Game 38: Memphis Grizzlies (13-23) vs Dallas Mavericks (22-15)

[Mavs2021]

Holmes was bad in the three minutes he played, but so were Morris and Williams. 

Question is why B. Williams as a PG was on the active roster instead of Omax and/or Brown?

16 minutes combined for Holmes/Williams/Morris.

Here is their COMBINED statline:

0/2/1/0/0 -22, Grant Williams contributing a nice -20.

Two rebounds in 16 minutes.

20 of the already pathetic 33 team rebounds were contributed by the guards. The forward/centers grabbed 13 rebounds in 74 minutes. Unacceptable, but also not enough minutes with size.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

I've been watching the NBA for about 35 years. I completely understand that every season has several "you just don't have it today" games.

But I'm not sure that's what's going on with these Mavs. These games seem to happen too often.

I have no evidence for this, it's just a guess. But I wonder if there is a maturity thing going on, which Luka is a big part of, where underestimating a particular opponent starts the night or days before. They see Memphis with no Ja on the schedule and just flat out don't take the process seriously.

I know at least a couple of these games have happened in party cities. I remember in New Orleans; Luka couldn't even stay on his feet during the game. He just dribbled the ball up and fell down over and over again. Luka scored in this game, but his team sure didn't have much interest in the game.

I said the same thing. I believe they saw this game as a automatic win when they saw that Ja and JJJ were out.  Rule number 1,  don't underestimate the competition no matter what their record says they are. Luka played out of sorts to me. Cranking up bad shots and he still looks like his conditioning isn't right.  He played like he couldn't wait until the game was over.  They better get it together because the red hot Knicks come to town next.

[fifteenth]

Luka has really improved his maturity this year it has seemed. Less crying to the refs. More holding himself accountable on defense. Better shooting and shot selection. Faster pace…….this feels like it will work itself out...

Good points. I tend to agree. The maturity curve seems to be pointing up and to the right.

Next item on the to-do list: Stop partying too much on the night before "easy" games.

[SleepingHero]

ouch

https://twitter.com/DrewHill_DM/status/1...9375873390

Desmond Bane hopes the Mavericks have regrets.

“They were supposed to take me,” Bane said. “You know that. The PA guy came up and apologized. He said he thinks about it every day.

“That’s exactly what I want them to be thinking about.”

It's funny. He literally says this every single time we play against him. At some point it's pretty sad to keep harping on a draft miscue when 29 other teams passed on him too. 

My only response to Bane is enjoy the playoffs this year from your couch.

[SleepingHero]

I said the same thing. I believe they saw this game as a automatic win when they saw that Ja and JJJ were out.  Rule number 1,  don't underestimate the competition no matter what their record says they are. Luka played out of sorts to me. Cranking up bad shots and he still looks like his conditioning isn't right.  He played like he couldn't wait until the game was over.  They better get it together because the red hot Knicks come to town next.

Luka gets a pass for this one given that Biyombo literally elbow dropped into his knee and from then on he didn't look right. Couple that with his lingering quad issue that is preventing him from running and a sore right ankle that is preventing him from planting, I'm not surprised he labored out there. 

What I am disappointed in, is that basically everyone besides Kyrie looked disinterested. Kidd kept thinking Grant Williams at center would work. I don't understand. 

I am pretty ready to pull the plug on Grant.  After a supposed rumor from a Mavs training staff member that Grant is out of shape cause he's never played this many minutes, the dude is unserious.

[Scott41theMavs]

It's funny. He literally says this every single time we play against him. At some point it's pretty sad to keep harping on a draft miscue when 29 other teams passed on him too. 

My only response to Bane is enjoy the playoffs this year from your couch.

Wasn't he local? That probably exacerbated his butthurt quite a bit.

[SleepingHero]

Wasn't he local? That probably exacerbated his butthurt quite a bit.

He was. The 2020 draft was a colossal F up and one last gift from Donnie before he got the boot. 

Still, Bane only seems to say this garbage whenever the Grizzlies win, so he's a pansy.

[fifteenth]

Wasn't he local? That probably exacerbated his butthurt quite a bit.

Yeah, he played at TCU

[fifteenth]

...basically everyone besides Kyrie looked disinterested...

This is what I was getting at. But I was thinking unprepared. And if the entire team looks like that, which they have several times, then I think it's on the coach and the team leaders. 

I don't think being mentally right for each game is easy. But successful teams figure out, I think.

[KillerLeft]

The 2020 draft was a colossal F up and one last gift from Donnie before he got the boot. 

That was the draft during which Donnie stormed out in anger, leaving Haralabob to make all the picks.

[Chicagojk]

That was the draft during which Donnie stormed out in anger, leaving Haralabob to make all the picks.

Yeah, I put this on Cuban.  What a mess that draft was...and who knows how much further going back.   How could a organization be so incompetent.   Not knowing who was going to make the pick the day of the draft and then Donnie walking out during the draft?  

2020 was such a weird year for evaluating prospects.  The tourney was cancelled.  I would love to know how many games Bob V saw in person.   I guess that # would be very low.    Donnie would have drafted Bey.  There are two future all stars picked after both and at least one guy that every team is looking for (McDaniels).  But don't worry guys, now Mark can focus all his attention on basketball matters

---

https://x.com/Mavs_FFL/status/1745086871464468752?s=20

Wow that does not look good.

Something about losing minutes to Dwight Powell just absolutely drives centers that arrive in Dallas crazy

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

He was. The 2020 draft was a colossal F up and one last gift from Donnie before he got the boot. 

Donnie wasn’t even in the room when the picks were made. Voulgaris was making the picks.

Edit: should’ve kept reading

[SleepingHero]

That was the draft during which Donnie stormed out in anger, leaving Haralabob to make all the picks.

Yeah, I put this on Cuban.  What a mess that draft was...and who knows how much further going back.   How could a organization be so incompetent.   Not knowing who was going to make the pick the day of the draft and then Donnie walking out during the draft?  

2020 was such a weird year for evaluating prospects.  The tourney was cancelled.  I would love to know how many games Bob V saw in person.   I guess that # would be very low.    Donnie would have drafted Bey.  There are two future all stars picked after both and at least one guy that every team is looking for (McDaniels).  But don't worry guys, now Mark can focus all his attention on basketball matters

Donnie wasn’t even in the room when the picks were made. Voulgaris was making the picks.

Edit: should’ve kept reading

I blame Donnie because it's literally his job to make the picks as a GM. He stormed out in anger and screwed the franchise over yet again because of his incompetence.

I actually don't mind Harlabob picking Josh. It wasn't a good pick, but it wasn't a waste. Now the Tyrell Terry one? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF

[SkenfromLMF]

He was. The 2020 draft was a colossal F up and one last gift from Donnie before he got the boot. 

Still, Bane only seems to say this garbage whenever the Grizzlies win, so he's a pansy.

Nope... Donnie had gotten the boot already, but the memo had not arrived. The 2020 draft is squarely on Cuban because of the noise in the room and the way the voices were prioritized.

I blame Donnie because it's literally his job to make the picks as a GM. He stormed out in anger and screwed the franchise over yet again because of his incompetence.

I actually don't mind Harlabob picking Josh. It wasn't a good pick, but it wasn't a waste. Now the Tyrell Terry one? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF

The problem is that this exact scenario had gone down 15 years earlier with Nellie. Nellie was GM but was not given the reigns to the '05 draft when we selected Devin Harris. Donnie made that pick and that was when the memo got to Nellie he was no longer in charge, and Nellie's last words were "don't pick Podkolzine #5".

[SleepingHero]

Nope... Donnie had gotten the boot already, but the memo had not arrived. The 2020 draft is squarely on Cuban because of the noise in the room and the way the voices were prioritized.

The draft is on Cuban. It's also on Donnie for not doing his job. 2 things can be true at once.

[SkenfromLMF]

The draft is on Cuban. It's also on Donnie for not doing his job. 2 things can be true at once.

Cuban has a much larger record of interference than 1 night. There were already frayed ends over the Giannis draft and the '05 relegation of Nellie was repeating itself. Donnie saw what he saw and Green over Desmond Bane was the sign that he had come to his dad's fate. It wasn't just Donnie not doing his job, it was the scouts who also felt snubbed by gamblin-bob.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

Was Bane in the same draft class as Josh Green? If so, I can see him being salty about not being picked by Dallas.

[Chicagojk]

Was Bane in the same draft class as Josh Green? If so, I can see him being salty about not being picked by Dallas.

Yes, he also played college in Ft Worth.   At the time, he should have been in conversation with our pick, but I think most here were looking at other options.  I really liked watching his highlights and was unfamilar with him prior to that.   I did not have him on the top of my wish list at the time.  I remember I was a little bummed when he was picked right before our second round pick, but I really like Terry too (I bought too much into the draft hype on him).

One positive for me is my #1 choose for our pick was Maxey.   Second was Precious.   1 for 2 is not too bad.

[ItsGoTime]

I’m having a hard time defending GWill myself. In a game where physicality is needed, that’s where I thought he would be best. Turns out he wasn’t ready or in shape to play this year and apparently it takes more than 3 months while playing 34 games to get up to snuff. Sad.

[Chicagojk]

I’m having a hard time defending GWill myself. In a game where physicality is needed, that’s where I thought he would be best. Turns out he wasn’t ready or in shape to play this year and apparently it takes more than 3 months while playing 34 games to get up to snuff. Sad.

I don't buy the not in shape stuff, but maybe I am wrong.  I think he has lost confidence and right now looks hobbled since injuring his ankle.  Putting him as center with no size isn't doing him any favors either.

He is better than he has played recently.  I think though it is becoming apparent he isn't best suited to be a starter on a contender.   I would take a guy who provides toughness and plays really good help D and solid on ball D.   Unfortunately his defensive breakdowns have been one of the glaring problems so far this year.