MAVS NEWS: Luka Wins Community Cares Award! | DLive's Mom Passes Away

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/Coopz___/status/1780789908044423566

PJ was in the gym late last night working on his 3s. Posted by his wife to instagram.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

I'm calling it here first: Lebron will be a Mav next season. I this move will have Nico's fingerprints all over it. I think Lebron wants his last seasons to play out exactly like he wants:
-- On a contender
-- Playing with friends (Kyrie and others)
-- And, of course, with his son.

To do this, I think he opts out and signs for the MLE.
Bronny will have to be WAAAAY OVERDRAFTED. The Mavs will have to use their three available 2nds to move up to the top of the 2nd round and get him. GROSS!!

Look, I'm not sure how I feel about this. For much of his career, especially post- The Decision I've HATED him. . BUT, he would make this team unbeatable as a third star.

I think the Mavs move THJ, Hardy and Green and open spots for Lebron jock sniffers and ring chasers.

Luka
Kyrie
PJ
Lebron
Gafford

Exum
Ring chaser
Ring chaser
Maxi
Lively

Warm body
Warm body
Warm body
Bronny waiving a towel

[fifteenth]

I'm calling it here first: Lebron will be a Mav next season.  I this move will have Nico's fingerprints all over it.  I think Lebron wants his last seasons to play out exactly like he wants:
-- On a contender
-- Playing with friends (Kyrie and others)
-- And, of course, with his son.

To do this, I think he opts out and signs for the MLE. 
Bronny will have to be WAAAAY OVERDRAFTED. The Mavs will have to use their three available 2nds to move up to the top of the 2nd round and get him. GROSS!!

Look, I'm not sure how I feel about this. For much of his career, especially post- The Decision I've HATED him. . BUT, he would make this team unbeatable as a third star.

I think the Mavs move THJ, Hardy and Green and open spots for Lebron jock sniffers and ring chasers.

Luka
Kyrie
PJ
Lebron
Gafford

Exum
Ring chaser
Ring chaser
Maxi
Lively

Warm body
Warm body
Warm body
Bronny waiving a towel

  

Can't figure out what to think about that

[RGP1981]

I'm calling it here first: Lebron will be a Mav next season.

Yuck. Do not want. Well, unless he's coming on a muchly reduced salary to be Luka's backup at Point-Forward.

Wouldn't it be better for Lebron to try and take over Julius Randle's starting PF spot on the Knicks? That might be a better fit for him.

- Brunson, Donte/Hart, Anunoby, Lebron, Hartenstein/Robinson.

[The Jom]

Jom!!! I'm a big fan of your work. Please don't feel beat up. Arguing about basketball is just what we do. You and I are on the same page on many things, so don't take offense if I pick one item where I think you're crazy.   

Regarding your post, are you saying that Zubac is almost Jokic? All he needs is this one small little thing.... not being played off the floor? Let me beat you up about this in a friendly, loving sort of way. 

COME ON JOM, DUDE, ARE YOU CRAZY!!! 

Oops, sorry. I got carried away. 

I'd say that the only thing Jokic and Zubac have in common is that they are both big. Zubac is a starting level center. Jokic is a world class basketball player who can do everything there is to do on a basketball court (except run fast) and who happens to also be a very large human. 

Also, I offered a non-advanced stats argument for Jokic up above somewhere. 

Anyway. I've never thought or typed this much about Jokic before. Down with Denver! Go Mavs!  

And keep up the good posting work, pal. 

-A Jom Fan

You are a funny dude and fun internet friend. I’m cool with getting beat up. Here’s some more fodder: Jokic will not look like an MVP in the playoffs.

[surfpuckmd]

I think that putting SGA over Doncic in the MVP ranking this season is somewhat like putting Embiid over Jokic in the MVP ranking last season. Is it because some people don't want to see 2 players of original European descent being the Top 2 players in the NBA? 

The talking heads are trying to paint a crazy narrative by saying things like, "SGA has taken a bunch of no-names to the 1st seed". SGA has had a Top 5 in the league type of season... but a bunch of no-names... say what? Chet has been amazing and played in 82 games. Jalen Green has played amazing as well. Then there's Giddey, Dort, Wallace, Isaiah Joe who have all made meaningful contributions.

If we switched SGA and Doncic on their teams this season, I think Luka's Thunder would have a similar record to the Celtics, while SGA's Mavericks would be in the play-in. Especially with Kyrie missing 22 of the first 50 games, having Grant Williams as starting PF, Kleber being out for so long, Dwight Powell still getting burn at Center, etc, lol.

They also point to SGA's 50x 30-point games... well, Luka also had 50x 30-point games... but Luka had 7 more 40-point games, including 2x 50-point games and that 70-pointer against ATL... and did that while averaging almost 4 more assists per game, lol.

Then there's the stats...

PTS/G: Luka 33.9, SGA 30.1
AST/G: Luka 9.8, SGA 6.2
TRB/G: Luka 9.2, SGA 5.5
eFG%: Luka .573, SGA .567
PER: Luka 28.1, SGA 29.3
WS/48: Luka 0.220, SGA 0.275
BPM: Luka 9.9, SGA 9.0
VORP: Luka  8.0, SGA 7.1

It's frustrating to see.

I'm a huge Luka fan and I think he's had an amazing season.  

Your statistics demonstrate that Luka has had a better season offensively.

However, that's only half the game.  SGA has become an elite defensive player.  His DPM is among the top guards in the NBA.  Luka is at best an average defensive player.  

SGA has been better this season overall than Luka.

The MVP race this season should be:

1.  Jokic
2.  SGA
3.  Luka
4.  Giannis

After that, it's a long and mostly pointless debate.

[The Jom]

You asked not to get beat up in the same post you compared Jokic to Zubac.  Tough ask.

Funny and true.

[fifteenth]

You are a funny dude and fun internet friend. I’m cool with getting beat up. Here’s some more fodder: Jokic will not look like an MVP in the playoffs.

Here's my unrealistic hope: Jokic looks like an in the lab created monster spawned from the DNA of Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Wilt and Russel for three rounds of the 2024 NBA playoffs...

And then Luka and the Mavs roll in and make him look like Kwame Brown during a 4-game sweep (so they can get a little rest before facing Rick and the Pacers in the finals).

[fifteenth]

I'm a huge Luka and fan and I think he's had an amazing season.  

Your statistics demonstrate that Luka has had a better season offensively.

However, that's only half the game.  SGA has become an elite defensive player.  His DPM is among the top guards in the NBA.  Luka is at best an average defensive player.  

SGA has been better this season overall than Luka.

The MVP race this season should be:

1.  Jokic
2.  SGA
3.  Luka
4.  Giannis

After that, it's a long and mostly pointless debate.

PLEASE SEND THIS TO LUKA BEFORE THE MAVS SERIES WITH OKC STARTS!!!

[fifteenth]

I'm a huge Luka and fan

[surfpuckmd]

That one probably calls for an edit.

[fifteenth]

That one probably calls for an edit.

Actually, I think we should make "I'm a huge Luka" a thing. I'm going to start saying that at work any time I just kill my task.

[Knutsen]

Looks like it's the usual suspects trying to "create" a "case" for SGA over Luka.

1st place vote given to SGA by: Stephen A Smith, Kendrick Perkins. LOL.


If Jokic won two in a row and they're sharing the wealth, then why not give it to Luka?

PTS/G: Luka 33.9, SGA 30.1
AST/G: Luka 9.8, SGA 6.2
TRB/G: Luka 9.2, SGA 5.5
eFG%: Luka .573, SGA .567
PER: Luka 28.1, SGA 29.3
WS/48: Luka 0.220, SGA 0.275
BPM: Luka 9.9, SGA 9.0
VORP: Luka  8.0, SGA 7.1

Another point to consider. Luka been carrying his team for years, despite being almost a year younger than SGA, while SGA's team been tanking to collect the talent that has helped them get to that 1st seed.

They did give it to another guy before he won three in a row - Embiid is the reigning MVP from last season. Then Jokic won his championship and now we‘ll win his third in four seasons.

[Knutsen]

I'm calling it here first: Lebron will be a Mav next season.  I this move will have Nico's fingerprints all over it.  I think Lebron wants his last seasons to play out exactly like he wants:
-- On a contender
-- Playing with friends (Kyrie and others)
-- And, of course, with his son.

To do this, I think he opts out and signs for the MLE. 
Bronny will have to be WAAAAY OVERDRAFTED. The Mavs will have to use their three available 2nds to move up to the top of the 2nd round and get him. GROSS!!

Look, I'm not sure how I feel about this. For much of his career, especially post- The Decision I've HATED him. . BUT, he would make this team unbeatable as a third star.

I think the Mavs move THJ, Hardy and Green and open spots for Lebron jock sniffers and ring chasers.

Luka
Kyrie
PJ
Lebron
Gafford

Exum
Ring chaser
Ring chaser
Maxi
Lively

Warm body
Warm body
Warm body
Bronny waiving a towel

Don‘t know about the twist with Bronny, but I wrote a couple of days ago that the LeBron of this season would be perfect for the Mavs of this season - sharp shooting, physical, able to excel in a great defensive system and still a great passer and rebounder. 

What needs to happen is the Lakers getting completely hammered by the Nuggets and us playing a good postseason.

[surfpuckmd]

Actually, I think we should make "I'm a huge Luka" a thing. I'm going to start saying that at work any time I just kill my task.

It could definitely refer to that.

It could also refer to someone at work who outperforms everyone else but also complains more than everyone else.  Regardless, I'm glad we have Luka and I'd be Ok working with a few big Lukas personally.  In fact, I hope to someday become a big Luka.

[The Jom]

Luka was a huge Luka early last season.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/All_Things_Mavs/stat...5186139236

Lively and Tyson going at it in practice. Lively is looking ok.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Here's my unrealistic hope: Jokic looks like an in the lab created monster spawned from the DNA of Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Wilt and Russel for three rounds of the 2024 NBA playoffs...

And then Luka and the Mavs roll in and make him look like Kwame Brown during a 4-game sweep (so they can get a little rest before facing Rick and the Pacers in the finals).

The Pacers? You're hilarious!

[Scott41theMavs]

https://twitter.com/All_Things_Mavs/stat...5186139236

Lively and Tyson going at it in practice. Lively is looking ok.

Tyson has been way better to the Mavs than we were to him. Should have been a Mav the rest of his career after the championship. Give that man a $20M bonus.

[Chicagojk]

Chandler deserves a lot of props, but I don't think he is the only one. The Mavs new assistant this year also has a lot of experience working with bigs. I think Kidd deserves credit too. In addition, having a teammate like Powell is also very valuable. Lastly, Luka may be the biggest reason for Lively. Lively just needs to do certain things right and he could fall into 8-10 points a game. It is harder than I making it seem (See WCS and McGee), but if you are mature beyond your years and have a good b-ball IQ, Luka can make your life really easy.