Game 53: Oklahoma City Thunder (35-16) vs. Dallas Mavericks (29-23)

[youzigizag]

Must be hard to please you. Literally everyone else is ecstatic about both of their debuts. What were you expecting?

A good Organization and good on-court system can make a player look good.   I guess we can look at Andrew Wiggins in Golden State before last year as an example.

I think Mavs need to hope this is what happens with PJ here.   

Eye test and stats suggest he is mediocre as an NBA player in a not so great situation.  Does he have the measurements, fundamental skill and athleticism...yup.   

Im not a scout.   All I know is I bought League pass a couple of years ago to watch Lamelo play...Washington never jumped off the screen.   His advanced stats seem to reinforce the eye test.  At least advanced stats that posters here discuss.   Im an eye test guy, not a numbers guy.   But again...Im a casual going with only eye test.

Im lazy...I havent broken down the trades we made(wouldnt know what I was doing)...it looks like there is wordsmithing going on about what the cost to acquire PJ was...it was or wasnt worth a FRP or protected FRP.  It seems Mavs are still using precious assets on targeting risky endeavors(players that havent proven anything that are on the cheap) or guys with weird flaws.

My small sample size opinion is that PJ didnt rise to the occasion like Gafford was trying to do.  Gafford read the room, could feel it and knew what was happening in the arena.   PJ...you just couldnt feel it.   His stats were worthy...and maybe thats all Mavs need.   But...CALL ME CRAZY...maybe some of these Organizations need the ENERGY Gafford provided along with stats.   Sometimes its the energy that matters more than stats.    PJ didnt really provide energy that you could notice.   I want someone that can read the room, know its a Playoff game,  feel the energy, absorb it and reflect it...like Gafford did.  Not a brick in the wall.   

Im sure PJ will work here.  He's a fit.   I want him to succeed as a player.  But I want the Mavs to find less risky guys that jump off the screen impact wise too.  I hope he turns into our Wiggins.  I really do.

I think Mavs should try and acquire a larger more athletic PF that is more menacing...in the 20M+ range.   An Aaron Gordon type player...someone with decent skill but menacing on defense.

Ultimately my attitude is...I think Mavs are being risky with using scarce assets on 5th best player on contending team guys that are fit guys...over acquiring talent that doesnt meet their percentage requirements.   PJ will probably work out...I just wouldnt expect his energy to lift the team or expect his energy to lift the team in serious moments like the Playoffs.

[ItsGoTime]

Gafford's post-game talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfhWYt2o0EM

I hear he went to the Jason Kidd school of inteview replying. So many “Mos definaly” in there.

[surfpuckmd]

I woke up early Sunday morning to watch the replay of the game.  I'm glad I did.

What an amazing debut.  We matched athleticism and depth with one of the league's most athletic and deep teams.  This is easily the quickest team in Mavs history.  Everyone was moving well including somehow...Luka.  Playing with more athletic teammates somehow allows Luka to move at a different speed.  What's really amazing is that we're athletic but not undersized.  That's never happened in Dallas before.  It's hard to describe the new Mavericks without using the word "athletic" many, many times.  

Gafford looks like a perfect fit on this roster.  The Thunder could have really used Gafford and rather than spend a first on him, they facilitated our acquisition.  Sam Presti probably didn't sleep so well last night after watching that game.  Gafford's rebounding and elite finishing near the rim elevate our potential this season.  This is what we needed.  Jason Kidd owes Nico a big hug.

PJ Washington looked really good.  Perhaps I overreacted about the trade?  His quickness compared to Grant is really striking.  His ability to take it to the rim and finish effectively is welcome here.  His defense will determine whether that trade is a success.  If he gives good effort, maybe it will work out for us.  Very early returns are good.

Maxi has returned with great vengeance.  I thought his career as a useful player might be over but that was a mistake.  With his pinky toe at full force, he's playing like he was 2 years ago...which is really nice to see.

This was NBA basketball at its most amazing.  The Mavericks bludgeoned a contender.  That makes me feel like we are a contender too.  I didn't feel that way 4 days ago.

[Dundalis]

A good Organization and good on-court system can make a player look good.   I guess we can look at Andrew Wiggins in Golden State before last year as an example.

I think Mavs need to hope this is what happens with PJ here.   

Eye test and stats suggest he is mediocre as an NBA player in a not so great situation.  Does he have the measurements, fundamental skill and athleticism...yup.   

Im not a scout.   All I know is I bought League pass a couple of years ago to watch Lamelo play...Washington never jumped off the screen.   His advanced stats seem to reinforce the eye test.  At least advanced stats that posters here discuss.   Im an eye test guy, not a numbers guy.   But again...Im a casual going with only eye test.

Im lazy...I havent broken down the trades we made(wouldnt know what I was doing)...it looks like there is wordsmithing going on about what the cost to acquire PJ was...it was or wasnt worth a FRP or protected FRP.  It seems Mavs are still using precious assets on targeting risky endeavors(players that havent proven anything that are on the cheap) or guys with weird flaws.

My small sample size opinion is that PJ didnt rise to the occasion like Gafford was trying to do.  Gafford read the room, could feel it and knew what was happening in the arena.   PJ...you just couldnt feel it.   His stats were worthy...and maybe thats all Mavs need.   But...CALL ME CRAZY...maybe some of these Organizations need the ENERGY Gafford provided along with stats.   Sometimes its the energy that matters more than stats.    PJ didnt really provide energy that you could notice.   I want someone that can read the room, know its a Playoff game,  feel the energy, absorb it and reflect it...like Gafford did.  Not a brick in the wall.   

Im sure PJ will work here.  He's a fit.   I want him to succeed as a player.  But I want the Mavs to find less risky guys that jump off the screen impact wise too.  I hope he turns into our Wiggins.  I really do.

I think Mavs should try and acquire a larger more athletic PF that is more menacing...in the 20M+ range.   An Aaron Gordon type player...someone with decent skill but menacing on defense.

Ultimately my attitude is...I think Mavs are being risky with using scarce assets on 5th best player on contending team guys that are fit guys...over acquiring talent that doesnt meet their percentage requirements.   PJ will probably work out...I just wouldnt expect his energy to lift the team or expect his energy to lift the team in serious moments like the Playoffs.

Feel like the energy talk about PJ is just ignorant. It's like those annoying people that walk up to an introvert at a party and ask why they are so quiet and boring. People have different personalities, and extroverted energy isn't the only way to be productive. I've got no idea whether PJ will be a successful fit long term, but he definitely doesn't need to jump off the screen to have been a successful pickup. He certainly isn't going to help by pretending to be something he's not, Gafford didn't read the room while PJ didn't, Gafford is simply naturally wired that way and PJ isn't. That's it.

PJ is a risk, but the simple fact is that you aren't getting a multi faceted utility big wing without giving up a ton of assets. That role type is arguably the most sought after role in the league outside a superstar level player. Which is also why I think he cost more than Gafford. If the risk on PJ pays off and his production starts to match his skillset playing on a good team for the first time in his life, the payoff will be much greater than what Gafford brings to the team, even as important as he will be for us. Because PJ's skillset and role overall has more utility, particularly during crunch time in games and especially in the playoffs. I also think it's very easy to overrate the game Gafford had as fully representative of how he will play moving forward. Both Gafford and PJ have weaknesses that will become more apparent, and have their ups and downs. Gafford looked great, but he also got to play against an OKC side that have basically zero size in the paint, bulk wise.

Also the acquisition of PJ as mentioned by many people already, does not prevent them going and acquiring another versatile athletic wing in the future. If PJ works out, I think the wing spot next to him could very well be filled by a future acquisition that completes the starting lineup for a legit championship run. The Mavs likely aren't in any worse a situation asset wise as before the trades.

[Dundalis]

I woke up early Sunday morning to watch the replay of the game.  I'm glad I did.

What an amazing debut.  We matched athleticism and depth with one of the league's most athletic and deep teams.  This is easily the quickest team in Mavs history.  Everyone was moving well including somehow...Luka.  Playing with more athletic teammates somehow allows Luka to move at a different speed.  What's really amazing is that we're athletic but not undersized.  That's never happened in Dallas before.  It's hard to describe the new Mavericks without using the word "athletic" many, many times.  

Gafford looks like a perfect fit on this roster.  The Thunder could have really used Gafford and rather than spend a first on him, they facilitated our acquisition.  Sam Presti probably didn't sleep so well last night after watching that game.  Gafford's rebounding and elite finishing near the rim elevate our potential this season.  This is what we needed.  Jason Kidd owes Nico a big hug.

PJ Washington looked really good.  Perhaps I overreacted about the trade?  His quickness compared to Grant is really striking.  His ability to take it to the rim and finish effectively is welcome here.  His defense will determine whether that trade is a success.  If he gives good effort, maybe it will work out for us.  Very early returns are good.

Maxi has returned with great vengeance.  I thought his career as a useful player might be over but that was a mistake.  With his pinky toe at full force, he's playing like he was 2 years ago...which is really nice to see.

This was NBA basketball at its most amazing.  The Mavericks bludgeoned a contender.  That makes me feel like we are a contender too.  I didn't feel that way 4 days ago.

Even though I'm definitely pro the trades we made, while you have been at minimum skeptical, but maybe now a bit more open minded, I'm still wary of assessing anything after one game positive or negative. Both Gafford and PJ obviously have flaws in their games, many of which will not be obvious after one game. I'm still very optimistic that PJ can have a Dinwiddie like turnaround in efficiency (maybe not quite as ridiculous a change as that), and given defense is predominantly effort based, I think even the most professional of players struggle to maintain consistent effort after many years on a losing team. It also probably helps less if there's additional disharmony off the court. I know they are professionals, but they are also human beings and it just happens. Winning in and of itself gives players a different level of energy and motivation. The fact that PJ started his career as both a talented and promising offensive player while also being a versatile and very good defensive player, that slowly fell off after multiple years perhaps getting jaded on pretty much the worst run org in basketball says there is something to revive there, as opposed to extracting something that was never there.

[Winter]

On replay, there are a couple positive noticeable improvements.

Gafford really uses his body well - both as a rebounder and screener. He ripped an offensive rebound away from Chet Holmgren (for a putback) and it didn't look all that difficult. He opens up space as a screener as several Mavs found an open lane to the basket.

PJ needs to improve some of those catch-and-shoots, but if he can get players to defend and close on him, he has a nice cut-to-the-basket with a push shot that he made a couple of times.

[ThisIStheYear]

14/5 on 60% shooting in only 24 minutes and you're disappointed?  What exactly were you expecting from him?

I would take this exact game from PJ every game of his career with the Mavs and consider the trade a smashing success (assuming decent health).

My other takeaway is that the Mavs need to bottle this currently healthy version of Maxi (first time in a long while), give it the minimum number of minutes needed to keep it sharp, and then turn it loose again in the playoffs. I thought the Mavs overplayed him by a few minutes yesterday.

[KillerLeft]

I would take this exact game from PJ every game of his career with the Mavs and consider the trade a smashing success (assuming decent health).

Me, too. He played hard on defense and boxed out. 

If he gets any better on offense while still doing those things he’ll officially be underpaid.

[Jason Terry]

I would take this exact game from PJ every game of his career with the Mavs and consider the trade a smashing success (assuming decent health).

My other takeaway is that the Mavs need to bottle this currently healthy version of Maxi (first time in a long while), give it the minimum number of minutes needed to keep it sharp, and then turn it loose again in the playoffs. I thought the Mavs overplayed him by a few minutes yesterday.

I have the same Maxi takeaway. With Maxi’s ability to shoot he’s extremely valuable to us with 2 non-shooting bigs. He’s everything those guys aren’t. Having the option to play 5 out in the playoffs is a game changer

[ThisIStheYear]

Yep. Maxi would give the Mavs a 5 out option and an ability to play 2 “big” bigs for stretches against a team like the TWolves. He’s just a coin flip on health.

[The Jom]

PJ looked a lot like OG out there. That’s a long, athletic defender. I’m a fan.