He was the center the Mavericks needed, not the one they deserved Looking Back I don't think that Samuel Dalembert has gotten credit for how weird of a player he is. He's approaching Jae Crowder levels of nonsense, as his stats indicated all season that he was a hyper-efficient player who kept the Mavericks ' offense humming and the defense stable, when, despite all the data, it just doesn't seem...
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doesn’t always like NBA referees. We get that. But an investigation led by a former FBI agent? Apparently that’s what happened after the 2006 NBA Finals, when the Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat in six games....
Talking assets, liabilities, potential new faces, Instagram takeovers and...music awards shows? 1. LANCE STEPHENSON, ANYONE?: We have a lot of discussions behind the scenes amongst the MMB staff, and a hot topic of late has been the potential for Lance Stephenson to the Mavericks in free agency. Stephenson is not said to be on the Mavs' radar this summer, despite them having plenty of money to play...
We kick off our second week of player reviews with Wayne Ellington. Who, you ask? Yeah, I'm pretty sure Rick Carlisle also forgot who he was. Looking back From Feb. 21 to March 12, Wayne Ellington was a "real basketball player." Playing in eight games, he averaged 6.4 points in 14.3 minutes a game, shooting 53 percent from the floor and knocking down 10-of-20 of his 3-pointers. And then, despite scoring...
The Mavericks' season is over, and so Statsketball is back. This week, I'm looking at the statistical profile of the biggest free agent candidates, and in particular, the wing players the Mavericks might be interested in. This year's playoffs aren't over for everybody – and boy, have they been incredible – but they are over for the Mavericks , and it's about time now to start looking ahead to the...
The how's and why's and nuts and bolts of the Mavs' pursuit of Kevin Love ... Do you need me to 'protect your heart' from Mavs failure? ... Who wants the Rockets' leftovers? ... The Keyboard Eastwood screaming 'COWARD!' at Mark Cuban ... Dirk swings on over to Arlington ... Monday Mavs Donuts!...
From where we sit, Kevin Love's desire to escape Minnesota has long been an inevitability. Now the rubber is about to meet the road as Love will reportedly decline a T'Wolves extension. DallasBasketball.com gives you an exclusive and detailed look at how the Mavs can - and will - package assorted trade offers for Kevin Love:...
In a recent email discussion, our writers had deep thoughts and feelings about the draft, Wayne Ellington, Brandan Wright, Ricky Ledo and the Mavericks' other off-season plans. As you may have seen us mention here in the past, in addition to writing about the Mavs here, we have some lively behind the scenes email discussions as well. Sometimes those lively email discussions are about pop culture or...
A look at the season that was for Dallas' exciting, athletic big man. Looking Back Brandan Wright found himself Dallas after four injury-plagued seasons that threatened to tarnish the former 7th overall pick with the dreaded "bust" label. Signed for barely more than the minimum, Wright not only managed to stay relatively healthy over the next two years, but his play made him easily one of the league's...
A shortage of scintillation and the absence of Dirk ... And like THAT, the Los Angeles Clippers aren't 'America's Team' any more. ... David Lord's sword ... "SpiethCenter'' I can't tell the difference between Russell Westbrook and Barbara Walters ... Weekend Mavs Donuts!...
Also: Dirk is clutch, the Mavericks had a good decade and a hearty handshake to new college graduate Jason Terry. 1. CONFERENCE FINALS HAVE ARRIVED: Both the Wizards and the Clippers fell in Game 6, meaning both NBA Conference Finals are going to be two rather anticlimatic No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle. It's been a little while. The last time the Conf. Finals featured two #1 vs. #2 matchups? 2004-05 with...
A horrific offensive season, but in other ways is he finding his place? Looking Back J'aenthony Michael Crowder. Ovinton J'anthony Crowder. By this, and other names, the Mavs' most confusing player is known. Good things happen every time Jae Crowder steps out on the court; it's just not Jae Crowder doing them. That's the Jae story. Here's some elite level truth about Jaeqen H'ghar Crowder. In the...
Meet Rick Carlisle. Cerebral psychologist. Prickly gym teacher. Playful family man. And one of the finest coaches in all the land. Carlisle wraps up a 2013-14 Mavs season that - if it can be deemed a 'success' - earns that label in no small part due to the leadership of the coach. Carlisle drops the 'prickly gym teacher' act in All-Rick Donuts:...
Larry Sanders, moving on from the Matrix, and more. 1. TIM MACMAHON ON THE RISK OF LARRY SANDERS: Is he worth it for Dallas ? This is such a challenging question, because it requires looking beyond basketball potential and into character issues. Sanders possesses the basketball skills to be a solid anchor in a struggling defense for a contract that's really quite reasonable given his skill set and...
The Bulls need help on offense, and Harris could be an option this offseason. It's not a secret that the Bulls need an influx of offensive talent. The return of Derrick Rose should certainly improve the Bulls' dire situation on offense, but even if he stays healthy and comes back close to his MVP self, he needs more help. The Bulls will have plenty of options to pursue in this crucial offseason, both...
The Israeli point guard played more in 2013 than 2014, but never quite became the decent backup people saw at last year's summer league. Looking Back Gal Mekel -- the NBA's second Israel-born player -- began his stateside career in college at Wichita State, where he played two fairly unimpressive seasons. His freshman year he averaged just four points in 13 minutes of action. As a sophomore, he gained...
Dave Deckard of Blazersedge.com and J.R. Wilco of Pounding the Rock reflect on the Portland Trail Blazers-San Antonio Spurs second round playoff series and the Blazers avoiding elimination. Whenever the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs meet, J.R. Wilco of Pounding The Rock and I engage in a little back-and-forth over the two teams and their prospects. Since we're now embroiled in a 7-game...
Forget for a moment our personal thoughts on the use of marijuana and alcohol and beyond. As we kick around the idea of pursuing centers Monroe, Chandler, Gortat and more, I wonder if any Mavs' trade interest in the troubled Larry Sanders is slowed by the fact that where there was once 'confidentiality protocol' there no longer is. My 'Sword of Damocles' column:...
Round 2 of the player reviews takes a look at the Mavs' best draft pick since Devin Harris Looking Back I have a little secret to admit: I am in love with Shane Larkin . Anyone who follows me on Twitter probably got tired of seeing me break out the same hashtag (#FreeLarkin) any time Calderon, Harris, or Ellis had a bad game. What can I say? In short bursts this season, the kid was ELECTRIC. Larkin...
Many of you may know his famous dad for the outlandish suits he wears on the sidelines during NBA and NCAA basketball games. What you may not know is how much fun Craig Sager and his son have away from the court. As the "Magical Mystery Ride" tour marches on, I continue to find myself in situations that I would've never imagined a few years ago. After the Spurs defeated the Mavericks in Game 7 a few...