Preseason Game 4: Mavs vs. Hawks | 7:00pm CST

[KillerLeft]

It is a good point.  The beauty may be how they  learn and adapt this year.  May  is brand new to the league. The nba is a whole new game.  May probably isn’t used to a backup center coming in and hitting 4 threes.  It is going to take time.

Just by my quick view.  Cooper and Kyrie need to work really hard for their points.  It was clear seeing how easy atl got their points.  I think another creator and better shooting is needed.  I think Max and Zach work best if cooper is at the 4 with another guard plus Kyrie. The roster is not set up for that currently though.

I'm mostly in line with this, but to me it's not just another creator that's needed, it's the main creator that's missing. 

This team is going to lose a ton of games - if it were me, I'd want to lose with De Larrea playing a much bigger role than I fear he's about to. He'd be the starter for me, I think, and Kyrie would be right back into the role he played next to Luka, where we know he's a plus. Larry is big enough, like Luka, to guard bigger players, and Sasser seems to have enough to play a fairly big, consistent role off the bench. It's not that I'm sure De Larrea going to be able to handle it, it's that there isn't a better option, so if I'm going to lose anyway, I'd make it a point to find out what I've got. He'd play a ton of minutes and get a looooooooong leash.

From there, I'd probably go Risacher/Flagg/Johnson, but there are arguments for other permutations as well.

I don't expect any of this to happen, which for me is kind of a bummer.

[loki]

I'm mostly in line with this, but to me it's not just another creator that's needed, it's the main creator that's missing. 

This team is going to lose a ton of games - if it were me, I'd want to lose with De Larrea playing a much bigger role than I fear he's about to. He'd be the starter for me, I think, and Kyrie would be right back into the role he played next to Luka, where we know he's a plus. Larry is big enough, like Luka, to guard bigger players, and Sasser seems to have enough to play a fairly big, consistent role off the bench. It's not that I'm sure De Larrea going to be able to handle it, it's that there isn't a better option, so if I'm going to lose anyway, I'd make it a point to find out what I've got. He'd play a ton of minutes and get a looooooooong leash.

From there, I'd probably go Risacher/Flagg/Johnson, but there are arguments for other permutations as well.

I don't expect any of this to happen, which for me is kind of a bummer.

I'm on board with that. I've been pretty checked out on the Mavs lately due to post-Naji extension depression, but from the little I've seen in pre-season I agree they're in for another rough year. 

My main hopes are for Coop to take a leap forward and for Kyrie to play at a high enough level that he gets moved for meaningful assets at the deadline. At that point I think the odds of seeing Larry, Risacher, and Johnson being given a longer leash will be pretty high.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Mavs are in a weird spot.

They dont have their draft pick next year so they can't tank this year.

But they're not good enough to be a good team.

[CooPerFan]

Mavs are in a weird spot. 

They dont have their draft pick next year so they can't tank this year.

But they're not good enough to be a good team.

NBA now has this new anti tanking rules

[Jym]

All I know is that Marshall extension is looking worse by the day.

[Jym]

NBA now has this new anti tanking rules

Depending on where we finish we should have between a 10 and 16% chance of moving into the Top 2 and keeping that pick

[windjc]

We are ahead of schedule and by ahead of schedule I mean with all the chicken littles. Hilarious.

[meistermatze]

My preseason takeaway: Optimistic about the offense, worried about the defense

A few observations after watching the preseason games:

The offense looked good enough to me. Obviously, this team needs some time to gel, but I'm actually pretty optimistic about our shot creation now. With Flagg and Kyrie, we have two guys who can create their own offense at a very high level and some nice role-players to glue it together. Spacing might still be an issue, but I think Christie could help solve some of that.

Honestly, Gafford looks pretty useless without someone like Luka feeding him lobs. We just don't have that kind of playmaker anymore. Maybe Larry can get him going eventually, but right now I don't really see the fit. I'd seriously consider trading him to a team like the Lakers (who don't need him anymore, because of Kessler), where he could actually thrive in that role. This team might give up some serious value. Hope is that Lievely can stay healthy or we adopt a palying style with a sort of undersized 5 like PJ, Santi or Morez.

That obviously means we'd need another center behind Lively. Maybe that's where Morrez comes in. He looks incredibly strong and definitely has some potential. He'll need time, but if he can develop a reliable three-point shot (which I'm not convinced of yet), he could become a really interesting piece.

Dellarrea actually looks like an NBA player to me. Going 7/11 from three in the preseason is very promising. His release isn't particularly quick, but his shooting form looks good. Add his passing, court vision and size, and there's definitely something to work with. I'm optimistic about him.

Sasser looked quick and springy, but didn't really show much beyond that. Then again, it's just one game, so we'll see.

Risacher is a bit of an enigma. He seems to start every game looking pretty terrible, only to get significantly better in the second half. I really like his cutting and rebounding on both ends, though. His shot looks consistent, too. As a fourth option offensively and a guy who does all the little things, I think he'll be perfectly fine. A good glue guy, and I'm happy with that acquisition. Of course he will never be a star in this league, but who cares.

Defense – WTF? This is where I'm genuinely concerned. I thought we have good defensive pieces, especially inside but man, our defense looked piss poor. I understand that there are chemistry issues and that it's only preseason, but right now I honestly don't see any defensive vision from Dusty May. Maybe he's just evaluating the roster and will start implementing things later. Fair enough. But man, we couldn't stop anybody.

The fouling was ridiculous. How many times did we foul three-point shooters? Why? Is that a coaching issue, or are guys just being stupid and lazy?

We're also giving up way too many open threes. Maybe that's by design because we want to clog the paint. I could understand that approach. But then we're not getting the defensive rebounds either. You can't give up open threes AND fail to secure the rebound when they miss. That just doesn't make sense as a defensive scheme.

I do like that we're trying to be aggressive, force turnovers and push the pace. I'm perfectly fine with occasionally giving up an easy basket if it means we can create more transition opportunities. That's where this team should thrive, especially with Flagg.

But overall, I don't really see a coherent defensive system yet. Maybe it's too early to expect one, but I definitely need to see some coaching improvements.

Cooper fucking Flagg. What a monster. He looked like the only guy out there who genuinely gave a shit at times. Rebounding like crazy, bringing energy on every possession, attacking relentlessly. He looks so much stronger and more dominant already. I'm expecting a massive leap this season.

Calling it now: 26 PPG, 8 RPG, 6 APG. All-Star and All-NBA. I genuinely think he can do it. The guy has everything. And if his three-point shot starts falling consistently, it's over. He doesn't even need to become an elite shooter. If he gets to something like 33%, that would already be a significant improvement over last season. Everything else is pretty much there. He's just an incredible player.

Kyrie: Not much to say here. Kyrie looks as good as ever. Having him and Flagg as our one-two punch is pretty damn exciting.

Overall

I'm actually optimistic about this team. I think the offense will figure itself out, we have some interesting young pieces, and Flagg looks ready to become a legitimate superstar. But the defense worries me. A lot, although I thought it would be the other way round.

I need to see some actual coaching, some structure and a clear defensive identity. Hopefully that comes once the regular season starts.

Those are my observations so far. Curious what you guys think.

EDIT. I forgot Naji. Oh my god. I like that he is trying to shoot threes but man, it has been rough. And his inside shot is not falling - maybe due to conditioning? I guess this will come around but this version of Naji is horrible, especially for a team constructed like this.

[Chicagojk]

EDIT. I forgot Naji. Oh my god. I like that he is trying to shoot threes but man, it has been rough. And his inside shot is not falling - maybe due to conditioning? I guess this will come around but this version of Naji is horrible, especially for a team constructed like this.

I have been trying to figure out the Marshall extension since it happened.   It seems most mavs fans have been against it, while a few in the media have been positive about it.   I have been trying to figure out where I may be wrong.    

I think I have landed that I don't like it if Marshall is playing point guard or backing up the 3.    I don't think he is a point guard and there are not enough minutes to justify the contract backing up the three.

Where I think it could work is tricky and the roster will need to adjust.    For instance, the Mavs will have need to hit on both Johnson and Aldama.    Johnson takes up a lot of the minutes in the front court while Aldama can be a swiss army knife playing with different players.   He might be a real nice mesh with Johnson.   He needs to get healthy first.    If these two things happen, I think PJ is expendable.   If PJ is not here, this frees up minutes of Cooper getting some PF minutes.   Then you could go with Cooper, Marshall and two guards and a center.    I could see that lineup working.    I just think the roster needs to adjust a little and Marshall needs to play with another creator.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I have been trying to figure out the Marshall extension since it happened.   It seems most mavs fans have been against it, while a few in the media have been positive about it.   I have been trying to figure out where I may be wrong.    

I think I have landed that I don't like it if Marshall is playing point guard or backing up the 3.    I don't think he is a point guard and there are not enough minutes to justify the contract backing up the three.

Where I think it could work is tricky and the roster will need to adjust.    For instance, the Mavs will have need to hit on both Johnson and Aldama.    Johnson takes up a lot of the minutes in the front court while Aldama can be a swiss army knife playing with different players.   He might be a real nice mesh with Johnson.   He needs to get healthy first.    If these two things happen, I think PJ is expendable.   If PJ is not here, this frees up minutes of Cooper getting some PF minutes.   Then you could go with Cooper, Marshall and two guards and a center.    I could see that lineup working.    I just think the roster needs to adjust a little and Marshall needs to play with another creator.

One thing to note regarding the timing of this.  It was done so that he can be traded again after his 2/2/27 trade restriction expires.  The next trade deadline is 2/11/27.  Naji is more valuable extended than he is as a pending free agent and the declining future salary avoids any issues like Poison Pill.

He can be traded for someone making up to $16.93mm or combined with any number of players depending on what the other team is trying to accomplish.

[dirkfansince1998]

One thing to note regarding the timing of this.  It was done so that he can be traded again after his 2/2/27 trade restriction expires.  The next trade deadline is 2/11/27.  Naji is more valuable extended than he is as a pending free agent and the declining future salary avoids any issues like Poison Pill.

He can be traded for someone making up to $16.93mm or combined with any number of players depending on what the other team is trying to accomplish.

It's still a big contract. And it probably changes the list of teams that could be interested. As an expiring bench playmaker he would have been a good fit on almost any given contender. Now it needs to be a team that really buys into Naji as a longterm piece.

[Chicagojk]

It's still a big contract. And it probably changes the list of teams that could be interested. As an expiring bench playmaker he would have been a good fit on almost any given contender. Now it needs to be a team that really buys into Naji as a longterm piece.

Mavs are good on salary now and they have flexibility.   I am really hoping May works out and puts players in their best spots, but we are starting to see several guys in the high teens in salary who are coming off the bench.  That can get tricky real fast.

[michaeltex]

It's still a big contract. And it probably changes the list of teams that could be interested. As an expiring bench playmaker he would have been a good fit on almost any given contender. Now it needs to be a team that really buys into Naji as a longterm piece.

Don't disagree, but one thing I have noticed is that you need substantial contracts to trade for other substantial contracts. If a good player is looking for a trade, then you need contracts with value to make the deal. Trying to get someone at Naji's value for a bunch of vet minimums is a problem.

[Scott41theMavs]

It's still a big contract. And it probably changes the list of teams that could be interested. As an expiring bench playmaker he would have been a good fit on almost any given contender. Now it needs to be a team that really buys into Naji as a longterm piece.

I definitely see the Naji extension as M&M's one big disappointing move thus far. What makes it worse is that it fits the downside of Masai's MO and bodes poorly for the future.

[mvossman]

Don't disagree, but one thing I have noticed is that you need substantial contracts to trade for other substantial contracts. If a good player is looking for a trade, then you need contracts with value to make the deal. Trying to get someone at Naji's value for a bunch of vet minimums is a problem.

We already have PJ and Gafford for that.

[cow]

I definitely see the Naji extension as M&M's one big disappointing move thus far. What makes it worse is that it fits the downside of Masai's MO and bodes poorly for the future.

I'd be harsher on you, but I'm not a fan of the contract numbers even if I like the structure and the extending Naji.