Mavs have beat a couple of teams short handed and then had one blowout against a good team. Mavs are just one team of many, but I would curious if anyone in the media would bring up Maxi when talking about the Mavs. I hope he can stay healthy. I thought he might be done, but the way how he has played recently is really impressive. This offseason Zach Lowe when talking about who the Mavs third best player was, brought up Maxi as one of the guys. I thought that was strange and didn't see it. With the way he is playing lately is proving that may have some truth in it.
https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/175...0637072607
Iztok article.
https://www.dmagazine.com/sports/2024/02...n-thunder/
The Mavericks roster being what it was before the trade, Washington and Gafford will do plenty just by soaking up minutes that had previously gone to smaller and defensively flawed players like Powell, Hardaway, Jaden Hardy, and Seth Curry. A suggestion: reduce Hardaway’s workload—he averaged 30 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons—by giving some of it to Washington, an equally efficient scorer but bigger and much better defender. For that matter, cut down (or eliminate entirely) the small three- and four-guard combinations featuring Irving, Hardaway, Hardy, Doncic, and Green.
Another knock-on effect is Dallas now has the luxury to be conservative with Kleber’s minutes and preserve the tear on his body for the playoffs. Since returning from injury, the 32-year-old looks as spry as he has in a while, and pairing him with Washington gives Dallas a duo of versatile big men who can stretch the floor. In the past, the Mavs have favored that sort of lineup configuration during crucial moments in close games and playoff matchups. Will they again with Lively and Gafford in the fold? Probably not as much, but the personnel is there to do so if need be.
https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/175...0637072607
Iztok article.
https://www.dmagazine.com/sports/2024/02...n-thunder/
The Mavericks roster being what it was before the trade, Washington and Gafford will do plenty just by soaking up minutes that had previously gone to smaller and defensively flawed players like Powell, Hardaway, Jaden Hardy, and Seth Curry. A suggestion: reduce Hardaway’s workload—he averaged 30 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons—by giving some of it to Washington, an equally efficient scorer but bigger and much better defender. For that matter, cut down (or eliminate entirely) the small three- and four-guard combinations featuring Irving, Hardaway, Hardy, Doncic, and Green.
Another knock-on effect is Dallas now has the luxury to be conservative with Kleber’s minutes and preserve the tear on his body for the playoffs. Since returning from injury, the 32-year-old looks as spry as he has in a while, and pairing him with Washington gives Dallas a duo of versatile big men who can stretch the floor. In the past, the Mavs have favored that sort of lineup configuration during crucial moments in close games and playoff matchups. Will they again with Lively and Gafford in the fold? Probably not as much, but the personnel is there to do so if need be.
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