The Mavericks were 1-1 this past week and moved up to 11th place in the West. They lost to Philadelphia (123-108) and beat Houston (110-104) at home. Max Christie led the team in scoring this with 21 points per game. Kyrie Irving (knee) remained out, and P.J. Washington sprained his ankle against the Rockets and played just 12 minutes.
Grade: C+
The Mavericks are consistently themselves. They lose games to dynamic guard play and win games against teams with a lack of shooting. The 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey averaged
36 points in two games against Dallas this season and made nine of his 21 threes in those contests. The Mavericks seem to have the Rockets’ number, as they are now 2-1 against them this year and have held them to just 28.3 percent shooting from deep. In fact, Anthony Davis has relished these opportunities, scoring 27 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking three shots a night in three games against Houston as a Maverick dating back to last February.
Cooper Flagg shot the ball poorly in the two games they played. He has played in 35 games in just under two and a half months, which is closing in on the 37 he played at Duke last year in about half the time. The rookie wall is real, and it seems like Flagg is trying to push through it right now, at least with respect to shooting the ball. He did manage to dish out 13 assists while turning the ball over just four times. Daniel Gafford continues to be a liability on defense and thus was limited to just 30 minutes last week, even with a damaged center rotation.
The Mavericks are a competent team at home this season, with a perfectly balanced 10-10 record. This includes some big wins against the Rockets, Pistons, and Nuggets. One of those came on Saturday, which is what boosted their grade to a near B. Unfortunately, they are going on the road for three games in five nights, where they will look to turn around a 3-13 start on the road. Earning a good grade next week will mean defying the team’s trends to this point.
Straight A’s: Max Christie
I have sung Christie’s praises before, and I will again. He plays in any role and has really evolved his offensive game since coming to Dallas. In the last three games, he is averaging 22.3 points on 65.8 (!) percent shooting. He is fifth in the NBA this season in three-point percentage (46.6) on 5.2 attempts a night. He has shown an ability to cut and get to the rim and has even flashed playmaking from time to time. Christie is still just 22 years old with room to grow and is a guy who will help a winning team.
Currently Failing: the Anthony Davis experience
To put it frankly, the business of having Anthony Davis on your team is not fun. The trade rumors consume your feed, his play on the court is up-and-down (that is, when he plays), and the elephant in the room, the way he got to Dallas, is something that still looms large. In recent days and weeks, the reporting around a potential deal has heavily emphasized that the likelihood Davis gets traded this season has declined. Other teams’ interest seems to be mild to inquiring at best, and because Davis cannot put together an extended stretch of healthy basketball, the narrative around his wants and the teams’ ability to move him has completely changed.
Tim MacMahon reported Monday that Davis’ preference would be to stay in Dallas and sign a long-term extension this summer. Whether this is actual smoke or posturing with the goal of seducing other teams into moving for him now, the possibility of Davis being extended is scary. He is owed ~$58 million next year and ~$63 million in 2027-28, meaning a four-year extension with an annual value of over $68 million would kick in the year before Dallas will have to pay Cooper Flagg his maximum rookie extension. If this were to happen, Dallas would be paying Davis at age 36 and 37 more than their young superstar at ages 23 and 24. That is not conducive to winning.
The Mavericks should and will start building around Cooper Flagg as soon as they can. That they would handicap themselves with a player like Davis from an old regime seems unlikely. But each day that passes, an amount comes off the probability he gets traded as well. All of this drama for a guy who has not played six consecutive games yet in a Mavericks jersey is not ideal. I will rejoice when he either starts playing consistently or gets traded. Or both.
Extra Credit: Brandon Williams
Williams came off the bench and sparked Dallas’ offense as he has done time and again. He scored 29 points in 48 minutes this week while remarkably snagging 14 rebounds and handing out eight assists. When he is good, he helps this team a lot. And he has been good over the last few weeks.
