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[SleepingHero]

Mavs finally uploaded the press conference.

[SleepingHero]

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
Marc Stein on @971TheFreak confirms earlier reporting that Grant Williams frustrated “key stakeholders” with the Mavs with his on-court performance combined with his “noisy approach to the game”

My problem with this is that it was very well known that Grant Williams was a noisy guy. Did no one think he would be annoying? Or were they backed into a corner signing Grant because PJ was too expensive in the summer?

[MFFL]

Thanks for posting that!

Both guys seems legit happy to be here.

[SleepingHero]

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
“When you’re not playing up the the expectations you had coming into the season, then you have to make those types of changes.”

-Nico Harrison with @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak on the trade deadline

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
Nico Harrison joining @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak immediately addresses the fact that Grant Williams is receiving negative publicity in Dallas.

“Grant doesn’t deserve the negativity he’s getting on social media… He was a good teammate”

[Mavs2021]

A guy from Dallas is excited to play in Dallas. If Mark Cuban´s whole strategy was draft and sign guys from Dallas, we´d be rolling out

Maxey/Smart
C. Wallace/Sasser
PJ Washington/A. Black
Randle/AJ Griffin
Turner/Cunningham

...and what does Cuban do?

He signs DeAndre Jordan, Grant Williams, Wes Iwundu, Wes Matthews and Justin Jackson, who are from either HOUSTON or SAN ANTONIO!

Only half-joking.

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Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
“When you’re not playing up the the expectations you had coming into the season, then you have to make those types of changes.”

-Nico Harrison with @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak on the trade deadline

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
Nico Harrison joining @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak immediately addresses the fact that Grant Williams is receiving negative publicity in Dallas.

“Grant doesn’t deserve the negativity he’s getting on social media… He was a good teammate”

That´s a good professional GM. Cuban will probably ruin it by kicking some dirt later.

[SleepingHero]

Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil)
"That's the best ability to be available."

PJ Washington on his contribution to the Mavericks. #MFFL

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Noah Weber (@noahweber00)
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd on the additions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington:

“When you look at the age, it fits with Luka…These two pieces could be pieces that you build around…to win a championship, so we’re excited.”

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Seth and GWill, welcome to NBA purgatory...

[Smitty]

The 25 and under Mavs

Luka - Green - Omax - PJW - Lively

Bench scorer: Hardy
Bench Big: Gafford

https://x.com/noahweber00/status/1756405...58561?s=46&t=4w35gotNXtBJnqxbaL7e9w

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
“When you’re not playing up the the expectations you had coming into the season, then you have to make those types of changes.”

-Nico Harrison with @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak on the trade deadline

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
Nico Harrison joining @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak immediately addresses the fact that Grant Williams is receiving negative publicity in Dallas.

“Grant doesn’t deserve the negativity he’s getting on social media… He was a good teammate”

That's not what the flies on the wall in the locker room said...

[SleepingHero]

The 25 and under Mavs

Luka - Green - Omax - PJW - Lively

Bench scorer: Hardy
Bench Big: Gafford

https://x.com/noahweber00/status/1756405...58561?s=46&t=4w35gotNXtBJnqxbaL7e9w

I know it's really early, but I'm very excited to see how good OMax will be in year 3. He might be nothing, but if he works out??? Luka/OMax/Lively all younger than 27 is a pretty formidable core.

[DallasMaverick]

Mavs Film Room ?? (@MavsFilmRoom)
Marc Stein on @971TheFreak confirms earlier reporting that Grant Williams frustrated “key stakeholders” with the Mavs with his on-court performance combined with his “noisy approach to the game”

My problem with this is that it was very well known that Grant Williams was a noisy guy. Did no one think he would be annoying? Or were they backed into a corner signing Grant because PJ was too expensive in the summer?

Cuban says you’re allowed to have one knucklehead on a team. Maybe Grant was two.

[ItsGoTime]

You went from being mildly optimistic to "this is the end of the Luka era" because several podcasters didn't like the moves? I remember every single talking head saying Dirk wasn't good enough to ever win and the Mavs are stupid to try and build around a guy who can't play defense. 

I also remember not just a year ago basically every podcast saying the Kyrie trade was horrific and the Mavs are doomed to lose him in the summer to the Lakers. On and on. The media has never liked the Mavs, I'm not surprised most talking heads don't like the Mavs moves.

Edit: And it's even more confusing because most people acknowledge the Mavs have gotten better, even substantially so. But then lambast the cost it took to improve the team? It makes zero sense. The only reason why the Mavs gave up 2027 is because they didn't give up a single prospect in either of the trades. We still have Green, Hardy, and OMax chilling on the bench. Are those as valuable as 2027? Remains to be seen. But its not like the Mavs can't punch for an improvement trade when they have 3 guys on cost controlled contracts that are young and have potential. And that's before even acknowledging that Gafford and PJ are young as well and have room to improve next to Luka.

They still have 2025 and 2031 to trade. They still will have picks in 2026 and 2028 if they need to draft someone. I know you're worried about Luka forcing his way out, but right now today if the cap continues to climb the next 2 years at the same pace, Luka's supermax will be worth about 400 mil and the Mavs can offer him 100 million more than any other team. Again ONE HUNDRED MILLION!!!!! Guys do not walk away from that kind of money, no matter how much of a winner they are. Like at all. Who is walking away from nearly half a billion for not even a guaranteed chance at a ring?

Like again, I was NOT for trading the 2027 for a PJ Washington level player. But I acknowledge that they didn't just get PJ. They also got Gafford, got rid of G-Will, Holmes, AND kept Omax, Hardy, and Green. The 2 2nds are whatever but another sprinkle of value in the deal.

They turned 2 guys who literally weren't playing a lick, and a guy who was pretty terrible for half the season (and whom everyone was annoyed with), into 2 starting caliber players.

It's certainly a risk that they took, but you have to take some to improve. The Mavs risked it all for Kyrie. I hated the move and that's what I thought would be the end of the Luka era. Incredibly it's worked out so far. They risked it for Wood. It blew up in their faces. They risked a pick on Lively, someone who I didn't think he'd be a rotation player till year 3. And he's currently having one of the best rookie seasons in Mav history. They risked it for G-Will trading a pick swap. It did not work out. See what I'm getting at?

Where was this defense when I said these same things about trading the 27?

[SleepingHero]

Where was this defense when I said these same things about trading the 27?

I valued having 3 picks in the summer over what I perceived to be a marginal upgrade.

But we traded the 2027 (and 2028 swap) essentially for both Gafford+PJ. While getting off of Holmes. That's a lot more stomachable in my eyes.

Grant I had hope he could turn it around all year, but the Mavs saw a chance to turn his potential dead weight salary into someone who could provide what we've been looking for for 6 years from the wing. 

But yeah. While I'm not happy we had to give up the 2027, Gafford+PJ is a good enough haul for it to make sense.

[Jason Terry]

Lively/Gafford
PJ/Maxi
Green/DJJ
Kyrie/THJ
Luka/Exum

We really are 10 deep. The parts seem to fit. The 2nd unit finally has some size and skill. Maxi and PJ showed off how they could be the 4-5 of an elite small ball 5 out unit. DJJ for instant bench defense and his size is really pronounced when he plays the 3. THJ for instant bench scoring. Exum is versatile. This is a fun team that can win in a variety of ways

[F Gump]

A bit at a time, Mavs are getting more length. That should help, especially defensively. Even if the pieces individually are so-so defenders, having lots of length can make it much harder for the opponent to play against. And if the individual defensive skills can be coached up just a bit, then having better athletic traits on the team should show dividends.

One other thing that matters a lot in the long run - the Mavs are adding rotation-level guys, and their contracts are both at about MLE level or just a bit more. While we'd like to have a team full of all-NBA players making max salary, the reality is that after you have a couple those LEGIT elite players making max, you have to apportion the remainder carefully. I would submit that THJ's 18M is an overpay by 4-5M, but the rest of the roster is good players at reasonable pricing.

[KillerLeft]

A bit at a time, Mavs are getting more length. That should help, especially defensively. Even if the pieces individually are so-so defenders, having lots of length can make it much harder for the opponent to play against. And if the individual defensive skills can be coached up just a bit, then having better athletic traits on the team should show dividends.

One other thing that matters a lot in the long run - the Mavs are adding rotation-level guys, and their contracts are both at about MLE level or just a bit more. While we'd like to have a team full of all-NBA players making max salary, the reality is that after you have a couple those LEGIT elite players making max, you have to apportion the remainder carefully. I would submit that THJ's 18M is an overpay by 4-5M, but the rest of the roster is good players at reasonable pricing.

I can tell you this after just one game: PJ Washington has it in him to be more than just a mediocre defender. I haven’t seen a Mavericks player that big move his feet that fast since Dorian Finney Smith played here. I have no idea if he’ll do it consistently, but he made a difference out there on defense tonight, more so than Williams ever did, that’s for sure.

[Winter]

I can tell you this after just one game: PJ Washington has it in him to be more than just a mediocre defender. I haven’t seen a Mavericks player that big move his feet that fast since Dorian Finney Smith played here. I have no idea if he’ll do it consistently, but he made a difference out there on defense tonight, more so than Williams ever did, that’s for sure.

There was a PJ interview today where he basically talked quite a bit about his defense. I'm not sure if that was an organic conversation or if Nico and Jason had the "defense-needed" talk upon arriving in Dallas.

Regarding his play, I particularly liked his drives to the basket when defenders closed out on him. Very un-Bullock like.

[MaxiThreeba]

Lively/Gafford
PJ/Maxi
Green/DJJ
Kyrie/THJ
Luka/Exum

We really are 10 deep. The parts seem to fit. The 2nd unit finally has some size and skill. Maxi and PJ showed off how they could be the 4-5 of an elite small ball 5 out unit. DJJ for instant bench defense and his size is really pronounced when he plays the 3. THJ for instant bench scoring. Exum is versatile. This is a fun team that can win in a variety of ways

If healthy, which is always a big if in the NBA, this roster really can play just about any style.  The two additions provide impact in what they do themselves, but perhaps even bigger impact in slotting everyone else into better roles. 

Green, Exum and DJJ offer versatile POA defenders while all bringing varied degrees of offensive skill sets.  Exum as another ball handler, Green as a transition threat and always improving shooter, and DJJ as another vertical threat.  

Maxi and PJ give you bigs/big wings that can stretch the D and PJ showing an ability to attack close outs that’s been missing. 

Lively and Gafford might be the most ideal center pairing you could dream of with Luka and Kyrie.  

Maybe the biggest plus with health and the additions, THJ doesn’t need to be a 30+ minute 15+ shot guy.  He can be the microwave he’s suited to be.  He becomes a guy that can lift you to a win with what should be a lower risk of being in a position to shoot/defend you into a loss.  

Luka and Kyrie can do all the heavy lifting and trust they have the guys around them to take advantage of all of the prime opportunities their gravity creates. 

Have said health enough, but one more time.  If healthy and able to gel in time, this Mavs team could absolutely be the team that nobody wants to see in the playoffs.

[Branduil]

If healthy, which is always a big if in the NBA, this roster really can play just about any style.  The two additions provide impact in what they do themselves, but perhaps even bigger impact in slotting everyone else into better roles. 

Green, Exum and DJJ offer versatile POA defenders while all bringing varied degrees of offensive skill sets.  Exum as another ball handler, Green as a transition threat and always improving shooter, and DJJ as another vertical threat.  

Maxi and PJ give you bigs/big wings that can stretch the D and PJ showing an ability to attack close outs that’s been missing. 

Lively and Gafford might be the most ideal center pairing you could dream of with Luka and Kyrie.  

Maybe the biggest plus with health and the additions, THJ doesn’t need to be a 30+ minute 15+ shot guy.  He can be the microwave he’s suited to be.  He becomes a guy that can lift you to a win with what should be a lower risk of being in a position to shoot/defend you into a loss.  

Luka and Kyrie can do all the heavy lifting and trust they have the guys around them to take advantage of all of the prime opportunities their gravity creates. 

Have said health enough, but one more time.  If healthy and able to gel in time, this Mavs team could absolutely be the team that nobody wants to see in the playoffs.

I think for the first time in a long time (a decade+?) they have reasonable, even redundant, depth at every position.

Centers: Lively, Gafford, Maxi, Powell
Wings: Luka, PJ, DJJ, Maxi, Omax
Guards: Kyrie, Green, Exum, THJ, Hardy

[youzigizag]

I think for the first time in a long time (a decade+?) they have reasonable, even redundant, depth at every position.

Centers: Lively, Gafford, Maxi, Powell
Wings: Luka, PJ, DJJ, Maxi, Omax
Guards: Kyrie, Green, Exum, THJ, Hardy

Name your top 3 worst match ups for us with this lineup.