The Dallas Mavericks (5-4) took down the Utah Jazz (1-8), 112-100 on Friday night. The victory gets Dallas back on the right track after two-straight losses and gives the Mavs a 2-0 record in Emirates Cup play. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving struggled a bit in the early going, but locked in down the stretch, while Morez Johnson, Jr. had the best game of his nascent NBA career.
We’re switching it up this time and using a numerical grading system on a 10-point scale to grade the players. Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: 5/10
14 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 3 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN
Irving was not sharp from the outset and had a difficult shooting night (7-of-20 overall; 0-of-3 from downtown). While that pulled down his grade, his all-out effort and hustle can’t be overlooked. All night, Irving was on the floor lunging for steals, going amongst the trees for a couple of boards and hitting a few key shots in the latter part of the game to keep the Jazz at bay. It was not his best shooting night, but Irving made up for it in other ways, particularly on the defensive end.
Cooper Flagg: 8/10
21 PTS / 10 REB / 7 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 33 MIN
Flagg shook off the massive funk he was in during the prior two games, but it took him until the second half to do so. He was 7-of-16 from the floor, with most of the misses coming in the first half and got completely lost on a couple of defensive sets, but he persisted. When it was all said and done, he nearly put up a triple-double. Three turnovers and 1-of-4 shooting from deep didn’t help his grade, but this is the type of game that reminds you how special he is. He can have a rough half, yet end with a box score that looks great while having a true positive effect on the outcome of the game.
Caleb Martin: N/A
0 PTS / 0 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 11 MIN
We try to show courtesy to all starters by featuring them in our Grades coverage, but Martin simply can’t be graded. He missed a three-point attempt, committed two fouls and that’s about it. He gets saved from an apparent 1/10 grade because he played so few minutes. Martin has been fine this year and contributes in ways that don’t necessarily show in the box score, but one has to wonder if and when Zaccharie Risacher or Naji Marshall will start in his place.
P.J. Washington: 10/10
26 PTS / 6 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 32 MIN
Washington is like a new man this season, especially of late. He has played great ball and looks fully engaged over the past few games. It also appears as though he re-worked his shot in the offseason, to positive effect. Against Utah, Washington was 6-of-10 from downtown and led all players in scoring. If he can be a bit more consistent with this type of play, he will add another dimension to the team on both sides of the ball.
Daniel Gafford: 6/10
7 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 18 MIN
Gafford had a quirky game. His stat line doesn’t blow you away and his single rebound is somewhat infuriating, however he only played 18 minutes. In that time, he was effective and did what the team needed him to do. His highlight was blocking a three-point attempt, picking up the rejected ball in stride and going in for a monster break-away slam to get the crowd into it.
Walter Clayton, Jr.: 7/10
12 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 23 MIN
If Clayton stays consistent, he is going to make Masai Ujiri, Mike Schmitz and Dusty May look like geniuses. On a team light on well-known guards, the Mavs front office picked up Clayton at the very start of the season and he’s been great for his role. He shot only 1-of-5 from deep Friday night, but has been on fire from range to this part of the season and still managed to hit 50% of his eight shots overall. He’s a capable player that can spell Irving and seeing him play well is no longer a surprise.
Morez Johnson, Jr.: 10/10
13 PTS / 17 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 24 MIN
Johnson was an absolute beast. Compared to his first three games, Johnson looks like a different person. Whether it was shin splints early on or just acclimating to the NBA game, Johnson has experienced a major growth spurt. He is fouling less, playing better within the system and is much more explosive than he was early on. He was all over the boards, led the team in plus/minus with a +20 and was within the flow of the game throughout. This was a coming out party that was great to witness.
Final Thoughts
Dallas needed a win after getting smacked by the Kings and losing a close one to the Spurs. The Mavs couldn’t sleep on the single-win Jazz (who are probably better than their record) like they did with the Kings. It appears they learned from that experience and played through some struggles to pull away. This also gives them their second Emirates Cup win in as many tries, while boosting their point differential as well.
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