New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

2021 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New Orleans vs. #2 Detroit

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #2 Utah

We lost the season series 1-2 but the big news is that Mark Lewis broke his ankle at the end of March. Doctors say that he still has around two weeks until he is fully fit. He may still come back if this series goes to six or seven games but for the majority of it he will be on the sidelines. On our side, Brad Beal won’t be 100% for the first two games but should be fine after that with a sprained toe. In some great news Andre Drummond is well ahead of schedule, even able to play spot minutes from about game four which is a huge team builder.

Western Conference Finals – Utah vs. Dallas

Point Guard
Michael Fisher vs. Matt Brown
13.3 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds vs. 15.9 points, 13.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds

Brown averaged 15.3 points an astonishing 15.8 assists in the series against Minnesota and will try and continue that form against the woeful defender in Fisher. The Utah PG is no slouch though and can put up points and assists in a hurry but usually gives it up on the other end.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
Changa Hendricks vs. Brad Beal
4.8 points, 4.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds vs. 19.6 points, 1.8 assists, 8.6 rebounds

The infamous #2 draft pick from the 2015 draft, being selected over such stars as Paul Orvis, Wesley Fields, Drew McAfee, Antoine Martin and Camara Brinker to name a few. Changa hasn’t had a career anywhere near any of them and is only starting at SG so Murman Andronikov so Murman can play the supersub. Hendricks was also drafted over Murman, who went #13. Good luck to Hendricks because Beal is going to have a field day.

Winner - Dallas

Small Forward
Lebron James vs. Kevin Durant
22.1 points, 4.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds vs. 38.5 points, 1.5 assists, 11.6 rebounds

The Bird-Magic rivalry of the 2010s, James is firmly on the downward slope of career while it seems Durant is having a second wind after his move to Dallas. Those numbers are, quite frankly, video game statistics but he won’t be as good this round. Even though Lebron is 35 years old he has had to step up because of the absence of Mark Lewis.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Derrick Favors vs. Harrison Barnes
23.9 points, 1.3 assists, 14.1 rebounds vs. 14.8 points, 1.9 assists, 7.4 rebounds

Harrison Barnes must have run over someone’s cat to be clubbed like this in two consecutive series. First he was against Kevin Love and even though he somewhat silenced the Wolves’ leader, Favors has been as close to his best in these playoffs. Not only is his primary numbers gaudy, he is averaging 4.5 blocks per game, has a PER of 30.4 and a net +/- of 14.8. The only person with better numbers this playoffs is Kevin Durant. I said good luck to Changa Hendricks for Utah, here is a good luck to Harrison Barnes for Dallas.

Winner - Utah

Centre
DeJuan Blair vs. Joakim Noah
14.0 points, 1.5 assists, 8.1 rebounds vs. 4.8 points, 0.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds

At only 6’7” Blair is a tiny centre but he makes up for it with hustle and a knack for knowing where to be. Without Lewis he has had to step up and to his credit he has done just that, and should be serviceable this series against the ancient Noah.

Winner - Utah

Bench
Murman Andronikov, Timofey Mozgov, Anton Palmer vs. Marcus Thornton, Meyers Leonard, Patrick Patterson

Murman is the only bench player of note for the Jazz while a lot of the Mavericks’ bench players don’t get much court time because of a heavy work load for the starters. The surprising player who will make a difference is Jevin Lindeman, who will not let momentum down when Matt Brown gets a breather. Lindeman can direct traffic and is a great defender, exactly the things that are needed in the playoffs.

Winner – Dallas

Prediction – Dallas in six. If both teams were 100% healthy then it would be Utah pretty easy, but now Mark Lewis is injured, and seeing as he is a huge part of this team it is going to be hard to get back.

OK, first game of our destiny. I know it sounds corny but really, we need to win this series so we can at least have a shot at New Orleans and a big fat taste of victory. Things went well in game one, getting out to a eleven point lead at the quarter time break but let it slide after the Jazz pulled it back with a 36-26 second quarter. That’s alright, we were up by one. Oscar winner Vin Diesel once said in one of his earlier movies “It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning's winning.” One point is just enough. The third quarter was back a forth, but we ended up winning the quarter by five to go up by six going into the final term. Harrison Barnes had a blinder, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in the game while holding Derrick Favors to only 16 points and 7 rebounds. Unfortunately we forgot about Lebron James who finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds as the Jazz ran us off the floor in the last, outscoring us 32-22 to take first blood 116-112. DeJuan Blair was amazing with 22 points and 10 rebounds as he looks to be the x-factor in this series. Kevin Durant needed 29 shots to get 29 points while Matt Brown had 12 points and 14 assists. We will need to get one back in Salt Lake City because they now have home court advantage.

Utah leads 1-0

ECF Game One – Detroit 79 – New Orleans 83 (NOH 1-0)

Derrick Favors had a much better game with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks while DeJuan Blair continued his fine form with 18 points and 12 rebounds and we were looking down the barrel with a seven point deficit at half time. The crowd was getting restless as they had put probably too much pressure on this team to perform, especially after the two sweeps. Luckily for us we had a bonefide MVP candidate in Kevin Durant, who torched Lebron James to the tune of 53 points and 11 rebounds as we strike back 111-98 to knot the series. Matt Brown shouldn’t be overlooked as he broke a 37 year record by dishing out 25 assists, beating Magic Johnson’s 24 assists in 1984 against Phoenix. Fantastic game by two of our stars, but now the real game begins.

Series tied 1-1

ECF Game Two – Detroit 85 – New Orleans 101 (NOH 2-0)

Utah have never won a championship, ever. So if you thought the crowds in Minnesota were rowdy you haven’t seen anything like this. Michael Fisher was amazing, having 21 points while fouling Matt Brown out in only 19 minutes after turning the ball over seven times. A huge letdown for him after the 25 assist game. Jevin Lindeman filled in for him well though, putting up 4 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. But it was Derrick Favors who stole the show (again) with 26 points (on 30 shots), 16 points and 5 blocks as the Jazz beat us again 98-87. Lebron James only had 8 points but having someone like Murman Andronikov off the bench is a blessing, as the Estonian had 19 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Durant put up 37 points but he didn't shoot well, going 13/32. Brad Beal also had an off night with only 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Utah leads 2-1

ECF Game Three – New Orleans 113 – Detroit 99 (NOH 3-0)

We need to win game four or else it might be curtains for us, as being down 3-1 is a terrible place to be. The Jazz crowd on the other hand would be delighted if we went down 3-1. What a game it turned out to be, with 19 lead changes, 11 ties and the largest lead at any point in the game by either team was a paltry eight points. It was tied at three quarter time and it seemed like it was going to be a game for the ages. It didn’t turn out that way as we outscored the Jazz by seven in the final term to take back home court advantage with a 120-113 victory. Kevin Durant had 33 points in the win while Matt Brown made up for his stinker last game with 18 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds. Harrison Barnes tried his best against Derrick Favors with 21 points but the Utah superstar was just too much for him with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Lebron was held to 7/20 shooting for only 18 points in the loss. Back to Big D and hopefully another win.

Series tied 2-2

ECF Game Four – New Orleans 105 – Detroit 119 (NOH 3-1)

The team is revved up for game five, not because we have to win it but because we need to win it. Not for a ‘we will go up 3-2 in the series’ type of game but we need to stamp our foot here and show that we are the best team in the West and we can go up against New Orleans. We do just that, racing out to a 40-14 first quarter lead and utterly smashing the Jazz 121-87 to re-instate our dominance. Kevin Durant had 41 points and 9 rebounds while keeping Lebron James to only 12 points while Matt Brown was again in the 20 assist level with 16 points and 20 assists. Derrick Favors did all he could with 21 points and 14 rebounds but apart from Michael Fisher’s 25 points there was no help.

Dallas leads 3-2

ECF Game Five – Detroit 116 – 95 (NOH 3-2)

Here it is. Both higher seeds have a chance to go through to the NBA Finals with a win on enemy soil. The Hornets do it with a 111-90 win to oust the Pistons behind Anthony Davis’ 24 point, 13 rebound, 7 blocked shot performance. All that needs to happen is for us to win now. Kevin Durant had 45 points while Andre Drummond returned to the team for 20 minutes which was amazing. Matt Brown went 2/15 from the field for 5 points and 13 assists while Joakim Noah had 12 rebounds off the bench. All well and good but one person stood in our way: Derrick Favors. The big man had 42 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks in what was simply one of the greatest performances in a playoff game ever, as the Jazz steer the series back with a 108-95 win. What makes things worse is that Mark Lewis is also semi-back, playing 17 minutes in the game to gauge if he can have full minutes in the series decider. Not good for us.

Series tied 3-3

ECF Game Six – New Orleans 111 – Detroit 90 (NOH 4-2)

For some terrible reason I have a bad feeling about this game. I keep getting flashback to my second last season at Memphis in 2018 where we went 55-27 but lost in the WCF. We had battled from 3-1 down against Oklahoma City just to lose in game seven in the worst game I have ever seen by one of my teams. We shot 25% from the field, 2/34 from three point land and lost 70-56 in a game I sometimes have nightmares about. It was a long time ago, I know, but I just can’t shake the feeling we are going to lose.

The first quarter was a blowout as we got out to a 30-15 lead and pushed it out to 54-31 at half time and my fears had been for nothing. The Jazz made a fightback in the third, clawing the lead back to 13 points but we held our nerve and won the game and series 112-96! Phew. Kevin Durant had 44 points and 8 rebounds while Brad Beal put up 25 points. Andre Drummond never missed a beat with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks and even though he isn’t fully fit, he will be for the NBA Finals. I didn’t know at the time but apparently Derrick Favors did his ankle right at the end of last game and it was bad enough to keep him out of this one which was huge. He suited up and was warming up before the game but apparently the team doctors didn’t give the team the all clear in time. Lebron James had 23 points in the loss while Murman Andronikov matched him off the bench. Mark Lewis only had 4 points and 5 rebounds but he is still nursing his ankle injury. Phew, what a game. We rewarded our fans and our city with this win and now was tackle the defending champions and odds on favourites the New Orleans Hornets.

Dallas wins series 4-3

[zike_42]

2021 NBA Finals

#1 New Orleans vs. #1 Dallas

Point Guard
Lewis Vines vs. Matt Brown
11.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds vs. 13.7 points, 13.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds

Brown has simply been the talk of these playoffs. He has had four 20+ assist nights and averages nearly fourteen assists per game in the post season. Simply mind blowing. He won’t score much because Vines is arguably the best defensive point guard in the league and will harass the youngster all series long. His assist averages have been down not because of his poor play but Dion Waiters has become a secondary ball handler and will make Vines play off the ball sometimes.

Winner - Draw

Shooting Guard
Dion Waiters vs. Brad Beal
13.6 points, 5.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds vs. 19.4 points, 2.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds

The X-Factor of this NBA Finals Waiters has been a revelation for the Hornets. Sure he was great when he played for the Clippers but his tenacity and level headedness has been extremely important for this team. His defence is great and is a willing passer. He will need to do all he can against Beal who can light it up in a hurry if Waiters lets his guard down.

Winner – Dallas (not as much as you think)

Small Forward
Derek Thomas vs. Kevin Durant
16.4 points, 1.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds vs. 39.3 points, 1.8 assists, 9.5 rebounds

Oh dear. The Hornets’ usual SF Bill Gearhart is nursing a sprained ankle and will have it for most of the series usual starting C Thomas is now going up against the Kevin Durant juggernaut. No-one could have expected that his numbers would INCREASE from last series but they did, to nearly 40 points a game through15 games. It’s probably good that Thomas is guarding Durant because Gearhart is only 6’4” and the lanky Maverick loves shooting over smaller guys.

Winner - Dallas

Power Forward
Anthony Davis vs. Harrison Barnes
21.4 points, 2.2 assists, 11.3 rebounds vs. 14.7 points, 1.8 assists, 8.9 rebounds

Geez, can Harrison Barnes get a break? First Kevin Love who averaged 29 points and 12 rebounds a game, second was Derrick Favors who put up 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals and now his biggest challenge – Anthony Davis. Along with those playoff numbers he is stealing the ball three times a game and blocking four shots each encounter. Barnes was a little overwhelmed against Favors after taking care of Love and will be swallowed up by the Unibrow.

Winner – New Orleans

Centre
Al Horford vs. Andre Drummond
8.8 points, 0.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds vs. 8.0 points, 1.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds

This is Horford’s first start in these playoffs because of Bill Gearhart’s injury and it will be a struggle. Drummond is itching to do some damage after sitting out nearly all of the previous playoff games. Horford is going to struggle and don’t be surprised if the Hornets change Horford for Thomas and stick someone else at SF, like Danilo Gallinari.

Winner - Dallas

Bench
Bill Gearhart, Danilo Gallinari, Ed Davis vs. Marcus Thornton, Joakim Noah, Meyers Leonard

We don’t know what kind of production Gearhart is going to give with his injury but when he is healthy he is a scoring machine. Gallinari and Davis are serviceable bench players but the Hornets only go seven deep, so if the Mavericks can get their opposition in foul trouble it may turn the tide.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – New Orleans in six. The equation may be 3-1 (and two draws) in favour of the Mavericks but the Hornets are just too well drilled and so gelled that I can’t see the Mavericks being a problem for a second straight title. With Anthony Davis the centre point of this team he has them running like a well oiled and robotically steroid-ed machine. Even without a fully healthy Bill Gearhart the Hornets are odds on favourites.

Before game one Kevin Durant told the team that he was sick of being second best. He was drafted number two in the 2007 draft. He was always seen as the second best player in the league, first behind Lebron James and now behind Anthony Davis. Sure he has won three MVP awards but in the public’s eye he was lucky to win them. He has never won a championship yet has been runner up three times in his career. He went on to say that now he has a proper team, not a squad that revolves around him. He understands that he is the focal point on offence but guys like Andre Drummond, Bill Walker, Will Barton and Derrick Woodward have all won titles. Brad Beal and Joakim Noah are previous All Star attendants. “We also have this young guy from Southern Illinois who can pass the ball a little”, Durant said. A laugh went up at Matt Brown’s expense as Brown threw a towel at Durant. “It’s my time to win; it’s our time to reward our loyal fans. These guys are too confident and they think they can walk in and win the championship. Well let’s show them Dallas basketball!” A roar went up in the locker room and my goosebumps are as big as goose eggs.

The New Orleans crowd was immense. I’m sure they were over their legal limit in the stadium and there were so many people in the CBD that it must have been a ghost town in the suburbs. And after the Hornets got out to a twelve point lead in the second term I couldn’t hear my wife next to me. Anthony Davis ended with a triple double, 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 blocks while Dion Waiters was right on the money with 24 points and 8 assists. We struck back in the second and third quarter, outscoring them by 16 points to take a commanding lead. The crowd was nervous and I was ecstatic as we ran out the final quarter with a 37-29 win to take first blood and the home court advantage 122-104. Mr ‘Number Two’ Kevin Durant was everywhere, scoring 51 points while shooting 20/25 free throws in the game. Brad Beal took it to Waiters with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Matt Brown fouled Lewis Vines out in 17 minutes on his way to 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Derek Thomas and David Forney both fouled out trying to guard Kevin Durant but it was just his night and he deserved it after that heartfelt speech. For all the talk about the importance of Bill Gearhart he finished with 2 points on 1/7 shooting.

Dallas leads 1-0

I knew it, you knew it, and the whole basketball world knew that New Orleans would come back hard. They were angry and were out for revenge after we apparently ‘embarrassed’ them by winning game one. Anthony Davis started out strong and the Hornets wiped us off the court in the first quarter, winning the term 35-20. We got back in the second term to come within eight and at the end of the third quarter we were only down by three. Our defence was outstanding as outside Davis and Dion Waiters the other Hornets were terrible, shown by Lewis Vines’ night of 3 points on 1/8 shooting and 10 assists. To our credit we didn’t give up after that blowout first quarter. And thanks to Kevin Durant we outscored the reigning champions 32-23 to embarrass New Orleans some more as we take both away games with the final score ending at 108-102. Durant had another blinder with 39 points and 10 rebounds but it was our second year sensation Matt Brown who was our star with 23 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds and totally nullified Lewis Vines. Anthony Davis was again everywhere with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks while Dion Waiters had 21 points but the rest of the starters combined for only 28 points on 11/28 shooting.

Dallas leads 2-0

This is totally uncharted seas for us as this scenario was never discussed. Sure it was a pipe dream but if someone told them that we would steal BOTH games from New Orleans I would tell them to come back to reality. To makes matters even better is that the NBA Finals run on a 2-3-2 schedule, so we have three home games to try and get two wins. The whole structure of the series has violently shifted.

I have never seen such a warm welcome when we got off the plane back in Dallas. There was at least 2000 people waiting for us and with the two away wins there is a buzz going around the city that we are guaranteed to win the championship. I can understand this hype but I hate it. I tell Jaymes that we need a media blackout, our guys can’t get sucked into this euphoria. The team is going to stay in a hotel for these three games instead of going to their respective homes because they need to stay focused.

Onto the game the crowd was so loud that the car park sounded like a rave with so many car alarms going off. There were almost double the amount of security in the arena and around the stadium to make sure there wasn’t any funny business while the game was on. We stuck with the Hornets to half time, holding a slim four point lead. Jeff Van Gundy apparently read the riot act to his team and they responded in the third, winning the quarter 35-19 and we just couldn’t get back in the game, going down 112-102 to lose our first at home. Anthony Davis was simply amazing, putting up 29 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks to almost win the game single handedly. Al Horford finally woke up with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Dion Waiters was his normal self with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 rebounds. Lewis Vines was heard before the game that he was going to ‘take out the new kid’ but he didn’t hit Matt Brown, just caused him to shoot 3/13 from the field and turn the ball over five times. Brown did have 12 assists though. Kevin Durant did pretty much all he could with 45 points and 7 rebounds but apart from Andre Drummond who had 23 points and 10 rebounds the rest of our squad just couldn’t get going, as we shot 41% from the field. We lost our safety as winning another game in New Orleans with this kind of frenzy behind them will be extremely hard.

Dallas leads 2-1

In game four both of the super-superstars had extremely different games as Kevin Durant put up his customary 40 points while Anthony Davis went 5/12 from the field for only 16 points and 8 rebounds. Sounds like a Mavericks win, right? Not even close as the Hornets torch us 40-23 in the third quarter just like last game as they send a statement that they’re not dead yet with a 125-99 series tying win. Lewis Vines took the baton with 27 points, 11 assists and 6 steals while Danilo Gallinari went bananas with 18 points and 8 rebounds in only 17 minutes off the bench. We again shot badly at 41% from the field and all of our momentum from the first two games has vanished.

Series tied 2-2

Our last home game of the season and we need to make it count. All four games so far in this NBA Finals have been won by the away side and we need to win this to stay in the series. We all know that Kevin Durant can score but he needs help. To makes matters worse Bill Gearhart is fully healthy as he has slotted into the starting SF position with Derek Thomas going back to his C spot.

The Good – Brad Beal had 24 points and 9 rebounds and Matt Brown had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists (but turned the ball over eight times).

The Bad – Anthony Davis was even better than normal, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks for another triple double while Derek Thomas took Andre Drummond to the sword with 30 points.

The Ugly – Kevin Durant went 4/15 from the field for only 21 points as we lose again 110-98 to go down 3-2 in the series after being up 2-0 with three home games ahead of us. This is just depressing.

New Orleans leads 3-2

The New Orleans crowd is already celebrating, sure they might lose this game (big might) but they think that the team could never lose two more home games. They don’t need two games as the New Orleans Hornets go back to back with a 109-93 victory to win the series 4-2. Anthony Davis tops off his Finals MVP performance with 19 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks as we crumble. Kevin Durant had 34 points and 8 rebounds but it’s just all hollow. What a waste of a season, what a waste of two games. What a waste...

New Orleans wins 4-2

[zike_42]

After a devastating 4-2 defeat in the NBA Finals to the New Orleans Hornets, the Dallas Mavericks aren’t a bunch of happy campers right now. They won the first two games in hostile territory but then imploded, losing the next four with three in Texas. However, through the darkness there is light. Dallas fans shouldn’t moan and feel sorry for themselves; they should be excited for next season. Here’s why.

-A full training camp. Alongside Marcus Thornton and Derrick Woodward, Kevin Durant only came to the team during the season. Having a full training camp will be a godsend for the team as they can work together and gel without their winning percentage being in jeopardy, instead of being thrown into the fire like they did. If the team can get to the NBA Finals without really knowing each other, how good can they be after a whole off season together?

-Potential becomes reality. The uber-talented Marcus Randle didn’t play a single minute in the NBA after being sent to the D-League before the season started. He won’t be down there next season as his skills and temperament are off the charts. If all goes well he might even steal the starting PF position, but will probably be the first big off the bench because of Coach Jaymes Bekale’s philosophy of playing veterans first.

-Point to the future. The playoff campaign was Matt Brown’s breaking out party as he led this team with poise and level-headedness beyond his years. He has now an NBA record with 25 assists in a single playoff game and averaged a whopping 12.4 assists and only 3.6 turnovers during the postseason. The best part? This was only his second NBA season and at only 22 years old he has loads of growing to do.

So please Dallas fans, don’t get too sad. Sure, weep for the wasted opportunities in the NBA Finals but look to the future and expect greatness.

[zike_42]

Urgh, what a week. I don’t really remember much because I always seemed to be drowning my sorrows but I have to get back to work. The NBA lottery is up first and luckily we don’t have a pick so I can ease back into work slowly.

16 – Brooklyn (0)
15 – Cleveland (0)
14 – Indiana (0)
13 – Portland (0)
12 – Charlotte (0)
11 – Chicago (0)
10 – LA Clippers (0)
9 – LA Lakers (0)
8 – Seattle (0)
7 – Portland (0)
6 – Phoenix (0)
5 – Nevada (-2)

Finally some movement. Both Boston and Golden State have jumped.

4 – Sacramento (-2)
3 – Golden State (+1)
2 – Washington (-1)
1 – Boston (+4)

Boston gets their second number one pick in three years after they selected Raul Lopez in 2019.

Awards time and I have a feeling that Kevin Durant will be in the running for MVP, alongside Anthony Davis and Kevin Love.

Most Valuable Player:
Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks – 30.6 points, 1.8 assists, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 1.3 blocks

Great news for KD and well deserved. His performance in the playoffs pretty much cemented this for him.

Defensive Player of the Year:
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets – 21.1 points, 1.8 assists, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 4.0 blocks.

That’s six straight DPoY awards for Davis and I can’t see anyone taking it away from him.

Sixth Man of the Year:
Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers – 13.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 0.2 blocks.

Second year in a row Shump has won this award but he really needs to go to a team that will start him.

Rookie of the Year:
Dustin Harris, Portland Trailblazers – 15.2 points, 0.8 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 0.5 blocks

Good on him but I guarantee that he will be traded for peanuts because of his horrible attitude.

Coach of the Year:
Jeff Van Gundy, New Orleans Hornets – 65-17 (.793)

The best team by far gets the spoils and Van Gundy did a great job with all of those egos.

All NBA First Team:
Steph Curry, New York Knicks
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Jeff Cunningham, Los Angeles Lakers

Strange to see Love beat out Anthony Davis for All NBA PF.

All NBA Second Team:
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Klay Thompson, Orlando Magic
Paul Orvis, Toronto Raptors
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Vitaly Ekomov, Philadelphia 76ers

All NBA Third Team:
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
John Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Chandler Parsons, Miami Heat
Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz
Ernest Jameson, San Antonio Spurs

Say what you want about Harrison Barnes but in three playoff series he played all three All NBA power forwards, one after the other.

All Defence First Team:
Ricky Rubio, Chicago Bulls
Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers
Paul Orvis, Toronto Raptors
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Jonas Valanciunas, Milwaukee Bucks

All Defence Second Team:
Li-chi King, Charlotte Bobcats
Dion Waiters, New Orleans Hornets
Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
Andre Drummond, Dallas Mavericks

All Rookie First Team:
Darcel Settles, Indiana Pacers
Doug Fisher, Philadelphia 76ers
Paul Bickerstaf, Cleveland Cavaliers
Carl Farmer, Seattle Supersonics
Dustin Harris, Portland Trailblazers

All Rookie Second Team:
Jim Brown, Orlando Magic
Jacob Alexander, Charlotte Bobcats
Lisandro Perez, Sacramento Kings
John Nemitz, Nevada Neon
Gabriel Estevez, Boston Celtics

It was a fairly sombre discussion with Mr English about the season. It pretty much went, “If you can help it don’t spend so much money next season but if it gets a title then do what is needed. Also, get those New Orleans bastards.” Sounds good to me.

I give all of our coaches three year extensions because they deserve it. Taking this team from nothing to title contenders is not an easy thing to do so they should be financially rewarded. I’m grooming Kevin Garnett (our second assistant) for the head job because Jaymes is getting up there in age at 73 years old. I don’t know how much longer he will be around and having a protégé is always a smart thing to have.

Here is the NBA Mock Draft –
1 – Boston – SG Varlam Chavchavadze
2 – Washington – PG DeShaun Worley
3 – Golden State – SG John Jackson
4 – Sacramento – PG Ryan Smiley
5 – Nevada – PG Reggie Dobbins
6 – Phoenix – PG Darren Banks
7 – Portland – PF Willis Owens
8 – Seattle – SF Darrell Hampton
9 – LA Lakers – SF James Swygart
10 – LA Clippers – SG Lamont Nelson
11 – Chicago – SG Michael Williams
12 – Charlotte – C Corey Barnes
13 – Portland – C Isaac Lane
14 – Indiana – PF Shannon Barker
15 – Cleveland – SF Patrick Brennan
16 – Brooklyn – SF Earl Malone

Did I say that this draft was guard heavy? I didn’t think it was that bad as the first six picks here in the mock draft are guards with another two more in the top eleven. I can see Owens climb into the top five if he goes well in the combine.

[zike_42]

2021 NBA Draft

There’s this guy at the office called Tim who cannot get enough of Atlanta’s Ron Winston. Tim’s nickname is Jestor because he is a funny guy but he goes on and on about Winston and how he is the reincarnation of Mateen Yeaton who played a long time ago in the league. 6’8”, long wingspan, can light it up and a good defender as well. It seems everyday Jestor comes into my office to drop off some mail or hand a box score he will say something about Ron. Everyday. So to shut him up and to get some cap space I go out and get him before the first draft pick has been selected.

Dallas trade:
SG Brad Beal
SG Marcus Thornton
2023 1st round pick
2023 2nd round pick

Atlanta trade:
SG Ron Winston
SG Avery Bradley

Winner – Both. Even though the Hawks add more salary they get the more ‘win-now’ player in the trade. That might change next season because of Winston’s fantastic potential. Beal should shine as the number one option again.

I’m happy with this trade, it is sad to see Beal leave but Winston will be everything he was and more. I love how Ron is 6’8” and can defend better than average and having Bradley off the bench for more defence is a great deal as well. OK, to the Draft.

1 – Boston – SG Varlam Chavchavadze
There was talk that the Celtics were going to take Willis Owens here but they did the right thing. Pairing Chav-chav with Raul Lopez has put the Celtics near a playoff spot as soon as next season.

2 – Washington – PG DeShaun Worley
Another great pick here as I have always thought he was the second best player in the draft. He will fit in nicely in the hole left after Ricky Rubio jumped ship.

After the second pick Miami offer me their first round pick (#19) for Meyers Leonard and I accept. Sure he has some talent but I was sick of him sooking about playing time so it’s good to get something out of him. I ask Sacramento about DeMarcus Cousins and they quickly shut me down. I don’t blame them for turning that down, Cousins is a great talent.

3 – Golden State – PF Willis Owens
He has jumped into the top three because of his great workouts. Owens doesn’t look like a superstar talent like the first two but he should be a solid starter for years to come.

4 – Sacramento – PG Ryan Smiley
Raw but has oodles of potential. He excels in the open court and can run the point nicely already, so add that to his potential he might be a All NBA player one day. Worley is better now but Smiley might pip him down the road.

5 – Nevada – PG Darren Banks
I think the Neon were looking for Smiley to drop so they panic a little and snag Banks. At only 168lbs he will be pushed around every night and the experts agree with me when I say that he is a reach.

6 – Phoenix – PG Reggie Dobbins
Needs to work on his mental game as he is known to turn the ball over too much but he is an excellent shooter. Could have been taken a little lower but it’s too bad of a pick. That’s four PGs in the first six picks.

7 – Portland – C Corey Barnes
Is this the end of Dustin Harris already? Barnes is only 6’9” but his rebounding instincts are delicious. He is very raw as his post moves aren’t developed but he has some flashes of what he could be.

8 – Seattle – SF Petrick Brennan
Yep, Petrick with an E. I haven’t heard much about Brennan and I think he rode on Willis Owens’ coattails at Michigan State to get here. Terrible pick for the Sonics.

9 – LA Lakers – SG Josh Jackson
Great shooter and will fit in nicely with the Lakers. Fast not only in a straight line but also with the ball in his hands. He didn’t have the best workout which is why he dropped but the Lakers have the first steal in the draft.

10 – LA Clippers – SF James Swygart
Great shooter and has decent rebounding and blocking skills but isn’t the fastest guy out there and is very skinny. I know the Clippers like playing Christopher de Castro out of position but this is a bad pick in the same position as your best player.

11 – Chicago – SG Michael Williams
Absolutely automatic is left open. Like Steve Novak wise. He is also a good defender but he is known to gamble too much which causes him to pick up fouls too quickly. Also turns the ball over too much. So to sum up, don’t let him defend or handle the ball and just have him sit in a corner and shoot jumpshots, OK?

There is a guy that I want that is still on the board so I weasel my way into getting Charlotte’s pick, which is up next.

Dallas trade:
PF Patrick Patterson
2021 1st round pick (#19)
2022 2nd round pick

Charlotte trade:
2021 1st round pick (#12)

Winner – Dallas. They move up seven spots for a future second rounder and Patterson who is a bench big at best.

12 – Dallas – SG JD Lawson
He is ridiculously raw but he has a great attitude and an amazing work ethic which excites me. I will stash him in the D-League for at least two years but after that look out.

13 – Portland – PF Shannon Barker
Great scorer and rebounder but he is more of a SF at 6’8”, 216lbs. Will be a stretch four if he plays there but he does have talent to play in this league. Definition of a tweener though.

14 – Indiana – SF Darrell Hampton
Another tweener who will most likely be a big bodied SG, Hampton has been getting by on his physical talents instead of his game. His physical talents are amazing so if he gets his game in order he might be an All Star.

15 – Cleveland – C Isaac Lane
The second best C in the draft but that isn’t saying much. Good defender but his offensive game is that of a high schooler. He will get court time as an enforcer but he really needs to work on his post game to stay in the league.

16 – Brooklyn – PG Eli Mahorn
6’6” PG and he is a pure PG. He is a great scorer and defender but he is not known as a combo guard, he likes to control the game. At the end of the lottery it’s still not a good pick but the Nets were looking for a PG and got one.

17 – San Antonio – SG Lamont Nelson
All the talent in the world but he is super lazy and has a terrible attitude.

18 – Milwaukee – PG Jeremy Allen
19 – Charlotte – C David Bartow
20 – Philadelphia – PF Mike Watson
21 – LA Lakers – PF Antoine Walton
22 – Denver – PG Damon Bond
23 – Milwaukee – PG Dan Vines
24 – Toronto – PF Cederic Thomas
25 – Atlanta – SF Earl Malone
26 – Minnesota – SG Kerwin Hucks
27 – New York – PF Germaybe Solverson
28 – Oklahoma City – SF Omar Owens
Cousin of #3 pick Willis Owens.

29 – Detroit – PF Mike Bryant
30 – Utah – SG Kevin Dixon
31 – Washington – C Ian Ransom
32 – New Orleans – SG Matt Wingfield

Surprisingly there were some massive trades in the draft with a few teams changing their whole strategy with these deals.

Phoenix trade:
SG Alfred Abney

Brooklyn trade:
C Spencer Hawes
2021 2nd round pick

Winner – Brooklyn. The Suns clean out some of their wing glut but they could have got something better than Hawes. Abney will be great for the Nets as a sometimes PG.

Miami trade:
SF Sam Jennings

Phoenix trade:
PF Nate Roberts
2021 2nd round pick

Winner – Miami. Roberts finally gets to play his natural position and will be great next to DeAndre Jordan. Jennings just adds to the Suns’ wing glut after they got rid of Abney. To makes matters worse Abney is a much better player than Jennings.

Golden State trade:
C Jimmy Forrest

Milwaukee trade:
SG Darryl Iacona
2021 2nd round pick

Winner – Both. Forrest is a great scorer but terrible defender but if the Bucks can sign Jonas Valanciunas back they should have a great big man rotation. GS gets a very good defensive SG in Iacona who is now the starter.

Indiana trade:
SF Kawhi Leonard

Boston trade:
PG John Weir

Winner – Boston. The Pacers’ balance is now out while the Celtics look amazing. They have so much trust in #1 pick Chavchavadze that they got rid of a double double point guard. Leonard slots into their SG position with Raul Lopez at SF.

Orlando trade:
PF DeWayne Johnson (receive SF Chris Hampton)

Chicago trade:
SG Jon Eyles (receive PF DeWayne Johnson)

Denver trade:
SF Chris Hampton (receive SG Jon Eyles)

Winner – Orlando. Hampton is the best player dealt in this deal and slots nicely into the PF position. He also has a team option next season so if the Magic don’t like him they can just get $7 million in savings.

Portland trade:
C Dustin Harris

Philadelphia trade:
PG Arthur Evans
2021 2nd round pick

Winner – Portland. I knew he would be traded but not this quickly. Even though the Blazers got an inferior player they win the trade just because they removed Harris from their squad.

Philadelphia trade:
C Tim Johnston (receive SF Tom Howard)

Toronto trade:
SF Tom Howard (receive (SF Dylan Peterson)

Orlando trade:
SF Dylan Peterson (receive C Tim Johnston)

Winner – Toronto. The Magic got the raw end of the deal here because not only did they trade the best player in the deal but they received the worst with the worst contract. Bad deal by Orlando all around.

Minnesota trade:
SF Evan Turner

New Orleans trade:
PF Ed Davis

Winner – Minnesota. The Wolves are worried that Kevin Love might bolt so they got some insurance in Davis. He also has an expiring contract while Turner has nothing left and still needs to be paid for another three years.

[zike_42]

We only have three free agents, Joakim Noah, Derrick Woodward and Kevin Durant so I say goodbye to Noah and keep the others for their rights. Joakim just doesn’t have it in him anymore and at 36 years old I don’t think he will be picked up for next season.

Our summer league team looks the goods as well, with Jevin Lindeman, Matt Brown, JD Lawson and Marcus Randle all being invited.

However, it was none of the above who played the best in our 93-85 opener win over Portland as Greg McKinley put up 18 points and 9 rebounds at the starting centre position. The four contracted players didn’t do much, combining for 26 points in the win. Corey Barnes was great for the Blazers with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in the loss.

Wow, what a terrible game our next one was. Chicago beat us 86-72 as we shoot 35% from the floor with Matt Brown going 6/20 for 15 points. Marcus Randle was our best with 17 points and 8 rebounds but the rest of the team was woeful. Clint Thomas took out player of the game honours with 19 points and 8 rebounds.

That’s better as we take out the Sixers 92-81 behind Matt Brown’s 18 points and 9 assists as five Maverick players were in double figures.

Another game in the seventies as we lose to Indiana 86-79 as Darius Nolan beat up JD Lawson for 15 points and 7 rebounds. It was a very forgettable game all around with Matt Brown going 3/13 from the field for 6 points.

Finally it’s our last summer league game after four stinkers and our guys actually have a go in our 102-82 victory over Minnesota. Matt Brown put up 23 points and 11 assists while Marcus Randle had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Even JD Lawson scored 15 points in 24 minutes. Kerwin Hucks was the best for the Wolves with 20 points.

Very disappointing summer league but I guess they are young and inexperienced. I expected more from Matt Brown though. Onto free agency.

Top Ten Free Agents
PF Anthony Davis
PF Kevin Love
SF Kevin Durant
PF Blake Griffin
SG Earl Oliver*
SF Gabe White
C Travis Ross
C Jeff Cunningham
C Jonas Valanciunas
SF Lebron James

Strange to see Lebron James so far down the list but at 36 years old I guess time as finally caught up with him. Speaking of time, James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the highest scoring player of all time with 38,695 points so far, 307 points more than Kareem. Congratulations to Lebron as the highest scorer of all time. It must be disappointing for him that he has only won one championship in his career, way back in 2011 with the Miami Heat. Kevin Durant is fourth on the list with 36,452 points.

Speaking of Durant I offer him a four year, $80 million contract which will take him to 36 years old. It may be overpaying a 36 year old $20 million but I’m more interested in the years before that. Our starters are set so I’m looking to snag some good bench players who aren’t wanting a lot of minutes but will do something with the ones they are given. Easy, right?

A few days later Kevin Durant re-signs here for $20 million a year over four years which is a steal for the reigning MVP.

Boo, Anthony Davis re-signs with the Hornets for another five years. I wanted him to go somewhere else so we could beat New Orleans. Earl Oliver, Lebron James and Raoul Dumas re-sign with their respective teams. I offer my old friend Ricardo Marquardt a two year minimum deal to come to Dallas.

MASSIVE NEWS! Kevin Love has spurned the Wolves to take his talents to San Antonio on a four year, $67 million deal. Minnesota had heard the rumours that Love was sick of losing there and was thinking of leaving but going to the Spurs isn’t really the best place for him because their talent is really low and he is on the downward end of his career. Blake Griffin, Jeff Cunningham and Bill Gearhart re-sign with their teams for five years. Also, Ricardo Marquardt must like it in LA as he re-signed with the Lakers for three years.

Two more big names are moving town with Travis Ross packing his bags for Seattle for four years while Marco Barker cashed in his great season to get a four year deal with Portland.

Seattle hasn’t put away the cheque book as they sign Bret Davis to a four year, $41 million offer sheet, so now they wait. The biggest news of the day is Alexander Verhaeren signing an offer sheet with the Clippers for nearly $10 million a year. I think it will be matched but it would be a huge steal if the Clippers get him.

Speaking of huge signings, Jonas Valanciunas rejects the Bucks for the bright lights of Los Angeles, signing a four year deal with the Clippers. If they can get Verhaeren now they will be a legitimate title contender. Gabe White gets out from his horrendous tenure in Philadelphia, signing with Minnesota for four years. Brandon Jennings joins Kevin Love in San Antonio for way too much, four years and $44 million. Phew, this is a massive off season.

Indiana says no way to the Clippers offer sheet and re-sign Alexander Verhaeren while Corry Hackworth goes to Milwaukee for most of Jonas’ contract. Bret Davis gets to go to Seattle after the Pacers don’t match while previous #1 draft pick Casey Floyd signs with Indiana for a paltry 3 year, $9 million deal.

I offer Ernest Jameson a mid-level exception deal but he wants to go where everyone is going, signing a four year deal with the Clippers and I’m sure they must be out of money now. Seattle gets a steal in signing Kyle Singler to a three year deal worth only $7 million total. I offer the mid-level to Enes Kanter to be our starting PF.

Wow, Charlotte just jumped all over me and offered Enes Kanter a four year deal worth $20 million which I just couldn’t match and I’m running out of people I want to give contracts to.

I finally get Derrick Woodward to sign on the dotted line after nearly two weeks of negotiating. He gets a four year deal worth $5 million total which is a steal for someone with his talent. I also sign Bart Flanders and Brad Ryan as third string bench players. At 15 contract players and just under the luxury cap I’m done.

Training camp comes and goes and Ron Winston is the real deal. He will take a lot of pressure off Kevin Durant to score 40 points a game which is great as Durant is getting up there in age. Matt Brown hasn’t grown as much as I had hoped but he is still an elite ball distributor. Also, Marcus Randle has grown more as well but as Jaymes likes to play veterans more than younger guys he will most likely be our sixth man.

Western Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Utah Jazz
2 – Dallas Mavericks
3 – Sacramento Kings
4 – Oklahoma City Thunder
5 – Los Angeles Lakers
Last – Nevada Neon

How the hell are we second in the West, especially when Utah of all teams are slotted first in the pre-season poll? Even more strange is that they have Utah first with a Changa Hendricks and Jeff Teague backcourt while ancient Lebron James still starting. Grr, that sucks. Also, the Clippers with a Christopher de Castro/Ernest Jameson/Jonas Valanciunas front court are slated to be eighth in the West which is just crazy. Whoever does these rankings must not know much about basketball.

Eastern Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Brooklyn Nets
2 – Cleveland Cavaliers
3 – Detroit Pistons
4 – New Orleans Hornets
5 – Atlanta Hawks
Last – Washington Wizards

The Hornets haven’t lost anyone yet they are fourth. Say what? That just nullifies everything else in this list.

Here is your 2021-2022 “Let’s beat those New Orleans bastards” Dallas Mavericks –

PG – Matt Brown
SG – Ron Winston
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Harrison Barnes
C – Andre Drummond
6th – Marcus Randle
7th – Bart Flanders
8th – Brad Ryan
9th – Avery Bradley
10th – Mike Conley
11th – Jevin Lindeman
12th – Derrick Woodward
13th – Bill Walker
14th – Will Barton
D-League – JD Lawson

[Tim Moungey]

Cue up your championship rings now. Ron Winston will be the best pickup you've ever made.

[zike_42]

Cue up your championship rings now. Ron Winston will be the best pickup you've ever made.

He hasn't been as good as advertised, making me very angry in the process. Hopefully he can turn it around.

[zike_42]

Our first game of the season is a 129-101 rout of Boston in Boston as it is the Durant and Winston show. Durant finished the game with 38 points while Ron Winston poured in 31 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Matt Brown was also terrific with 16 points and 16 assists, with zero turnovers. Raul Lopez was the best for the Celtics with 23 points but having DeMar DeRozan at PG is asking for trouble with the departure of John Weir, with DeRozan going 2/12 from the field. Varlam Chavchavadze only played five minutes for 2 points and 2 assists. They would be better off having Chav-chav starting at PG.

Dallas Mavericks 1-0

Matt Brown got a dose of food poisoning so Avery Bradley got the start at PG and played very well, having numbers of 14 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds in our 129-110 home opening win over Chicago. Kevin Durant was again amazing with 36 points and 8 rebounds while Andre Drummond went to town on Brad Largent with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulls had six players in double figures with Wesley Fields leading the way with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 2-0

That’s three wins in three nights as we destroy the Kings and we are already looking in mid-season form. The final score was 128-96 as we shot 50% from the field. Kevin Durant had 41 points to lead the way with Andre Drummond and the not heaving Matt Brown doubling up. Joe Abney was the only Sacramento player who had a good night with 28 points. DeMarcus Cousins struggled all night for 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 3-0

Kevin Durant had 24 points and 12 rebounds but Ron Winston went 3/15 from the field as we drop our first game, going down to Toronto 104-90. Paul Orvis needed 30 shots to get 23 points but Jake Chase was the best player by far with 33 points. Jeremy Lin had 18 points and 13 assists while Borut Peschat grabbed 19 rebounds as we were just outplayed all through the game.

Dallas Mavericks 3-1

This team doesn’t like losing and usually the next team we play is going to have a hard time. This was shown by our 125-91 dismantling of Charlotte as Ron Winston lived up to his pre-season hype with 34 points and 9 rebounds as Kevin Durant went 5/18 in the win. Matt Brown also had a blinder with 23 points and 11 assists. The Bobcats now are so far away from their championship teams it’s a little disappointing, as only Ty Lawson and Dennis Freymond are left, with those two combining for 31 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 4-1

We finish up our six games in seven days with a 98-84 victory over the improving Miami Heat. Winston’s last game seemed to be a mirage as he went 3/15 from the field for 9 points but did grab 13 rebounds. Andre Drummond took out the player of the game award with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Nate Roberts is enjoying his new team, shooting badly but grabbing 19 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 5-1

The Pistons are still an elite team, shown by their 121-107 win over us at our house as John Johnson put on a show with 43 points and 7 assists to lead the way. Andre Drummond had 21 points and 9 rebounds as Kevin Durant was held to only 16 points by Nic Batum’s defence.

Dallas Mavericks 5-2

After the game Marcus Randle vented his annoyance with playing time, partly because I have been hyping him up so much. I ask Jaymes to start him for a few games to see how he goes because he really is the starting PF for the future. He agrees to start him for the next two games because Philadelphia and Golden State aren’t that good.

Randle only played 14 minutes but did have 7 points and 6 rebounds in his first start, too bad we went down 111-104 to the Sixers as Marcello Locatelli had 17 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds off the bench which is amazing. Kevin Durant had 22 points but I’m really worried about Ron Winston’s shooting percentages as he went 4/18 from the field tonight for 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 5-3

In the first eight games Winston is shooting .360 from the field which is woefully bad and looking over his career numbers he is shooting .364. I’m going to have to keep an eye on this because this is just not good enough.

In our 98-76 win over Golden State, Winston had 26 points and 12 rebounds but still only shot 8/21 but at least it is an improvement. Marcus Randle was great with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes while keeping Lynn McMillian to only 4/11 shooting. So far so good for Randle. Charles Canady was the best for the Warriors (which isn’t saying much when a team scores 76 points) with 14 points and 11 assists on 4/20 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 6-3

In Detroit’s 127-100 victory over Chicago John Johnson went totally ballistic. In 40 minutes Johnson went 20/29 from the field on his way to 57 points, shooting 7/10 three and 10/12 free throws in a remarkable game. Since 2012 that is the equal sixth highest point total in a single game.

We squander a 13 point lead as we lose to Orlando by a measly point, 106-105. Klay Thompson top scored with 27 points and even though we shot 45% to their 39% the Magic shot 14 more three pointers than us. Matt Brown had 15 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds but Ron Winston went 1/9 from the field and I’ve noticed Jestor not coming around my office as much.

Dallas Mavericks 6-4

Kevin Durant finds his shooting form with 38 points and 8 rebounds while Andre Drummond put up 14 points and 16 rebounds as we beat the Nuggets 103-90 in the Mile High City. What makes me angry is Ron Winston. He had 7 points and 9 rebounds in the win but shot 2/21 from the field. Two makes from 21 shots. Are you freaking kidding me? I’ll keep him around until at least the end of the month but if he doesn’t change his .321 shooting percentage consider him gone.

Dallas Mavericks 7-4

He might not make it to the end of the month, as even though Winston scored 25 points he went 9/29 from the field, and when he shoots 29 shots and Kevin Durant shoots only 15 it’s going to be trouble. Oh yeah, we lost 106-86 to Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook had 39 points and 8 assists in the win as we just weren’t in this game and I’m sure Brad Beal is laughing he head off in Atlanta.

Dallas Mavericks 7-5

We play the Thunder again, this time on our home court and OKC’s highest lead was 19 points while ours was only four. Luckily for us that’s all we needed as we ran a 39-21 last quarter to win the game 93-89. Ron Winston lives to play another game in Dallas with 34 points and 10 rebounds while Marcus Randle had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had 27 points but went 9/33 from the field as Serge Ibaka and Peter Napier doubled up in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 8-5

I’ve been talking to a few teams about Ron Winston and even with his horrible shooting touch there are some GMs out there who would give their first born son for him which is great to know if/when I trade him.

The Spurs aren’t very good this season for some reason even with Kevin Love and Brandon Jennings as we beat them easily even with a late comeback 105-96. Kevin Durant took old man Josh Smith to school with 35 points while Ron Winston shot nearly 50% from the field with 22 points and 9 rebounds on 8/17 shooting. He might be coming around. Marcus Randle might not score much be he is becoming an amazing defender, holding Kevin Love to only 2/7 from the field for 5 points and 13 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 9-5

For the Lakers Josh Jackson went 8/21 from the field but 8/20 from three, so he missed his one shot from inside the arc. He finished with 24 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds but we finished with the 128-98 win. Kevin Durant had 34 points and 9 rebounds while Ron Winston put up 25 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and I think they are starting to gel together, finally.

Dallas Mavericks 10-5

It’s our big guys who do the damage in our 110-89 win over Phoenix as Andre Drummond had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks while Marcus Randle put up his best game with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Kevin Durant had 25 points and 11 rebounds while Matt Brown had 8 points and 13 assists. Reggie Dobbins was the best for the Suns with 25 points and finally Ryan Garris and Hillar Petrauskas are starting.

Dallas Mavericks 11-5

**TRADE**

Phoenix trade:
SG Hillar Petrauskas
2022 2nd round pick

New Orleans trade:
SG Hasheem Wethers

Winner – New Orleans. By far this is in favour of the Hornets. Wethers is a D-League talent on a three year, $9 million total deal while Hillar has the chance to be an All Star. Stupid, stupid trade by the Suns. No wonder they are always in the cellar.

Dammit, the Hornets just got better, I feel like I need to make another deal to get us over the edge. But not now, I did say that Winston would stay until at least the end of November which is only one game away.

The Grizzlies with Kenneth Faried and Dwight Howard are always going to be good, but not good enough for us as we beat them pretty easily 113-102. Kevin Durant had 32 points and 8 rebounds in the win while Ron Winston put up 22 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists and it finally seems like he is getting comfortable with this team. John Wall is out with a sprained ankle so it was up to Faried who had 24 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn’t enough.

Dallas Mavericks 12-5

Even after the slow start to the season we are sitting on top of the Western Conference, one game ahead of Minnesota and Utah. Go figure. Seattle are firmly at the bottom at 4-12 but seeing Kevin Love throw his career away at San Antonio (5-15) really makes me sad.

In the East it’s again a two horse race with Detroit out by a nose at 14-1 but New Orleans are right on their tail at 8-1. Atlanta have surprised me, getting out to a 13-3 record with Brad Beal leading the charge there in Georgia. Washington are of course last with a 2-14 record.

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 26.9
Ron Winston – 20.2 (up to .356 shooting)
Andre Drummond – 14.1

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 9.1
Mike Conley – 3.9
Ron Winston – 2.1

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.8
Ron Winston – 8.4
Kevin Durant – 7.6

League Leaders
Points – Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 28.0
Assists – Ricky Rubio (CHI) – 10.9
Rebounds – Blake Griffin (BKL) – 13.6
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.8
Steals – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 2.7
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 30.1

Yep, Davis is leading the league in blocks and steals. What can’t this man do?

Rookie Leaders
Points – Corey Barnes (POR) – 15.3
Assists – Josh Jackson (LAL) – 7.4
Rebounds – Corey Barnes (POR) – 9.3
Blocks – Corey Barnes (POR) – 0.9
Steals – Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 1.1
Efficiency – Corey Barnes (POR) – 16.8

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers – 28.0 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Corey Barnes, Portland Trailblazers – 15.3 points, 0.9 assists, 9.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

Our first game of December is an easy 112-85 away win over Portland as Kevin Durant poured in 39 points to pretty much win the game himself. All of our starters were in double figures with Matt Brown and Andre Drummond doubled up. John Henson and Corey Barnes both scored 22 points with Barnes grabbing 15 rebounds and Henson nabbed 12 boards.

Dallas Mavericks 13-5

I got a call from my old friend Jason Kidd, who is now the General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Hey Yaxley, good win tonight over those Blazers.” He started.

“Thanks, it was pretty easy. I would be upset if we lost.” I was wondering what this was about.

His tone changed, “OK, I’ll cut to the chase. I truly believe that Ron Winston would become an All Star for years to come and we want him in a Cleveland uniform. And as much as it pains me to say, I’m willing to offer you Kyrie for Winston and Avery Bradley.”

I was floored. Kyrie Irving is an amazing talent. However, that would mean that Matt Brown was going to be sent to the bench to rot. I tell Jason to hold tight.

Next I call Kevin McHale, the coach and general manager of Houston.

“Hey Kev, big news. Cleveland are interested in trading Kyrie Irving and I want you to have him. It will come with a cost but I believe we can work something out.” I say quickly.

“Kev?”

After a few seconds he responds. “Sorry I had to pick my jaw up from the floor, what do you have in mind?”

The three of us went over and over on a three team trade, almost seven hours. I didn’t want to give up Matt Brown but Cleveland needed a prospect so I had to let JD Lawson go which sucks. Eventually I got McHale to give up back up Dan Jefferson and the deal is done. Probably the biggest trade in my career, even including the Carmelo Anthony/Chris Paul deal in my first year at New York.

Dallas trade:
SG Ron Winston
SG Avery Bradley
PG Jevin Lindeman
SG JD Lawson
C Derrick Woodward
2024 1st round pick

Dallas receive:
SG Iman Shumpert
SG James Harden
C Dan Jefferson
2022 1st round pick (CLE)
2022 1st round pick (HOU)
2023 1st round pick (CLE)

Cleveland trade:
PG Kyrie Irving
SG Iman Shumpert
2022 1st round pick
2023 1st round pick
2024 1st round pick

Cleveland receive:
SG Ron Winston
SG Avery Bradley
PG Jevin Lindeman
SG JD Lawson
C Derrick Woodward

Houston trade:
SG James Harden
C Dan Jefferson
2022 1st round pick

Houston receive:
PG Kyrie Irving
C Brad Ryan
2024 1st round pick (CLE)
2024 1st round pick (DAL)

Winner – Houston. They upgrade from Harden to Irving and the two draft picks make up for the downgrade from Jefferson to Ryan. Irving will also play well with Jay Warren when Warren comes back from injury. The other teams did well with Cleveland getting their man crush in Winston but also don’t lose that much with Brooks Badu finally getting a chance to start again. Dallas wasn’t happy with Winston so upgrading to Harden and bolstering their bench and draft stocks is another win in my books. Maybe the winner should be changed to ‘everyone’.

Nine players traded and five picks dealt this is probably the biggest trade I have done. I’m happy with this trade as Harden is not only a much better scorer than Winston he is a better defender to boot. Shumpert and Jefferson are first class defenders as well but I also get to keep Matt Brown and Marcus Randle starting which will help out their growth. I also trade Will Barton and Bill Walker to Milwaukee for a future second round pick to get them off the team because I wanted to cut them but this is better salary wise. That mean we only have ten contracts on the team so it’s to the free agent pile for some cheap guys. So welcome Mario Chalmers, Lou Williams, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph and Damon McMaster to the team. Phew, I need a drink.

Hmm, it might take a few games to get together as we lose 107-92 to Seattle. Kevin Durant had 29 points but James Harden went 5/16 for only 13 points. Bret Davis was fantastic for the Sonics with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 13-6

Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard played a stalemate as both players scored 35 points with Durant grabbing 11 rebounds but our next best player was Andre Drummond with 17 points and 8 rebounds as we beat the Timberwolves 105-95 to get our first win post Winston. Gabe White shot badly for 16 points and 8 rebounds as our defence was simply awesome, keeping the Wolves to 39% shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 14-6

Ron Winston had 29 points in his first game as a Cavalier as they beat Brooklyn 117-97. It seems he has good chemistry with Brooks Badu and Andrew Bynum so it’s good he is in a place he enjoys. Kyrie Irving’s first game as a Rocket was also successful as he had 27 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds as Houston beat Chicago 117-97. I guess all we need now is for James Harden to have a big game.

Right on cue, Harden torches the Bulls with 21 points and 8 rebounds as we win again 106-95. Kevin Durant put up 25 points and 13 rebounds while Matt Brown had 15 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Wesley Fields was the best for Chicago with 32 points but Ricky Rubio had a night to forget with 8 points on 3/13 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 15-6

**TRADE**

Cleveland trade:
SG Avery Bradley

Portland trade:
SG Clarence Hope
2022 2nd round pick

Winner – Portland. Bradley is simply a better player than Hope and I don’t know why the Cavs traded Bradley so quickly after trading for him.

Before our Minnesota game Jaymes came up to me and asked if I can send Marcus Randle down to the D-League again as Dan Jefferson has been outplaying him. I didn’t really want to because I want him to get as many minutes as possible but Jaymes convinced me. Especially when Jefferson, Harrison Barnes and Bart Flanders are all ahead of him at the moment I make the disappointing call. I tell Marcus next year will be his year, I promise.

Jefferson got nine rebounds in his first start as we take out Minnesota 115-91 behind Kevin Durant’s 27 points and James Harden’s 22 points. Gabe White was the leading scorer for the Wolves with 18 points but Damian Lillard needed 20 shots to get 17 points.

Dallas Mavericks 16-6

It’s our first match-up against the now Ron Winston-led Cleveland Cavaliers and it wasn’t even close. Kevin Durant put up 46 points and 10 rebounds while Harrison Barnes adds 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench as we demolish the Cavs 122-80. Ron Winston shot 6/16 from the field for 14 points as Brooks Badu was the best with 22 points.

Dallas Mavericks 17-6

Andre Drummond had 20 points and 12 rebounds, James Harden scored 26 points and Kevin Durant put in 21 points as we finish off Seattle 118-94 and this team is starting to run really smoothly. Iman Shumpert isn’t very happy having his minutes cut but if we keep winning I think he will be happy enough. Ross Lampley and Bret Davis combined for 41 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists but they shot 40% to our 54%.

Dallas Mavericks 18-6

Even with a new team you seem to screw me Brandon Jennings. My nemesis had 35 points and 9 assists as the Spurs snap our streak with a 113-105 win. Kevin Love was also great with 18 points and 17 rebounds as San Antonio hit 18 three pointers in their win. Dan Jefferson was our best player with 16 points and 8 rebounds which is a bad sign with all of our other talent on the team.

Dallas Mavericks 18-7

Hmm, that wasn’t good. Kyrie Irving and the Houston Rockets beat us bad at home 107-88 to send a little shiver down my spine. Irving was electric with 31 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds with Jay Warren adding 26 points of his own. Kevin Durant has had a case of the yips lately, tonight shooting 5/19 and 1/12 from three for 18 points and 12 rebounds with James Harden shooting an astonishing 1/17 for 2 points and 8 turnovers. I may have made a huge mistake.

Dallas Mavericks 18-8

We get our revenge against Houston the night after with a 114-96 win as Kevin Durant had 29 points but the biggest news was Kyrie Irving shooting 12/40 for 30 points. He shot 40 shots! He must have leather poisoning now. James Harden had 17 points with Matt Brown putting up 9 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 19-8

Kevin Durant and Andre Drummond combine for 62 points as we overcome a slow start to get past the Bucks 125-114. Matt Brown had 12 points and 11 assists while Harrison Barnes scored 14 points off the bench. Jamal Howell was the best for the Bucks with 27 points but it was Sean Gilmore who scored 13 points in only nine minutes off the bench who stole the show.

Dallas Mavericks 20-8

The Pistons are an amazing 24-2 so going into their home will be a huge struggle. I was tossing up between James Harden and John Johnson, ending up settling on Harden because of his better defence and it’s lucky I went with Harden because he had 29 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds as we take down the goliath 113-87 to send a huge message. Johnson had a night to forget with 10 points on 3/9 shooting as Pat Archie led the way for Detroit with 21 points. Andre Drummond had Harden’s back with 30 points and 11 rebounds and I’m over the moon that we got over the Pistons.

Dallas Mavericks 21-8

We’ve played nine more games than Oklahoma City and in our 118-111 victory it was James Harden’s ‘welcome to the party’ game as the ex-Thunder player had 43 points on 12/21 three point makes to destroy OKC. The other ex-OKC player on our team, Kevin Durant, had 26 points and 10 rebounds but this was all about Harden. Russell Westbrook was the leader for the losers with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists while Jonathan Benson had some impressive minutes off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds after Peter Napier fouled out early.

Dallas Mavericks 22-8

**TRADE**

Houston trade:
SG Marshon Brooks

New York trade:
SF Rudy Gay
2022 2nd round pick

Winner – New York. I remember when Rudy Gay was the main man in those championship contending teams about eight years ago in New York. How Father Time catches up with you. Now Gay is 35 years old, tenth man on the Rockets yet still owed over $20 million for the next two years. Not a good deal by Houston.

Harrison Barnes has taken the starting PF spot again and didn’t disappoint, as our captain had 26 points and 10 rebounds in our 113-89 victory over Indiana. Kevin Durant top scored with 33 points but James Harden was the star with 19 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds to just miss a triple double. Jim Turner top scored for Indiana with 20 points but it was John Weir’s game that was their undoing, going 4/24 from the field for 10 points.

Dallas Mavericks 23-8

Our last game of the month is another double digit win, this time going into the desert and coming out with a 114-102 victory over Phoenix. Kevin Durant was his usual best with 38 points while James Harden was again near a triple double with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists and more importantly went 7/11 from the field. The Suns are finally playing their young guys as Ryan Garris and Emmett Emerson are now starting, but it was Kwame Cravens who top scored with 18 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 24-8

Even though we had a rough patch after we traded for James Harden we are still leading the West, with Utah at 16-7 and Denver at 19-12 second and third respectively. Houston have increased to fifth with Kyrie Irving leading the way. Nevada are last at 7-20 and not looking like moving.

The Cavaliers are also fifth at 20-14 but it is all New Orleans who are 23-2 on the season. Crazy. Detroit have lost a few since we played them but still have a 27-5 record with Atlanta right behind them at 24-6. Good year for the East. At the other end of the conference Washington are even worse than Nevada and are already looking to the future with a 5-23 record.

Dallas Top Points
Kevin Durant – 27.8
James Harden – 21.6
Andre Drummond – 15.0

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 9.1
James Harden – 6.3
Iman Shumpert – 4.7

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 9.4
Kevin Durant – 8.0
James Harden – 5.6

Includes Harden’s Houston numbers.

League Leaders
Points – Kevin Durant (DAL) – 27.8
Assists – John Wall (MEM) – 10.3
Rebounds – Derrick Favors (UTA) – 13.0
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 4.1
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.9
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 30.4

Rookie Leaders
Points – Corey Barnes (POR) – 16.6
Assists – Josh Jackson (LAL) – 7.9
Rebounds – Corey Barnes (POR) – 9.4
Blocks – Corey Barnes (POR) – 0.8
Steals – Ryan Smiley (SAC) – 1.3
Efficiency – Corey Barnes (POR) – 17.4

First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. SF Enrique Mendez (Argentina), 18 years old, 6’10”, 208lbs
2. C Rowan Taylor (Houston), Freshman, 6’11”, 246lbs
3. PG Matias Perez (Argentina), 17 years old, 6’0”, 156lbs
4. PG Ledaryl McMillian (Fresno State), Sophomore, 6’0”, 179lbs
5. PF Art Haynes (Texas A&M), Junior, 6’8”, 217lbs

Thoughts – The two Argentineans have shown that basketball in the country is in safe hands for years to come. Perez is probably the best prospects right now but his slight frame caused him to fall to third. Mendez is remarkable raw but has a great physique and work ethic.