GAME 10: NOP (1-10) @ DAL (7-3) | 108-92 win

[embellisher]

And Frank has been such a revelation! Everything about him right now is incredible....attitude, effort, offensive aggressiveness/unselfishness, defensive activity/intensity. As I have said elsewhere: if FN becomes what I think he can, the entire outlook of this roster changes. Adding one legit two-way NBA starter to this team would answer so many issues.

If the Frank we've seen so far is what we're going to get, he's the prototypical guy you want next to Luka. Great D, can create a bit, good passer. If he can hit 35%+ of his threes on 4+ per game, he needs to be the other starter in the backcourt.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

You guys kill me. Some of you talked about "Frankie Smokes" so bad when he was on the Knicks. Now you're singing his praises and can do no wrong that he's now a Mav.  

[fifteenth]

You guys kill me. Some of you talked about "Frankie Smokes" so bad when he was on the Knicks. Now you're singing his praises and can do no wrong that he's now a Mav.  

I think that's easy to understand. Frank looked horrible in NY. He looks good here.

[Kammrath]

You guys kill me. Some of you talked about "Frankie Smokes" so bad when he was on the Knicks. Now you're singing his praises and can do no wrong that he's now a Mav. 

I NEVER trashed the guy for the record!

[KillerLeft]

I NEVER trashed the guy for the record!

You absolutely did not. 

I don't think I was ever down on him, either, though I freely admit I was nowhere near hopeful that he'd be this good this early.

[dirkfansince1998]

I NEVER trashed the guy for the record!

I trashed DSJ. And was trashed because I wanted Frank over him. Maybe both simply ended up on the wrong team.

[Kammrath]

You absolutely did not. 

I was SO wrong on TBey that it will be nice to have been correct about FN (if he keeps this up).

[KillerLeft]

I trashed DSJ. And was trashed because I wanted Frank over him. Maybe both simply ended up on the wrong team.

I absolutely did not want DSJ, like at all. I remember doing like a one-day dive on all the projected lottery picks and identifying him as the one I wanted least. Like, "anyone but that guy." I remember hoping the Mavs could find a way to trade up for Fox. 

Then, the Mavs got him and everyone was super excited, including national media guys, and I talked myself into it. My journey with DSJ was not unlike the Josh Green journey.

[fifteenth]

I absolutely did not want DSJ, like at all. I remember doing like a one-day dive on all the projected lottery picks and identifying him as the one I wanted least. Like, "anyone but that guy." I remember hoping the Mavs could find a way to trade up for Fox. 

Then, the Mavs got him and everyone was super excited, including national media guys, and I talked myself into it. My journey with DSJ was not unlike the Josh Green journey.

Let's hope that the journey with Josh has a better ending!

[KillerLeft]

Let's hope that the journey with Josh has a better ending!

Spoiler alert:

It will not.

[Kammrath]

I absolutely did not want DSJ, like at all. I remember doing like a one-day dive on all the projected lottery picks and identifying him as the one I wanted least. Like, "anyone but that guy." I remember hoping the Mavs could find a way to trade up for Fox. 

Then, the Mavs got him and everyone was super excited, including national media guys, and I talked myself into it. My journey with DSJ was not unlike the Josh Green journey.

You and I were both seeing eye to eye on DSJ and JG. Neither of us wanted either one of them, I remember that very clearly.

[fifteenth]

Spoiler alert:

It will not.

---

You and I were both seeing eye to eye on DSJ and JG. Neither of us wanted either one of them, I remember that very clearly.

That's when you guys bonded and decided to take over the world

[SleepingHero]

I absolutely did not want DSJ, like at all. I remember doing like a one-day dive on all the projected lottery picks and identifying him as the one I wanted least. Like, "anyone but that guy." I remember hoping the Mavs could find a way to trade up for Fox. 

Then, the Mavs got him and everyone was super excited, including national media guys, and I talked myself into it. My journey with DSJ was not unlike the Josh Green journey.

I just want to chime in and say I really really wanted DSJ. Thought he could be a mix of Steve Francis/Baron Davis if he worked out. I was so excited the Knicks picked Frankie up and the Mavs picked Dennis.

Sadly he didn't work out. I don't think Dennis ever had the work ethic he needed to improve in the NBA, having gotten to that point coasting on his outlier athleticism. I think we saw the signs of that with how he finished (or lack of) over big guys, lack of court awareness, and poor shot mechanics. 

Thankfully we sold as high as we could on him. 

I am also one of the people that regularly trashed Frankie Smokes. I truly thought he could never survive in the NBA watching how he played in NYK. I am cautiously optimistic he's found a home here. He's playing with more confidence here than I ever saw watching him with the Knicks and I think that is truly the difference maker. I don't know if he'll ever be better than a 7-8th guy off the bench, but that's all we need him to be. 


To round out the convo, I never wanted Josh Green. I was so furious that they took him over Saddiq Bey. As the draft continued after the pick I talked myself into it saying "Ok, a project. We can work with that. He's a starter kit Klay Thompson. And hey look, I know we're going to snag Desmond Bane so not all is lost we're going to get a steal, he's fallen all the way and it's the 30th pi....."

Yeah....2020 draft night had me go and restock my liquor cabinet. By the time they picked Terry I was so disengaged it hadn't even registered they f'd up that pick too.

[KillerLeft]

To round out the convo, I never wanted Josh Green. I was so furious that they took him over Saddiq Bey

Yeah, heard that. 

You'd think that after the gold strike of Brunson they would have been in position to appreciate the value of the "ready made Villanova guys" more than other teams. SBey would be starting at the 4 next to KP by now, no doubt in my mind. Huge whiff.

[dirkfansince1998]

I tend to get the small things right and screw up the big ones. Pro Rondo trade. Pro KP trade. But I never wanted anything to do with Trey Burke, WCS, James Johnson, Justin Jackson, Redick, Josh Green and as highlighted by my offseason rant (maybe @"fifteenth" remembers) I am putting Sterling Brown in the same category.

When it comes to the draft I prefer skill and feel for the game over raw athleticism. Only exception are bigs that can move their feet. That included S.Bey over Green. I also share @"Kammrath" dislike for t-rex arms.

[michaeltex]

No picks last summer, so it's hard to get a read on how the new MBT will operate for the draft.

Outside of Luka/JB draft, everything else was pretty pitiful for the last several years. 

Was the cause poor scouting? Unrealistic expectations? Poor decision making skills? Devalued importance of rookie talent? Just didn't care?

Outside of a few instances, DAL seems like a place where rookie dreams go to die.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

@"KillerLeft" favorite lineup. Boban and KP twin towers.

The opponents would have a red carpet to the hoop. They would P&R them to eternity