He’s Making a List, Checking It Twice
Santa’s coming and he’s been watching the Dallas Mavericks – for better and for worse. We’re a third of the way through the season and with Christmas right around the corner, what better time to place
each Maverick on the correct list for Santa. From exceeding expectations to major disappointment, here’s where each player sits a week before Christmas.
Anthony Davis – Naughty
Health matters. And unfortunately, Anthony Davis hasn’t been. Davis has missed 16 of 28 games this season, mainly due to issues with his left calf. The major concerns for Davis following the trade in February, were his age and health. Davis will turn 33 in March and hasn’t managed to suit up for even half of the games this season. Those concerns were real, and Dallas is experiencing them firsthand in Davis’s first full season as a Maverick.
The Mavericks are undoubtedly better with Davis on the court. Dallas is 7-5 with him and 4-12 without. He provides a much-needed presence in the paint protecting the rim and demands a lot of attention offensively, which takes pressure off Flagg and the rest of the team. However, he’s averaging his lowest scoring output since his rookie season at 19.6 points per game and lowest rebounds per game (10.8) since the 2021-2022 season. Still, the biggest concern is his health. The best ability is availability, and Davis simply hasn’t been available very often.
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Cooper Flagg – Nice
This kid from Duke is pretty good. The point guard experiment was certainly an interesting move by Jason Kidd. Telling an 18-year-old to go run an NBA offense with no NBA experience is quite an interesting decision, but there’s an argument that it’s helped Flagg understand the NBA quicker and grow into the big shoes he has to fill.
And grow he has. In Flagg’s first 10 games, he averaged 13.9 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. In his last 10 games, he’s averaged 22.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. In just 28 games, it’s already clear to see how natural the game of basketball comes to Flagg and how quickly he learns. He’s getting to his spots on the floor. He’s being more aggressive. He’s showing that incredible ability to finish with his left hand. He’s showing why he was the number one overall pick. Make no mistake, he’s evolving into all the things we hoped he would be – and even ahead of schedule. He gets a gold star next to his spot on the nice list.
Kyrie Irving – Nice
Irving gets to land on the nice list solely because he’s the co-face of the franchise along with Cooper Flagg. He also gets big bonus points with Santa for buying his teammates customized golf carts for Christmas. For all the problems that surrounded him before his arrival in Dallas, Irving has been a pillar of peace amidst a ton of turmoil within the organization. His mentorship to the young guys has already been noted as the Mavericks attempt to transition to a new era. He hasn’t been on the court since March, but Irving’s impact has been felt elsewhere. Santa just wants him back on the hardwood.
P. J. Washington – Nice
P. J. Washington has emerged as a consistent second or third option scoring threat. He’s averaging 16.0 points per game (career high), 7.9 rebounds (career high), and 2.1 assists. On the defensive end, he’s averaging 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals.
As the Mavericks’ key point-of-attack defender, Washington has shown he can be elite on both sides of the floor. Fresh off signing a 4-year/$90 million extension in September, seeing Washington take a leap has been a piece of positive news in an otherwise rough start to the year for the Mavs. In almost any rebuild scenario, Washington should be a piece to keep. He’s an easy add to the nice list.
Daniel Gafford – Nice
Daniel Gafford sneaked onto the nice list for a couple reasons. He’s been the most available center in the rotation, even though he’s only played 17 of 28 games. His production has been consistent: 8.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. When Gafford is on the floor, you know what you’re getting: a rim running big man who can block shots and grab boards.
Gafford signed a 3-year/$54 million extension in the offseason and his production and contract are attractive to many teams looking to upgrade their frontcourt. Gafford is already garnering interest across the league and if the Mavericks decide to move him, there will be many suitors. Dereck Lively II’s season-ending injury complicates the situation as Dallas would have an extremely thin frontcourt for the rest of the year if they would trade Gafford.
However, Gafford has become a fan favorite for his thunderous dunks and energy on both ends. When he’s out there, he’s a positive piece that provides a scoring punch and defensive presence. Nice list.
Dereck Lively II – Naughty
This one is incredibly hard to judge. If we’re being consistent in how we grade players in terms of availability, unfortunately Lively lands on the naughty list. But Santa may make an exception and still leave a couple presents under the tree – perhaps a proper injury diagnosis? But that’s a separate topic for a different day.
On paper, Lively sits on the naughty list because he’s only played 7 of 28 games. He played 36 of 82 games last season and 55 of 82 his rookie season. The Mavericks are substantially better with him on the floor. Lively is one of only five players on the Mavs with a positive +/- this season, with Dallas being a +14 in the seven games he’s played. While his stats don’t jump off the page, averaging 4.3 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, his impact as a defensive anchor and lob threat were big contributors in Dallas’s 2024 playoff run.
Lively’s health will continue to be a major concern, but if he can come back next season and show he can stay healthy, he’ll make the nice list.
Naji Marshall – Nice
Only a few things are guaranteed in life – death, taxes, and the Naji Marshall floater. Marshall is one of those guys you hate to play against love having him on your team.
Outside of the mystery illness that sidelined him for several games last season, Marshall has been the definition of durable. He brings energy on both sides of the floor and can get you a bucket when you need it.
This season he’s averaging 12.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, mostly coming off the bench. “The Knife” deserves his spot on the nice list.
Brandon Williams – Nice
Brandon Williams showed big signs of promise after the all-star break last season, evolving into a crafty guard who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor. His ability to get to the rim and finish amongst the trees at 6’1 is more than welcomed on a team that doesn’t have a ton of shot creators.
Williams is averaging 10.9 points per game, 4.1 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. He’s started nine games and played 25 of 28. He provides a boost of offense off the bench and is uniquely creative at getting to his spots and scoring in bunches. He gets a reserved place on the nice list.
Max Christie – Nice
The Dallas Mavericks won the Max Christie trade. Christie has been a big bright spot for the Mavericks this year, being one of the league’s best three-point shooters at 45.8%, including a blistering 52.2% in December. He’s averaging 11.8 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He’s also often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best scoring guard, which he’s proven he’s able to do. Christie is just 22 years old and flourishing in his expanded role with Dallas this year.
After an up-and-down season last year with both the Lakers and Mavericks, Christie has stepped up and shown he can be a cornerstone of the franchise moving forward – nice list.
Klay Thompson – Nice
“The Captain” snapped out of his early shooting slump this season and returned to the Klay Thompson we know. In his first 10 games, Thompson shot an abysmal 29% from beyond the arc. He’s lifted that percentage all the way to 39% as we near Christmas.
Dallas has desperately needed scoring this season and Thompson has stepped up as of late. It’s no secret the Mavericks may move him to realign the organization’s timeline around Cooper Flagg. Whether he stays or not, the Mavericks know what they’re getting with Klay Thompson – a professional who can shoot the living mercy out of the basketball. Add four rings to that professionalism and you get a spot on the nice list.
Ryan Nembhard – Nice
He may be only 5’11, but he packs a punch. Since inserting Nembhard into the starting lineup, the Mavericks offense has been completely transformed.
Nembhard has started nine games this season and the Mavs are 6-3 in those games. In 19 games without him as the starting point guard the Mavericks are 30th in the league in three-point shooting (31.8%), 29th in effective field goal percentage (50.6%), and 28th in turnover percentage (16.3%). However, with the Gonzaga guard, they are fourth in the league in three-point shooting (40.2%), second in turnover percentage (11.6%), and seventh in effective field goal percentage (57.8%).
As a starter this season, Nembhard is averaging 14.8 points per game, 6.8 assists, and just 1.3 turnovers in 27 minutes. He gets high marks from Kris Kringle and lands near the top of the nice list.
D’Angelo Russell – Naughty
Russell is the kid for Santa that he really has to weigh the low-lows and the high-highs to properly place him. Unfortunately, Russell narrowly lands on the naughty list.
Coming into this season, the Mavericks hoped Russell could hold down the fort and keep the team’s head above water until Kyrie Irving returned, but he just hasn’t lived up to expectations. Russell is averaging career lows in points (10.9) and rebounds (2.5) and his second-lowest year in assists (4.1), higher than only his rookie season. His starting spot is traded off between Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard and has even had a handful of DNP’s this year. Just not what the Mavericks were needing or expecting, so onto the naughty list he goes.
Jaden Hardy – Naughty
The “Hardy Party” is over. It’s time for everyone to go home. Jaden Hardy was highly touted coming out of high school and decided to forego college basketball and join the G-League Ignite in 2021. The Mavericks drafted him in 2022, hoping he could be a scoring partner with Luka Doncic (this was before Kyrie Irving’s arrival). Unfortunately, Hardy has never taken that “leap.” This season, he’s averaging 5.8 points per game, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, all career lows in his fourth season. His minutes have trickled down from 14.8 per game his rookie season to 10.5 this season.
To be fair, his minutes have been wildly inconsistent. Jason Kidd favors defensive-minded players and Hardy is anything but that. He slips in and out of the rotation and while he can score in bunches, to this point it appears his ceiling is a decent scorer on a good team. He’s a name to add to the naughty list.
Dwight Powell – Nice
Dwight Powell will always be on the nice list. Santa loves Dwight Powell. He is the face and epitome of longevity and consistency in the NBA. He’s fifth on the Dallas Mavericks all-time games played list behind only Dirk Nowitzki, Brad Davis, Derek Harper, Rolando Blackman. Even in limited minutes, in his 12th year as a Maverick, Powell is averaging an ever-consistent 2.8 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, and unlimited hits to the face. It’s hard to say anything bad about Mr. Consistent. He easily goes onto the nice list.
Moussa Cisse – Nice
We’ve had limited exposure to Moussa Cisse, but the early returns are good. As the Mavericks’ center rotation takes turns in the hospital, converting Moussa Cisse from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract makes more and more sense. He’s averaging 3.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game this season in a little over 10 minutes.
Cisse’s role won’t be defined until after the trade deadline, when the path of the franchise becomes more clear. But in his limited time on the court, he’s been effective and his 6’11, 220-pound athletic frame causes problems for opposing frontcourts.
Caleb Martin – Naughty
The Mavericks are paying Caleb Martin $9.5 million to not be able to shoot. No matter how you view the Quentin Grimes-Caleb Martin swap, many of us didn’t have Martin’s inability to be a basketball player on their “2025 What a Weird Year Bingo Card.” Caleb will have to stay on the naughty list until he can fix that jump shot.
Dante Exum, Miles Kelly – N/A
Exum has probably played his final minutes in the NBA and Miles Kelly hasn’t logged enough minutes.
Wrapping It All Up
Santa hasn’t been thrilled with the Mavericks so far this season, but there have been nuggets of hope that land many players on the nice list. For those that didn’t make it, don’t worry. The calendar is about to turn to 2026 and it’s a clean slate for everyone.
