Mavericks
Stomp
Thunder
146-111
And Dissapointing Buyout Decisions
MAVS vs. Thunder
Boy was this a fun one. The Mavericks absolutely show out coming back home for a road trip, bringing the business to OKC. This by far was the most excited i've ever been watching a Mavs game, since the Game 7 win in Phoenix. Absolute masterclass offensively by Luka, Kyrie and Gafford, but more importantly a clinic on defense. Let's get into it.
The new guys showed OUT. Daniel Gafford set the tone checking in with 5 minutes and some change left in the 1st quarter, immediately receiving a lob and a jam from luka, and in the next possession getting another that arguably should have been an And-1. PJ washington had a slow start, with a few turnovers, but fought hard on the boards and proved he wasn't scared to attack the basket, with 5 out of his 6 baskets coming at the rim. Maxi Kleber also had a productive outing as the starting center, with a 12-12 double double. Needless to say the whole team ate.
Let's talk about Luka. This guy is on a whole nother level. His efficiency and prowice on the offensive end today was the reason the Mavs got off to a hot start scoring a franchise record 47 points in the first quarter. Not only that but this guy played incredible defense today. He forced quite a few turnovers and was getting in the driving lanes, using his hands and playing great help defense without giving up any open 3s.
Daniel Gafford is a monster. In his Mavericks Debut, he had 19 points, 9 rebounds (4 OREBS) and a block. Daniel Gafford in this afternoon became the second highest scoring Maverick in his debut coming off the bench, behind Christian Wood with 25.
If the Mavericks continue this pace it can get scary for the league. When 2 incredible defenders in Dereck Lively and Dante Exum return, this can become one of the best teams in the West, let alone the NBA. An incredible game to say the least, and MAVS ROLL!!!
2/8/2024
Notable Box Scores:
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Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic- 32 PTS, 8 RBS, 9 ASST , 64.3% FG, 50% 3PT
Kyrie Irving- 25 PTS, 6 RBS, 8 AST, 57.9% FG
Daniel Gafford (Debut)- 19 PTS, 9 RBS, 1 BLK, 4 OREBS
PJ Washington (debut)- 14 PTS, 5 RBS, 1 AST, 60% FG
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander- 25 PTS, 6 RBS, 5 AST, 56.3%, -31
Cason Wallace- 15PTS, 2 RBS
Josh Giddey- 11 PTS, 3 RBS, 3 AST, 21.4%
OKC struggles against Mavs
The thunder have a tough afternoon on the boards, losing 54-40 in the rebound department, and shoot horrendously bad from the floor with a 38.8% shot chart. The most stunning stat from this game is the bone crushing defeat in fastbreak points vs. the Mavs. The Mavs won 33-2, yes you read that correctly, 33-2 in fastbreak points. That is not good letting up 33 fastbreak points to one of the historically bad fastbreak teams in the league.
This was the first leg of a back to back, with the Sacramento Kings being their next opponent tomorrow at 2PM.
New Financial Outlook with new roster spots
With the new additions of PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford and the subtractions of Richaun Holmes, Grant Williams and Seth Curry, the Mavs money sheet looks a little different than a few days ago.
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What I like to see first and foremost is that PJ and DG are both on solid contracts. Daniel Gafford has a multi-year, 16 million dollar declining contract, while PJ has another multi-year, 14 million dollar accruing contract. The reason I like that we went and traded for these two guys was longevity. Nico made a great decision to move some short-term contracts in place of some quality players who wouldn't walk in free agency the next year.
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Another positive outcome of this trade is the removal of the Grant Williams contract. To be frank, we weren't getting what we paid for him, for sure. With him being on a 4-year, $14 million-dollar contract while being a bag shooter and a bad locker room guy, it was inevitable to move on.
Spencer Dinwiddie Choses Pelinka
Breaking news this morning: Spencer Dinwiddie plans to sign with the LA Lakers for the remainder of the 2024 season. He was seen sitting at the LA Lakers game vs. Denver with Rob Pelinka, Lakers Exec. Huge loss for the Mavericks. Spencer would have been a huge addition to the bench depth for guards, as well as another member of the roster that had been on that 2021 Western Conference Championship run.
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What is confusing me about his decision is that we could have offered Spence 4 million over what LA could have. Lakers maximum pro-rated offer for Spence was 1.5 million. The Mavs could have offered 5.4 million pro-rated, a contract that we for sure wouldn't have exercised 100% of, but still more than the Lakers offer. Also, what kind of plating time is Spencer going to get on that Lakers roster? Will Austin Reaves get his minutes cut, or will it be Max Christie? Anyways, I think it will be interesting to see what Spence's role is on the Lakers, and we would have loved to have him, but we still wish him well.
Highlight of the Game
RECAP
Absolutely huge game for the Mavericks to win with 2 bad opponents in the next 4 days playing the Wizards and San Antonio on Monday and Wednesday respectively. Dereck Lively should be back in the lineup against washington, and this time his center rival is on his own team. The Mavs have the potential to make it 6 strait wins going into the ALL-Star break. Lets keep it rolling.