By DaVince “Dino” Wright
The Mavs Traded AD for who?
The Mavericks will always be known as the team that traded away a generational talent for a hand full of bird seed and a flat ginger ale. Here’s the breakdown in a nutshell: Luka is traded to LA for Anthony Davis and turned the Mavericks from contenders to pretenders. It took only 31 games in two years to send injury prone Anthony Davis out of Dallas. I shared since the sale of the Mavericks that Dallas was slated to move to Las Vegas. That’s not on the table anymore, but the owners could sell the Mavericks and apply for an expansion team in Vegas and everyone would be happy. Now to the trade: Dallas traded Anthony Davis, Dante Exum, D’Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy to Washington for Kris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley II, two first round and three second round draft picks. I like Kris Middleton because he has a championship with Milwaukee and AJ Johnson is a solid defender and Marvin Bagley II is a big man that plays tough on the wing as a defender. Keep in mind that Kyrie Irving is working out and waiting on a medical clearance to return to action. Dallas will make a push after the All-Star break with the new additions. Dallas is on a 7-game losing streak as of late. The chemistry of the team is in disarray and leadership will be exactly what they need to get on track. Dallas is 14-games under .500 and this week will be a challenge for a team that’s under water right now. It’s way too early to talk about Dallas tanking this season and playing for draft leverage right now because they have 44 games left in the season.
Upcoming Week
The Mavericks are currently on a 7-game losing streak with the only bright spot being the emergence of rookie Cooper Flagg. He’s been on a historical run being the youngest player in NBA history with 3 straight 30-point games. Dallas will have a 2-game road trip this week taking on the 31-22 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and the 32-19 Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Dallas has been struggling as of late and winning one out of two games on the road will be big for this team. Keep an eye on the Mavericks bench, they will be huge for a team that still doesn’t have a clear-cut leader or an identity right now.
Upcoming Games – All Times Central
Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns
Tuesday – February 10 – 8:00 p.m.
TV: KFAA
Mortgage Matchup Center – Phoenix, AZ
This will be the second of the 3-game series against the Suns this season. Phoenix leads the series 1-0 with the win in Dallas back in November 123-114. Dallas has a really bad habit of falling short in very winnable games. Rebounding has been the cog that stops runs in the 4th quarter especially around the 6-minute mark. If you are a Maverick fan, keep your eyes on the game clock around the final 6-minutes of the game. The team will start playing erratic, hoisting 3-point shots like they are layups! Players to watch: Dallas: Cooper Rush, Ryan Nembhard and PJ Washington. Phoenix: Devin Booker and Mark Williams. ESPN has the Suns with a 60.3% chance of winning at home. I’m taking the Suns by 8!
Final Score
Suns – 129
Mavericks – 121
Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
Thursday – February 12 – 9:00 p.m.
TV: Prime Video
Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
This will be the third of a four-game series against the Lakers with LA leading the series 2-0. Dallas has a problem with LA this season. Here’s the thing with LA right now, Luka and Deandre Ayton are listed as out for this game. That means nothing because of how good the Lakers bench has been playing. The Lakers will come out trying to squash the Mavericks at home heading into the break. Dallas will need to get physical on the boards and do something! Dallas can get a win if they can withstand the runs made by LA in this one. Players to watch: Lakers: LeBron James (limited minutes if he plays), Dalton Knetch and Austin Reaves. Mavericks: Kris Middleton, Tyus Jones and Daniel Gafford. ESPN has the Lakers with a 63% chance of winning at home. I’m taking the Mavericks with a 6-point win. LA will rest their big named players in this one.
Final Score
Mavericks – 114
Lakers – 108
