Game 26: Denver Nuggets (17-10) vs. Dallas Mavericks (16-9) | 8:00pm CST

[Chicagojk]

Tough to take much away from this game. Denver could play with their food and pretty much name the score once Dallas hot streak wore off. I am disappointed in some individual players. Not just this game but just some guys who I was expecting more from. It is going to be challenging for this lineup to beat most teams. Especially if the defense doesn't find ways to get more stops.

Denver is good though. Mavs have very slim chance to win this game and Denver really eliminated that sliver of a chance.

[SleepingHero]

I wasn't expecting this to be a win, but holy god is it apparent the Mavs are down so many key rotation guys.

The fact we had to give Morris extended run and rely on him guarding Jokic of all guys seriously should show how doomed it was from the start. But have no fear we have...Powell.... to cover the rest of the minutes. Yeah depth is depleted.

I am starting to raise the alarms for Grant Williams. I was willing to cut him a lot of slack given he was going through a cold spell but right now he looks like a shell of who he was the first 10 games. What is really scaring me is his lack of defensive rotations. On more than one occasion I saw him and another Mav argue over missed rotations/not stopping the ball. That is really bad. We brought him in to be a defensive specialist first, scorer second. If the defense goes AND his shot isn't falling then I don't see why he's getting any run at all.

Mavs need an upgrade at the PF. Whenever Maxi returns I'm going to keep a keen eye on how he shares his minutes with Grant. That is, IF Maxi can even play more than 5 games in a row at this point.


All in all this game could just be summed up by the fact the Denver guys hit their shots and the Mavs role players bricked countless wide open looks. (I mean WTF THJ? How can you miss a wide open fast break layup TWICE?). Luka was his usual brilliance. Please can Kyrie and Lively return.

[Mavs2021]

Yeah the first 10 games with Williams I really had to eat crow, but the last 15 games. Yikes. The best comparison right now is probably SF Wes "Robin Hood" Matthews. Too small for his position, defensive reputation better than reality and arguably a bottom five 2pt shooter. You chase him off the 3pt line, it´s almost an automatic miss. If the Spurs don´t swap, it´s still a fair price for a back-up PF. If they swap it might look brutal.

[meistermatze]

Have to agree on Williams, he has been terrible. I don't recall a worse 2-point-shooter than him. Doesn't matter if it's a jumpshot or a layup, he seems to always miss. I also don't see it anymore on the defensive end. All in all, DJJ has been better on both sides of the floor which I did not think possible after 10 games.

Regarding the game: Reffing was absolutely ridiculous, Luka getting elbowed TWICE right in front of the ref, Timmy hit with an offensive foul on a three-point-attempt (wtf?), ... but that being said, we were never in this game. Without Luka going crazy, this is a blowout at the half. We were just too short-handed (Morris against Jokic? Come on man) and the rest of the gang did not show up. Should have rested Luka, he didn't even get his triple double in the end so overplaying him in this blowout was all for nothing anyway.

[MrGoat]

That was pitiful. Luka got almost no help aside from Exum. And Richaun Holmes was activated after all as we saw in garbage time, shame on Kidd for starting Powell. Reffing was against us yet again, too. I'm starting to think the league is trying to drive Luka out of Dallas

[mvossman]

That was pitiful. Luka got almost no help aside from Exum. And Richaun Holmes was activated after all as we saw in garbage time, shame on Kidd for starting Powell. Reffing was against us yet again, too. I'm starting to think the league is trying to drive Luka out of Dallas

It was dumb to play Luka in this game and dumber to play him 36 minutes.  I'm more worried about Kidd running him into the ground than the league.

[ItsGoTime]

I’ve got to say, we scoffed at how Cle babied Lebron and turned him into the personality he is today. What is Dallas doing differently with Luka?

[Chicagojk]

Yeah the first 10 games with Williams I really had to eat crow, but the last 15 games. Yikes. The best comparison right now is probably SF Wes "Robin Hood" Matthews. Too small for his position, defensive reputation better than reality and arguably a bottom five 2pt shooter. You chase him off the 3pt line, it´s almost an automatic miss. If the Spurs don´t swap, it´s still a fair price for a back-up PF. If they swap it might look brutal.

I think he is what he is and boy can his game can look ugly if he doesn't hit multiple 3's.  I think you will continue to see the 5-6 point games and then a 16-20 point game every 5 games or so.   Does that production warrant a future starting spot?   When everyone is healthy his poor games hopefully will not stick out as much and he can be a guy who take 6-7 shots per game with most being open threes.   

The area I want to see cleared up with him is his defense.   The perimeter defense has been a little disappointing but that was something Boston fans warned us about.   Hopefully as the team gets better on defense, you see his benefits guarding bigger bodies.   My big concern is the lapses.  The slow rotations, losing a guy on a backcut or not blocking out, etc.   We allow Luka to do this in the regular season because of everything else Luka does well.   Guys like Grant can't have the same mistakes.  They have to do all the small things well so Luka and Kyrie can do what they are good at.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I think he is what he is and boy can his game can look ugly if he doesn't hit multiple 3's.  I think you will continue to see the 5-6 point games and then a 16-20 point game every 5 games or so.   Does that production warrant a future starting spot?   When everyone is healthy his poor games hopefully will not stick out as much and he can be a guy who take 6-7 shots per game with most being open threes.   

The area I want to see cleared up with him is his defense.   The perimeter defense has been a little disappointing but that was something Boston fans warned us about.   Hopefully as the team gets better on defense, you see his benefits guarding bigger bodies.   My big concern is the lapses.  The slow rotations, losing a guy on a backcut or not blocking out, etc.   We allow Luka to do this in the regular season because of everything else Luka does well.   Guys like Grant can't have the same mistakes.  They have to do all the small things well so Luka and Kyrie can do what they are good at.

All this is why Boston made him expendable, and let him walk. His consistency is mind-blowing. The same could be said of Marcus Smart. He was the heartbeat of the Celtics and had a good run, but Derrick White is the overall better player which made him expendable as well. Boston has a great roster. The parts just fit. Especially adding Kristaps and Jrue. Those moves Stephens made have them as one of the Finals favorites.