MAVS NEWS: Luka Wins Player Of the Week

[Knutsen]

Vassell missed the Spurs game.
Banchero missed the Magic game.
Lavine missed the Bulls game.

So we could very easily be 2-10 with the worst record in the league.

Sure - but we won those three games by a combined 55 points. Sure we could have lost one of those, but it‘s still different than losing 4 in a row by a combined 8 points. Math don‘t lie!

[Knutsen]

Not sure where to put this. Posting it here cause I guess some of y'all might want to swap cheerleading squads with the Cowboys.

---
YOU’VE BEEN THUNDERSTRUCK... and so was the cameraman.

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders just opened the biggest boxing match in history. #PaulTyson

https://x.com/netflix/status/1857597331157447020

The only team in Dallas performing at the highest level right now?

[Chicagojk]

I expected an uneven start to the season. Last year, I almost decided it was a lost cause after the Philly and Indy games. Almost. And just like that is changed. It is just disappointing we have had such a great Kyrie run with really nothing to show for it. You know an injury or two will probably come with him.

It has been a tough watch this year though. Some really fun segments (mostly when they get hot), but all the little things they did last year are not happening yet. The toughness. The hustle. The winning plays. They are just not happening. It is tough to get back into the grind after almost climbing the mountain last year. And trying to break in new guys is a process. That is part of the issues. The few injuries have hurt as well. I just expected this team to be able to handle injuries better. So far they haven't.

A tad better execution late, a few offensive rebounds given up, a few missed defensive rotations, a few missed wide open threes, etc and this would look much better even if their play was not to our level of expectations. They haven't done the above and their level of play isn't up to par. A lot times if you have a super star your team can find ways to win late even if you are not playing your best. Just winning more than losing and waiting until you hit your stride.

[Scott41theMavs]

How much of this can be chalked up to a very simple explanation - PJ has been out, and we have no real replacement for him (Naji is more of a three)? I know we all like to bark at his shooting deficiencies, but man, was he a huge part of the turnaround post-trade deadline last year.

[Chicagojk]

I didn't watch the game last night and just speed through some replays. I just wonder about Marshall. Shooting 14% from three to start the season. In all honesty he looks like the 30% three point shooter for his career and not the 38% shooter last year. He also appears to pass up open shots to try to penetrate. I just wonder as the year goes on if he is better matched with Kyrie on the court and Luka off the court, and Grimes is better with Luka on the court and Kyrie off the court. Obviously you can't just play them in these situations, but I just wonder if this is how it matches up as we get going.

Super early and not many attempts, but our main PF players are shooting 14%, 33% and 21% from 3. Due to injury and attempts, this may be accurate and it is really early. But they need to shoot way better as most of these attempts are wide open.

[KillerLeft]

I just wonder about Marshall.  Shooting 14% from three to start the season.  In all honesty he looks like the 30% three point shooter for his career and not the 38% shooter last year.  He also appears to pass up open shots to try to penetrate.  I just wonder as the year goes on if he is better matched with Kyrie on the court and Luka off the court, and Grimes is better with Luka on the court and Kyrie off the court.  

Two thoughts on this:

1) Marshall is doing everything but shooting really well already, and not only do I feel like his shooting will come around, I feel like even the things he's already doing well will improve with time/comfort. Not sure he/they know how he fits perfectly yet, but I feel like he's going to be an asset for the team. 

2) I think you might be onto something insightful there with your suggested player groupings. Really insightful. Marshall is new here, but it seems clear he needs to touch the ball a bit more than he does with Luka to completely unlock his game, whereas Grimes is custom made to play next to Luka.

[SleepingHero]

@noahweber00

I asked Kidd about what goes into his decision to start Gafford or Lively II:

“We’ll see how D-Live handles these next couple games as a starter and figure out who’s going to start after that…They both have sacrificed…Right now, D-Live is the starter.”

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

If PJ could sustain some semblance of this performance, we can dominate with him and Lively/Gafford.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/NBAHistory/status/18...1077678527

@NBAHistory
Take a look back at the Mavs’ 14-game win streak to start the 2002-03 NBA season!


On this day back in 2002, our very own Mavs started the season 14-0. I was convinced we'd win it all this year. I remember vividly the Pistons game where Finley broke his career high. We could've won it too but Dirk unfortunately got injured.

[Chicagojk]

Two things:

There are a lot of good players on this team and trying to fit everyone is tough, but after seeing Grimes the past few games I have no idea why he wasn't a key reserve from the start. He is the type of player we need to fill around our stars. He has looked really good recently...even when he hasn't been scoring a lot. He looks to be finding his footing too.

Second, as good as Lively is, I really want to see him get more shots and score more. He has really improved his touch around the rim. I don't like seeing games when he has 2-3 shots. I think he needs to be closer to 10. Selfishly, I think this is where he will get more media love. If he is scoring around 14 a game, I think you will really see him higher on lists. Whether that should be the case is another story.

[KillerLeft]

Luka is out for at least a week with a new wrist injury, apparently. This sucks. Just as he was starting to move better. Maybe they're making it up so he can train? 

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1859616929024995733

[Knutsen]

Luka is out for at least a week with a new wrist injury, apparently. This sucks. Just as he was starting to move better. Maybe they're making it up so he can train? 

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1859616929024995733

That blows, just when I hoped we would start clicking… Where did this come from? I didn’t notice anything in the game last game and he shot the best he had this season. Lively almost broke his wrist hitting the rim, but no idea where Luka’s injury appeared.

[KillerLeft]

That blows, just when I hoped we would start clicking… Where did this come from? I didn’t notice anything in the game last game and he shot the best he had this season. Lively almost broke his wrist hitting the rim, but no idea where Luka’s injury appeared.

I didn't notice anything either, which is what makes me wonder if this is just an excuse to get Luka that week off to get into better shape some fans have been asking for. Obviously, that's just total (possibly irresponsible) speculation on my part, and I'm not even sure I think that's what's happening - just a thought that crossed my mind.

[Chicagojk]

Well that is disappointing, especially with a big game with Denver at home tomorrow. I was expecting a big Luka performance. At least it is his upper body and not his legs. So hopefully conditioning can continue as I think he still has some progress to make on how he is moving.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

NBA is a joke. I think we’ve reached less than a 50% chance any good regular season matchup will have both teams best players suiting up.

Had league pass for 20 years until I didn’t renew it last year. There’s no way in hell I’m paying to actually attend a game.

[SleepingHero]

That is really disheartening. We have seen in spurts how good Luka/Kyrie/Klay/PJ/Lively is.


Unfortunate Luka is battling injury after injury this year.

Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

[Mavs2021]

NBA is a joke. I think we’ve reached less than a 50% chance any good regular season matchup will have both teams best players suiting up.

Had league pass for 20 years until I didn’t renew it last year. There’s no way in hell I’m paying to actually attend a game.

Well if you don´t think Luka is injured, then we should trade him, cause he moves around like 38 year old Dirk.

There is obviously something wrong. 

So him getting a week off is the best choice long-term.

[Mavs2021]

Well that is disappointing, especially with a big game with Denver at home tomorrow.  I was expecting a big Luka performance.  At least it is his upper body and not his legs.    So hopefully conditioning can continue as I think he still has some progress to make on how he is moving.

You don´t lose all explosiveness and acceleration from being out of shape. There is definitely some underlying lower body injury/injuries (calf, groin etc.). Those are/might be a result of his poor conditioning/core fitness, but it´s not the reason he moves like a mummy. It´s not like he starts hot and then fatigues in the 3rd or 4th quarter. He moves poorly from start to finish.

Don´t think he looked any better physically against the Pelicans, he just played more restrained, which meant less dumb shots and turnovers, so the overall performance looked better. That and playing arguably the worst team in the league currently.

[ThisIStheYear]

Not Luka’s year for MVP or even all NBA or all star probably but he can still get the last laugh if the Mavs can hold on to a top 4 seed with him missing a fair number of games and if he’s healthy down the stretch.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

NBA is a joke. I think we’ve reached less than a 50% chance any good regular season matchup will have both teams best players suiting up.

Had league pass for 20 years until I didn’t renew it last year. There’s no way in hell I’m paying to actually attend a game.

Is the NBA responsible for player injuries ? No. Not their fault.