Southwest Division 2022-23
Mavericks? Congratulations.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
2021-22: 52-30, 15th in offense, sixth in defense, fourth in West, lost 1-4 to Warriors in Western finals
Gains: Christian Wood (trade), JaVale McGee (three years, $20 million), Jalen Hardy (trade, No. 37 pick).
Losses: Sterling Brown (trade, Houston), Marquese Chriss, Boban Marjanovic (trade, Houston), Trey Burke (trade, Houston), Jalen Brunson (Knicks).
LINEUP
C: JaVale McGee — 81 blocks this season (he had 81 in 2021-22) and JaVale ties Greg Ostertag for 54th on the all-time list. Dirk Nowitzki is 55th.
F: Dorian Finney-Smith — irreplaceable in the Mavericks’ schemes, whatever those are.
F: Reggie Bullock — 40 turnovers in 1902 minutes but dipped to 36 percent from deep.
G: Spencer Dinwiddie — should be perfect this season, Luka doesn’t mind the help.
PG: Luka Dončić — first in usage the last two seasons, second in 2020, the Mavericks needed every bit of it.
Maybe a press conference isn’t the best place to tell Christian Wood he isn’t starting but ex-NBA players-turned-coaches are the worst at remembering how NBA players like to be treated … Theo Pinson, I don’t get it, but someone does … Jaden Hardy wasn’t great in the NBA’s minor league but he’s a blue chip prospect worth risking a contract on.
Then again, Marko Simonovic was out there for a lot of that, so.
Three years and $33 million to pay Maxi Kleber until he’s 33, meanwhile schoolteachers are terrible at dunking … I want Frank Ntilikina to enjoy a ten-year NBA career without shooting 40 percent from the field once.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has an awful lot of pressure on him for a 30-year old streak scorer coming off a severe foot fracture … The excitable Josh Green shot 51 percent last season but otherwise the 22-year old remains a work in progress … With Luka lobbing to JaVale, Wood and Dwight Powell, I wouldn’t want to be around the front of Dallas’ rim.
Brad Davis would be so good on the Mavericks right now:
