2024 Playoffs - 1st Round: Los Angeles Clippers - Dallas Mavericks

[SleepingHero]

Brad Townsend (@townbrad)
After landing in LA, Mavs will be hosted for dinner at Markieff Morris’ restaurant. Not sure if twin Marcus is part-owner, but safe to say Luka Doncic and the Morris family have come a long way since that Bubble playoff series.

[SleepingHero]

HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day)
BREAKING: “I’ve been told that he (Kawhi) won’t be able to play in Game 1. They’re going to try for Tuesday, but they don’t think he would be able to guard Luka Doncic, at this point” -@RealSkipBayless


So do we trust Skip Bayless?

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/noahweber00/status/1...4782734573

Luka and Kyrie have a 3pt shooting competition. Pretty entertaining video

[fifteenth]

So do we trust Skip Bayless?

No Way, pal!! He's the slimy, fraudulent, TV preacher of sports. If he is telling the truth on this one it was for selfish motives, not because it's true. I mean, it could be true. But the fact that Skip said it offers no hint as to whether it is or not.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Skip probably knows

[Winter]

I'm sure Skip probably knows a guy whose son is really good friends with one of the ball boys.... who is besties with a guy that works with the Clippers medical staff. Skip Bayless can pretty much say anything he wants because there's no real penalty to being wrong.

Other than his reputation, which can't get much lower in this city.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The biggest official bookie in the world already has the Mavs as 3rd favs and the odds for the Clippers series keep swinging in the Mavs favour, which to me suggests Leonard won´t play in game 1. Lots of extra days until game 2. I can´t wait for game 1. Only once in his career have we seen Luka be on a legitimiate top team. When he won literally everything there is to win with Real Madrid by age 18. I feel this is the 2nd best team he´s ever played on.

I mean look at this player for player

Luka = Luka
Irving = Brunson
DJJ = Bullock
Washington = DFS
Gafford = Powell

Exum = Dinwiddie
THJ = Burke
Green = Ntilikina
Kleber = Kleber
Lively = Bertans

The only thing that scares me is the reliable 3rd scorer. If we had one, I´d back us to go all the f`n way. 

My ears pricked, when I heard  Simons say he´s tired of losing. I have no idea how highly the Blazers rate him, especially in combination with Sharpe and Scoot, but I´d throw THJ + unprotected 1st round pick + Hardy at them and see if they blink. Perfect fit. Flamethrower. 24 years old.

Debatable about Kyrie over Brunson, especially this year. Both are brilliant players. I'd say it's a wash. If they would have resigned Brunson, Kyrie wouldn't be here.

[Mavs2021]

Debatable about Kyrie over Brunson, especially this year. Both are brilliant players. I'd say it's a wash. If they would have resigned Brunson, Kyrie wouldn't be here.

I´m comparing the WCF roster to our current roster.

[Knutsen]

Wow. So what you’re saying is that people are nuanced, a combination of good traits and bad, a mixture of good actions and bad.

Not just the two categories of “good person” and “bad person”.

Wow. Mind blown.

Not sure where your post is aiming at… In this bipolar world you never know.

Seriously, I was thinking of elaborating further, but had to focus on my job again: I was wondering if being some kind of weirdo with strong opinions and beliefs and values enables a guy like Kyrie to be a better leader, because his faith and confidence is stronger and more real and reliable than a neutral, not so strong-willed and therefore maybe not so caring person ever could be.

[Mavs2021]

HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day)
BREAKING: “I’ve been told that he (Kawhi) won’t be able to play in Game 1. They’re going to try for Tuesday, but they don’t think he would be able to guard Luka Doncic, at this point” -@RealSkipBayless


So do we trust Skip Bayless?

The man says we will win the title, so obviously we trust Skip.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I´m comparing the WCF roster to our current roster.

Oh, I concur then.

[fifteenth]

The man says we will win the title, so obviously we trust Skip.

I think if Skip says the Mavs are winning the title it's only because he thinks that angle is going to keep him in the public conversation, score points with some sports show consumers, rile up some other sports show consumers, all to serve the goal of getting "fame" and money for himself. 

As soon as it serves Skip's real goals to criticize Luka, that's what he'll do. And it has nothing to do with whether or not Luka is doing good things on the basketball court.  

I was about to say that Skip is a Trump level fraud, but that goes too far.

[ballsrchr]

I was about to say that Skip is a Trump level fraud, but that goes too far.

For Skip...or Trump?

[SleepingHero]

@LAClippersFilm
"I'm not expecting him to play game 1 anymore" - Law Murray

"I think he'll be ready game 2. Or he'll push really hard for game 2"

A more respectable source regarding Kawhi... I refuse to believe Skip Bayless broke news.

[MaxiThreeba]

I’m so sick of listening/watching previews of this series. I’m so sick of hearing about the Kawhi will he/wont he. I’m so sick of the MVP talk which just devolves into media trying to discredit Luka’s season for no reason or Mavs twitter trying to discredit Jokic/SGA.

Luka is Pravi MVP regardless of what legacy media says.

I’m ready to see this version of the Mavs take on whatever version of the Clippers. I believe in this team. I believe Luka is Pravi MVP. I believe Kyrie is the most overlooked player on the NBA. I believe PJ/DJJ/Maxi will hit enough open 3’s while continuing to provide a defensive level no one outside of Mavs Nation really appreciates/understands. I believe Kidd won’t cowtow to small ball because Gafford and Lively are that good and can make it work regardless of what the opponent throws out. I believe THJ, as maligned as he is and as frustrating as he can be, will be the X Factor for multiple Mavs wins this postseason. I believe Dante’s inferno is real. I believe Josh Green will have a moment or two that after all is said and done we look back and say wow that was just what we needed.

Let’s get to Sunday and enjoy this ride.

[Smitty]

If no KL I think the Clips start Coffey in his place to keep size in the starting lineup.

G- Harden 6’5 | DJJ 6’6
G- Mann 6’5 | Kyrie 6’2
F- Coffey 6’7 | Luka 6’7
F- George 6’8 | PJW 6’7
C- Zubac 7’0 | Gafford 6’10

For the Mavs the defensive assignments work out well imo.

DJJ and Exum cover the defensive assignments for Harden and Westbrook.
PJW and Maxi get the Paul George assignment.

[SleepingHero]

If no KL I think the Clips start Coffey in his place to keep size in the starting lineup.

G- Harden 6’5 | DJJ 6’6
G- Mann 6’5  | Kyrie 6’2
F- Coffey 6’7  | Luka 6’7
F- George 6’8  | PJW 6’7
C- Zubac 7’0  | Gafford 6’10

For the Mavs the defensive assignments work out well imo.

DJJ and Exum cover the defensive assignments for Harden and Westbrook.
PJW and Maxi get the Paul George assignment.

Its so refreshing to type out more than 2 guys (not named DFS/Maxi) to guard wings.

DJJ, PJ, Maxi, Exum have some big jobs to do. Lets hope they're up to it.

[SleepingHero]

@wojespn
Increasing doubt about Kawhi Leonard’s availability for start of Clippers’ playoff series vs. Mavericks on Sunday.

@NotoriousOHM
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard has been shooting and will shoot more today with the team. He has not gone through contact yet.

[SleepingHero]

Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth)
The Dallas Mavericks will list Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) as questionable for Game 1 against the LA Clippers.

Hardaway is joining the team in Los Angeles but wasn’t at practice due to his flight being delayed from Dallas.

Nobody else is expected to be on the Dallas Mavericks’ injury report for Game 1.

[SleepingHero]

Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit)
My flight to LA just got delayed because it was struck by lightning but guess who else is on my flight