season as late as early February).  He made a couple of critical baskets last night when SA went on a couple of mini-runs.  He’s not a lost cause and I suspect will find the correct role.  If he doesn’t, I can easily see him being moved to the bench for any number of players.

It is hard to know whether to be super encouraged or super concerned about Risacher.  He works hard and runs and disrupts and if he was super efficient offensively, he’d be quite the role player.  But, he’s not efficient.  But every now and then he makes offensive plays where you go - more please.  I hope the fan base and the coaches will give him runway.  It might even be a more than one year runway.  Who knows how long it takes, but it isn’t that he can’t do things you want him to do.  He just doesn’t do them consistently.

Morez has more athleticism than either of his Michigan teammates and really than almost anyone else in his draft class (other than Lawal).  But, he’s looks like more of a project than I was hoping.  He positively impacts the games thus far, but seems to be feeling his way through it.  Expectations are a funny thing.  The upside is huge for Morez, but as the 9th pick I can see people being a little disappointed.  I’m not as I think he’s special.  Meanwhile, the expectations for Larry are much lower and he’s jumping over that low bar easily so far.

Whether at the TDL or the summer, we need a consolidation trade.  The trick is figuring out whether we need a better version of PJ alongside Flagg or a better version of Max alongside Kyrie.  I’m pretty pleased with the bench guys like Sasser, Larry, Naji, Risacher and Morez.  Obviously Lively would make a huge difference on the defensive end with the starters if that ever happens, but it feels (like it always has) that something needs to happen among at either the Christie or the PJ position without giving up on any of the guys I mentioned as bench players.  

BTW, Lawal is really intriguing.  It will be interesting to look back on Morez/Larry/Lawal three years from now.

During the game, the sideline reporter said after the first game May and the coaching staff had a clear conversation with ZR on what his role on the court will be.    Something to that effect.  This was suppose to be one of May's strong points.   His way of communicating.   The last two games, ZR has been flying around.  I think his offense will be hit and miss and may be ugly at times.  Although, his energy, speed up and down the court and his defensive playmaking should help him stay on the court. edit: we will see if this is a trend but it certainly feels like ZR is not being asked to do much with the ball. He is being used off ball and as a cutter. That is probably the best role for him because the ball handling looks really messy now.

For a guy who said he wasn't sure why it didn't work out last year in ATL, I assume the communication was not great with him in ATL.   He probably had some entitlement after his rookie year too.  .  I hope May's clear communication with him will provide the best long term plan.    Giving him a lot of minutes will also certainly help.  He won't be a finished product right away, but I think they are giving him the right plan to reach his potential.    I fully expect a lot of rough moments though.   

Yeah, Max has been a little rough so far.  I don't expect him to shoot this poorly all year.  I also don't expect Sasser to shoot this good.    Max may be one of the guys who gets hurt the most without playing with a lot of creators.  

A question, is who loses minutes when Aldama is back and Lively plays (hopefully).  Morez is on a minutes restrictions, but things get really tight.   This is not even counting on Sergio making a jump and demanding minutes.     Kyrie missing games will help the guards but it is a crowded picture.

[Chicagojk]

i have said this before but it may happen sooner than expectant.  I really wonder if a Kyrie, Sergio, Cooper lineup would be our best.    Sergio doesn't need to dominate the ball, but at the same time can make decisions when Kyrie is trying to score.   He can be the middleman between Kyrie and Cooper to keep things moving while also keeping the floor spread.

[cow]

Christie has been flat out bad.  I don’t think it will last (recall he was shooting 45% from three last season as late as early February).  He made a couple of critical baskets last night when SA went on a couple of mini-runs.  He’s not a lost cause and I suspect will find the correct role.  If he doesn’t, I can easily see him being moved to the bench for any number of players.

His shot my start falling, but that isn't the whole story of his badness.  He just seems like a player that thinks he's better than he is and tries to do too much.  Some players can get away with that mindset, I just don't think Christie is one of them as he tries to assert himself at the worst times possible.  I'm the resident Christie hater so take that with a boulder of salt.

I think you are spot on about Rez and ZR.  ZR's shot look completely busted in game one and looked fine last night.  Maybe it's just a confidence thing?  Definitely need more data there, but I am warming up to him and as a bench piece that can guard most positions and give an energy boost.  He is the type of player I should love.

My gut is also starting to tell me that we'll be out of the Kyrie business by the TDL. I know everyone's said the right things in regard to him and I'm probably reading way too much into monitoring his minutes and preventing back-to-backs.

[dirkfansince1998]

i have said this before but it may happen sooner than expectant.  I really wonder if a Kyrie, Sergio, Cooper lineup would be our best.    Sergio doesn't need to dominate the ball, but at the same time can make decisions when Kyrie is trying to score.   He can be the middleman between Kyrie and Cooper to keep things moving while also keeping the floor spread.

Point of attack defense has been a big issue but considering that the Mavs don't have a single player that really qualifies for the role I don't see a reason not to at least try it. Christie certainly hasn't shown anything on defense that justifies starting him over Sergio or Sasser (who might be the best pure on ball defender but probably isn't a fit because Kyrie/Sasser lineups would give up too much size).

[DanSchwartzgan]

i have said this before but it may happen sooner than expectant.  I really wonder if a Kyrie, Sergio, Cooper lineup would be our best.    Sergio doesn't need to dominate the ball, but at the same time can make decisions when Kyrie is trying to score.   He can be the middleman between Kyrie and Cooper to keep things moving while also keeping the floor spread.

He has the three point shot that Naji and Risacher don’t have, but you have to be willing to be pretty bad defensively if you do that.  I’d like to see some of that trio in rotation before making. It a starting unit.

There will be a day (whether TDL or 3 years from now) where Kyrie isn’t a 6’2” SG and we’ll have a creator with size in that position between Flagg and Sergio.  If that guy can also play some D, then that feels like the time Sergio will be ready to jump into that spot.

[DanSchwartzgan]

His shot my start falling, but that isn't the whole story of his badness.  He just seems like a player that thinks he's better than he is and tries to do too much.  Some players can get away with that mindset, I just don't think Christie is one of them as he tries to assert himself at the worst times possible.  I'm the resident Christie hater so take that with a boulder of salt.

I think you are spot on about Rez and ZR.  ZR's shot look completely busted in game one and looked fine last night.  Maybe it's just a confidence thing?  Definitely need more data there, but I am warming up to him and as a bench piece that can guard most positions and give an energy boost.  He is the type of player I should love.

My gut is also starting to tell me that we'll be out of the Kyrie business by the TDL.  I know everyone's said the right things in regard to him and I'm probably reading way too much into monitoring his minutes and preventing back-to-backs.

Agree on your assessment of ZR.  The question is whether $17mm is the price for “bench piece that can guard most positions and give an energy boost”.

I mainly wanted to respond to the Max comment.  He was killing it last year in his limited role (hit corner 3’s and try hard on D).  I really don’t think it is him thinking he can do more than he can.  Kidd explicitly wanted him to experiment with doing more and it kind of ruined his percentages.  I think the new regime has encouraged more diversity to his game than the base model Christie.  So, I see what is happening as the team encouraging development on the fly and Christie not quite having the chops to do much more than what he was doing early last season.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Whether at the TDL or the summer, we need a consolidation trade.  The trick is figuring out whether we need a better version of PJ alongside Flagg or a better version of Max alongside Kyrie. 

I think we need the guard help.

We need a guy that can be the third playmaker on offense and be the POA defender on defense. 

We need a guy that can pass like Larry, shoot like Max, and defend like Caleb Martin.

[windjc]

[quote/]



My gut is also starting to tell me that we'll be out of the Kyrie business by the TDL.  I know everyone's said the right things in regard to him and I'm probably reading way too much into monitoring his minutes and preventing back-to-backs.
[/quote]

Weird take. The dude is coming off season ending surgery and May thinks this team is a playoff team. He is the anti-Nico. Pace yourself and allow everyone minutes to see what the best team will be half way through the season. I can guarantee you Kyrie won’t be on a restriction during the playoffs.

[windjc]

I think we need the guard help.

We need a guy that can be the third playmaker on offense and be the POA defender on defense. 

We need a guy that can pass like Larry, shoot like Max, and defend like Caleb Martin.

So we need another top-tier all star. Gotcha.