New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

Before the draft I look over the books and Mr English was right, things have got a little out of hand. The salary cap is $58 million while the luxury cap is $70 million, and even though our salary is inflated because of cap holds of Andre Drummond, Marcus Randle, Joe Duggins and Tristan Thompson we are at $107 million. That will of course go down when we re-sign (hopefully) those four guys but last season we were around the $85 million mark. Time to cut some salary.

2024 NBA Draft

1 – Chicago – SF Jamaal Lewis
Lewis exploded up the mock drafts because of his combine performance. News in that Lars Ray has a terrible work ethic and will slip, bad. Lewis wasn’t talked about much coming into the draft but this is a great pick.

2 – New York – SG Vlado Prazina
I’m not surprised in the least. His scoring ability is already above average and as he is a gym rat he will continue to grow. Some experts didn’t like this pick but I think it’s another great one.

3 – San Diego – PF Lance Ellis
Their first ever pick as the Riders is probably the best PF in the draft. Excellent rebounder and has great hands. Probably a little too high as he would be good around number five but still decent.

I’m umming and aahing about a trade that will get us heaps of cap room but might gut too much of our team. I hold off for a little bit more.

4 – Miami – PG Luke Owens
This kid will be great; he was 0.3 assists per game away from averaging a triple double for Michigan State. Why wasn’t he number one? The talking heads call him too slow to be a top tier PG but this is a steal for me.

The hell with it, I do the deal.

Dallas trade:
SF Kevin Durant
SG Jake Chase

Portland trade:
SG Altron Johnson
SF Andrew Seitz
PG Ryan Robinson
PG Marco Barker

Winner – Portland. This is a salary dump by the defending champions, as many thought that this team couldn’t keep playing with that kind of salary. The Blazers get two very good starters even though Durant is 35 years old, and Chase might be able to teach Earl Oliver some things about defence.

I know, I know, I hate the trade as well. But I had to do it, with all the free agents I want to re-sign next season. Losing Chase isn’t that much of a deal because we still have Sean Gilmore and the up and coming Reggie Blake but trading away our captain was really, really hard. I know I’m going to get it in the media and I probably won’t want to show my face in public for a while but this was to make the team more salary cap friendly. All four of the ex-Blazer players have team options for THIS off season, netting us a whopping $32 million saving right now. We might even get a smidge under the cap before signing Marcus Randle to a ridiculous contract.

5 – Orlando – C Chad Gaines
The first clunker of a pick, Gaines would not be the first centre I would take in this draft. Great athleticism but can’t back it up with talent.

6 – Philadelphia – C Mike Lingle
Does Matt Piatowski have leprosy? Lingle is not a lottery pick and the Sixers have struck out on the first of their two successive picks. Brian Caldwell has the most talent and upside of all centres in the league but his attitude is horrible but Piatowski is better than both Gaines and Lingle.

7 – Philadelphia – PG Tim Westbrooks
This is a better pick. Another player who was close to a triple double for the season, Westbrooks makes up for drafting Lingle. But still, Lars Ray is still on the board. I knew he had problems but not this bad.

8 – Los Angeles – PG Michael Taylor
I don’t really know much about Taylor other than he is skinny and extremely streaky. Probably won’t use him like all the other PGs they have drafted over the years.

9 – Portland – C Brian Caldwell
He dropped because of his attitude problems (was caught stealing electronics from a local Best Buy) but his talents are undeniable. If he gets decent minutes he will be in the top 10 in rebounds this season, that is how good a rebounder Caldwell is.

10 – Minnesota – PF Robert Williams
Massive freefall from the mock draft, his defence is very suspect. An amazing scorer who will be on plenty of highlight reels with Enrique Mendez.

Dear me, Lars Ray has dropped out of the top ten.

11 – Chicago – PG Marcus Barnes
Another decent PG in this draft goes to Chicago and they have had a great time. First Jamaal Lewis and now Barnes they should have a good core going forward. Some people in the media don’t like this pick because Barnes doesn’t do anything amazing but he does most things well enough.

12 – Brooklyn – SF Lars Ray
Finally! I could see him being similar to Enrique Mendez, absolutely terrible at defence but lights out on the other side. His attitude is decent he just doesn’t care that much to get better. Maybe falling to #12 might perk him up a little.

The best centre in the draft in my opinion, Matt Piatoswki, still hasn’t been picked.

13 – San Antonio – C Antonio Henderson
I completely forgot about Henderson, so this is a great steal. He won’t be a superstar in the league but eventually he will start for a team and give good quality minutes.

14 – Sacramento - PG Jerome Carey
There isn’t much this kid can’t do; it’s just that what he does isn’t that good. Terrible selection from the Kings with even some boos being heard in the area. Not a good start for his career.

15 – Oklahoma City – SG Adarrial Faye
The man with the odd first name is probably the best SG they could find at their position. Good shooter, decent passer and average defender, this pick gets a pass from me. Nothing at all earth shattering but not boo inducing like the last one.

16 – Houston – C Mitch Wolthers
Who? Are you seriously saying that Matt Piatowski has dropped out of the lottery? Wolthers is not a lottery talent but the experts like this pick so I’m don’t know what to think about this one.

17 – Indiana – C Matt Piatoswki
Finally!

18 – Toronto – SF Danny McArdle
19 – Denver – PG Cugat Cortez
20 – Indiana – PG Marquel Farmer
21 – Utah – SF Jason Sears
22 – Golden State – SF Matt Fergerson
23 – Charlotte – PF Austin Young
24 – Atlanta – SF Anthony Allison
25 – Toronto – SG Dan Palmer
26 – Philadelphia – PF Gray Largent
27 – Golden State – PG Juan Griffin
28 – Charlotte – SG Tom Bryant
Slotted at #10 in the mock draft, he has fallen like a stone because he just isn’t as good as people thought he was. Great pick up here though.

29 – Boston – SF Kenny Cyrus
30 – Detroit – SG Mark Ransom
31 – New Orleans – PF Aleksandras Gelezinkelio
Worst name to type out ever.

32 – Houston – SG Sean Walker

Some really big trades during the draft, like massive big.

Sacramento trade:
PG Ryan Smiley

Houston trade:
SG Roman Tiggs
2024 2nd round pick

Winner – Draw. This would be a massive win for Houston if they didn’t have Kyrie Irving and Jay Warren in front of Smiley on the depth chart. If Smiley gets quality minutes then it’s a Houston win because Tiggs is extremely average.

Seattle trade:
C Travis Ross

Washington trade:
SF Andrew Owens

Winner – Seattle. Owens is the better player (only just) but the Wizards now have Ross, Ian Ransom and #1 pick Rowan Taylor all at the centre position. A crowded frontcourt even if Taylor is heading towards Michael Olowokandi’s level of bust.

Los Angeles trade:
SG Joe Holmes

Minnesota trade:
PF Jared Sullinger
2024 2nd round pick

Winner – Minnesota. The Timberwolves have pulled a fast one here, as Holmes averaged 19.3 points per game while Sullinger is still owed $16 million over two years to be the seventh man at best.

Seattle trade:
PG Marcus Collins

Indiana trade:
C Donnie Hankins

Winner – Seattle. Just by default Hankins is slotted in as the Sonics’ starting centre after they traded away Travis Ross. He is decent enough there but they will probably be looking for a proper starter in free agency.

Philadelphia trade:
C Vitaly Ekomov

San Antonio trade:
PF Jared Arenas
2024 2nd round pick

Winner – Both. Even though Ekomov was an All NBA player four years ago his performance has stalled while Arenas is now a great PF. Great pick up by both teams.

Philadelphia trade:
SF Marcello Locatelli

Minnesota trade:
PG Li-chi King

Winner – Minnesota. King averaged 9.3 points and 10.6 assists in 2022 and is an excellent distributor. There is no doubting that Philadelphia picked up a great piece. The reason why the Wolves won this trade is that Camah Williams can now start at PG and show the world just how talented his can be. Locatelli isn’t a slouch though, averaging 13 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game with the Sixers playing point forward.

[PointGuard]

Yeah, maybe you should move to Tampa and commute to Miami (after doing the Durant trade).

[zike_42]

Yeah, maybe you should move to Tampa and commute to Miami (after doing the Durant trade).

The fans did not like me doing that trade. He was a great asset and will be missed (speech given to me by my PR team). It's going to be hard this season as we aren't as invincible as we were last time around.

[zike_42]

It’s time to make some contract decisions, who stays and who goes. Here is what it looked like before I trimmed the fat –

Matt Brown - $10,334,325
Eric Bledsoe - $1,352,181
Ryan Robinson - $6,945,750 (team option)
Marco Barker - $9,307,000 (team option)
Reggie Blake - $1,600,000
Sean Gilmore - $4,000,000
Altron Johnson - $6,737,500 (team option)
Paul George - $1,957,000
Royce White - $1,695,634
Andrew Seitz - $8,960,875 (team option)
Andre Drummond - $27,279,295 (free agent)
Dwight Howard - $1,622,617 (free agent)
Marcus Randle - $11,483,290 (restricted free agent, qualifying offer available)
Iman Shumpert - $6,000,000 (free agent)
Tristan Thompson - $1,757,825 (free agent)
David Forney - $1,390,361 (free agent)
Joe Duggins - $4,317,564 (restricted free agent, qualifying offer available)
TOTAL - $108,093,408 ($50,093,408 over the salary cap)

After I did some house cleaning –

Matt Brown - $10,334,325
Eric Bledsoe - $1,352,181
Reggie Blake - $1,600,000
Sean Gilmore - $4,000,000
Paul George - $1,957,000
Royce White - $1,695,634
Andre Drummond - $27,279,295 (free agent)
Marcus Randle - $2,397,710 (qualifying offer taken, restricted free agent)
Tristan Thompson - $1,757,825 (free agent)
Joe Duggins - $985,095 (qualifying offer taken, restricted free agent)
TOTAL - $54,711,256 ($3,288,744 under the salary cap)

If Mr English doesn’t like that then he can stuff it (don’t tell him I said that, I’m slightly afraid of his ruthlessness in regards to his business).

Reggie Blake is the only contracted Dallas player to be called into Summer League, and it should do a lot for him as he will take up more responsibility next season.

Our first game is a 125-102 shellacking at the hands of Milwaukee but it was good to see Reggie Blake in the midst of it with 18 points. Walter McClain was the standout in the game with 28 points on 13/17 shooting in only 25 minutes off the bench.

Game two was even worse, as Toronto got out to a 41 point lead on their way to winning the game 120-79. I really liked their pick of Danny McArdle at #18 in the latest draft, and he didn’t disappoint with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in the win. Reggie Blake was again our best with 14 points but we only shot 35% from the field and an atrocious 38% (8/21) from the foul line.

It’s a little closer but again we are snuffed out, losing to Brooklyn 103-94. Reggie Blake and Ken McGee had 19 points apiece but no-one else was in double figures. Dan Mixson, their #20 pick last season had 22 points and 10 rebounds in a dazzling display. For some reason Lars Ray didn’t play in their first game and only played one minute in all of this one. He isn’t injured, I guess the Nets just didn’t want him to play.

That’s zero from four, losing another one in double figures 101-90 to New Orleans. Justin Bonner is our best in this one, with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Marquette Waddell (named because both his parents went to Marquette University) had 27 points from the point guard position.

Well, I’m glad we don’t rely on these guys in the real season otherwise we would be in trouble. That’s five losses from five starts as we go down (just) to Minnesota 107-102. Reggie Blake has a stinker with only 7 points but we have six players in double figures led by Rodney Brown’s 16 points. #10 pick Robert Williams led all scorers with 24 points and 9 rebounds and even though Camah Williams is with the team he didn’t play in this one.

This is a make or break free agency for me because I will look even more foolish if I let some of our guys go. I start off by offering Andre Drummond a 5 year, $70 million contract, Marcus Randle $50 million over five years, a $20 million contract for Joe Duggins and because of how the salary cap rules go I give Tristan Thompson our MLE. It’s underpaying Randle and Duggins but because they are restricted free agents I’ll just match whatever they sign with other teams.

Here are the top ten free agents –

C Jimmy Forrest*
C Andre Drummond
PF Marcus Randle*
SF Paul Orvis
SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
SF Christopher de Castro
SG Bradley Beal
PF John Nemitz*
PF Brad Largent*
C DeMarcus Cousins

An amazing top ten and the rest of them just keep giving. This is a great free agency to have cash to splash.

Unsurprisingly Jimmy Forrest re-signs with the Bucks for the maximum. The Spurs try and steal Marcus Randle away on a 4 year, $58 million contract which is damn high but for someone as special as Marcus I match as soon as I get the notice. The Spurs are sniffing around Andre Drummond now so I up the contract offer to $80 million over five.

Which he promptly accepts. It may be overpaying a 31 year old but he is still an All NBA second teamer and our rock in the middle. Brad Largent re-signs with Chicago as well.

We have our first signing with another team as Nashon Smith signs an offer sheet with Orlando for around $10.5 million a year. Will Phoenix match?

Joe Duggins re-signs here for $5 million a year over five years which is pretty damn good for a player of his talent, he must really like it here. It’s re-signing day today, as Christopher de Castro, Paul Orvis, Peter Napier, John Nemitz, Robert Arnold, Ricky Rubio, Bret Davis and Bill Gearhart all go back to their teams for varying amounts of dosh. For some reason the Nets re-signed Brandon Knight to a four year deal worth $10 million a year. I have no idea why and I’m pretty sure they were bidding against themselves. Good for Knight though. Tristan Thompson is still mulling over our offer.

Another massive move as DeMarcus Cousins signs with New York for two years while Darcel Settles goes to San Antonio for Marcus Randle’s money. I put my feelers out on a whole range of players, most of them won’t bite but it’s good to get some publicity out there.

Nashon Smith is now officially an Orlando Magic (whatever that is) as Phoenix decide to put their cash elsewhere.

It’s tender offer accepting day as most of the good young guys go back with their teams for one more year at least. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist re-signs with the Thunder while Wesley Fields goes back to Chicago. The good news for us is that Tristan Thompson loves it here so much he decides to stick around for three more years. Marco Barker who never saw court time for us goes to San Antonio for four years.

In the biggest shock of the free agency, Brad Beal decides to go to Minnesota for the MLE. That’s right, a 31 year old who averaged 25 points per game will be playing for $3 million next year. I guess he really wants that ring, playing alongside Camah Williams, Gabe White and Enrique Mendez. Camara Brinker goes to Portland, Damian Lillard signs with the Lakers and Iman Shumpert, Ryan Robinson and David Forney all come back to the Mavericks for reduced pay aka the minimum.

A few days later Alton Hardy and Serge Ibaka sign here, rounding out our squad at 15 players and only $8.2 million over the cap, and definitely under the luxury cap which will please Mr English.

Training camp comes and goes and Matt Brown looks to have topped out his potential. I’m not complaining because the growth he has shown in his five years has been phenomenal. Reggie Blake has shot up again, even being slotted in as our starter at SG. Even though this team isn’t as world beating as last season with the departures of Kevin Durant and Jake Chase, I’m happy enough with it and we are under the luxury cap.

We’ve been picked fourth in the conference which is a bit much; sure we have lost some but fourth?

Western Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Minnesota Timberwolves
2 – Los Angeles Lakers
3 – Portland Trailblazers
4 – Dallas Mavericks
5 – Seattle Supersonics
Last – Denver Nuggets

I’m not sure about the Lakers being that high but the Blazers and Sonics look the goods, and Minnesota are a very dangerous team. Looks like the West is going to be STACKED. I can definitely see Denver coming last because they have Chris Drexler and... um... an aging Brandon Jennings? Yeah, going to be a long season in Denver.

Eastern Conference Pre-Season Rankings
1 – Chicago Bulls
2 – New Orleans Hornets
3 – Toronto Raptors
4 – Boston Celtics
5 – Miami Heat
Last – Philadelphia 76ers

I’m not seeing the depth or elite teams in the East that I can see in the West. Sure New Orleans will be on top like they always are but Chicago, Toronto and Boston aren’t earth shattering teams. The Sixers are terrible though, as Jared Arenas is the only starter who averaged double digits last season which is extremely troubling.

Here are your pre-season All NBA teams –

All NBA First Team:
Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors
Earl Oliver, Portland Trailblazers
Enrique Mendez, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
Mark Lewis, Utah Jazz

All NBA Second Team:
Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets
Varlam Chavchavadze, Boston Celtics
Raul Lopez, Boston Celtics
Marcus Randle, Dallas Mavericks
Jimmy Forrest, Milwaukee Bucks

All NBA Third Team:
Kevin Epps, Portland Trailblazers
Ron Winston, Cleveland Cavaliers
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Drexler, Denver Nuggets
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

So finally, here is your 2024-2025 “RE-PEAT, RE-PEAT” Dallas Mavericks –

PG – Matt Brown
SG – Reggie Blake
SF – Alton Hardy
PF – Marcus Randle
C – Andre Drummond
6th – Tristan Thompson
7th – Sean Gilmore
8th – Iman Shumpert
9th – Joe Duggins
10th – Serge Ibaka
11th – Ryan Robinson
12th – Royce White
13th – David Forney
14th – Paul George
15th – Eric Bledsoe

[Rizzo]

I checked this thread a couple days ago and read your write up on winning the title in Dallas. Congrats! I forgot all about this write up and stopped reading it way back when you were in Memphis. Guess I have some catching up to do.

[jcomey]

How much do you trust Alton Hardy as a starter?

[zike_42]

I checked this thread a couple days ago and read your write up on winning the title in Dallas. Congrats! I forgot all about this write up and stopped reading it way back when you were in Memphis. Guess I have some catching up to do.

Damn man, I've been at Dallas for five years! At least you have some reading to do when you're bored.

[zike_42]

How much do you trust Alton Hardy as a starter?

Honestly I don't trust him at all. When I traded Chase and Durant I envisioned Sean Gilmore getting the nod at SF because even though he is a SG he is still 6'7" and very capable of starting there. Let's hope coach Garnett shuffles some people around.

[zike_42]

Marcus Randle shows the world how good he can be in our opening game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in our 106-94 victory over Philadelphia. Andre Drummond helped out with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists but Alton Hardy was horrible, 1/12 for 4 points is not a good night. Jared Arenas led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds and I’m going to have another talk with Coach Garnett about starting Sean Gilmore at SF.

Dallas Mavericks 1-0

Iman Shumpert gets the start at SG while Sean Gilmore starts at SF and the result is the same as we take care of Toronto 112-82. Marcus Randle was again our best with 28 points and 16 rebounds and Andre Drummond was again our second best with 26 points and 6 rebounds. Sean Gilmore was good with 12 points and 8 rebounds but Iman Shumpert had 0 points on 0/3 shooting. He did keep Eric Johnson to 1/10 shooting for 2 points as Paul Orvis needed 26 shots to get 16 points to lead the way.

Dallas Mavericks 2-0

This team is very much Marcus Randle’s now, as we destroyed the Lakers 105-85 with our new superstar having 27 points and 15 rebounds. It was a team effort as five bench players had double digit minutes as Ryan Robinson scored 10 points in 10 minutes. For some reason LA have Chris Jackson on the bench, as he had 13 points in 10 minutes backing up Ali Riley.

Dallas Mavericks 3-0

Even though the Pistons aren’t as good as they used to be, any team with John Johnson on it will always be dangerous. Johnson had a whopping 45 points on 15/21 shooting as the Pistons massacre us 112-88. Our only bright spot was Andre Drummond with 27 points but Coach Garnett decided to start David Forney and Iman Shumpert at SG and SF respectively which backfired terribly.

Dallas Mavericks 3-1

This team is in a terrible flux at SG/SF, this time Reggie Blake and Sean Gilmore get the nod as we withstand a Charlotte comeback to win 102-97. Matt Brown was spectacular with 25 points and 12 assists but Reggie Blake had a night to forget with 7 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 turnovers. John Bailey led six other Bobcats in double figures with 16 points.

Dallas Mavericks 4-1

Marcus Randle had 25 points and 10 rebounds while Tristan Thompson sprained his ankle as we take care of Orlando 125-98 to win our fifth game. David Forney was again the starter and had 15 points in the win. The newly added Nashon Smith led the way with 19 points and 12 assists while Antoine Martin top scored with 21 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 5-1

The good news is that Andre Drummond had 34 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals and we brushed past the Bulls 128-114. The bad news is that Coach Garnett can’t come to a conclusion in regards to our SG/SF dilemma and I’m going to have to make a deal. Brad Largent has become an amazing player with 31 points and 9 rebounds and Dustin Harris is on his way out of another team, blowing up and breaking a wall after the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 6-1

I go over and over and try and trade for people probably out of my price range, but I do find someone that will be very good for us.

Dallas trade:
PF Alton Hardy
SG Reggie Blake
2025 1st round pick

Charlotte trade:
SG Jacob Alexander

Winner – Dallas. This is a pretty big steal for the defending champions. Usually teams aren’t as gullible to do something like this but sometimes cracks happen. Alexander is very similar to Jake Chase, great scorer and a tenacious defender. The difference is that Alexander is 6’8”, which will cause all kinds of headaches for oppositions. Losing Blake is disappointing because he looked really good in a Maverick uniform but you have to give some to get some.

Sean Gilmore is now our starting SF and our roster looks much more balanced.

Jacob Alexander’s first game as a Maverick was unspectacular, scoring 14 points but we won easily and that is the main point, taking care of Brooklyn 111-78. Andre Drummond led the way with 28 points and 11 rebounds while Matt Brown was agonizingly close to a triple double with 8 points, 18 assists and 9 rebounds. Donte Rock limited Marcus Randle to only 12 minutes while pouring in 21 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 7-1

To make up for his poor game against Brooklyn, Marcus Randle had 34 points and 8 rebounds as we blow out Golden State 111-73. Matt Brown was again close to a triple double with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists and Jacob Alexander showed why I wanted him aboard with 22 points on 6/9 shooting while holding Charles Canady to 2/11 shooting. The Buzzsaw top scored for the Warriors with 18 points but the team shot 35% from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 8-1

Our biggest lead was 58 points against Miami after a 40-18 first quarter and 29-7 second quarter as we humiliate the Heat 132-84 as Jacob Alexander poured in 27 points to lead the game. There were eight Maverick players in double figures as Joe Duggins made the most of the extended minutes with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Keith Selden must have leather poisoning after going 6/28 from the field for 15 points and 5 turnovers. Might want to let some of their other players have a go.

Dallas Mavericks 9-1

The Neon are 5-1 before we went into the desert but when we left they were 5-2 after a 129-104 hammering. Marcus Randle had a blinder with 35 points and 13 rebounds while David Forney filled in nicely for 17 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Mike Joseph had 21 points and 4 blocks which is pretty good for a SG but it just wasn’t enough to get past us.

Dallas Mavericks 10-1

Let me paint a picture for you. Andre Drummond went 21/27 from the field for 47 points and 9 rebounds. We shot better from the field than we did from the foul line. Marcus Randle only had 10 points in 13 minutes. Joe Duggins had 21 points off the bench while everyone but Royce White scored at least 5 points. Kyrie Irving had 41 points but didn’t get any help and in the second quarter we outscored the Rockets 49-26. So for the final score? We shot 55.9% from the field and 55.3% from the line as we rack up what could be the highest non-overtime score I have ever seen 150-116 to get our eleventh win.

Dallas Mavericks 11-1

If we scored 150 points in Houston, what would we put up when we came home? It was only 130 compared to their 105 to win again. Jacob Alexander had 35 points and 8 rebounds while Matt Brown gave out 22 helpers. After his 47 points last game, Andre Drummond only had 12 points and 10 rebounds. And after Kyrie’s 41 points, he still did well enough with 30 points and 8 assists while Jay Warren helped him out with 18 points and 10 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 12-1

The Spurs are decent but with their current roster they will never challenge for a championship and we shut them down 122-102 when they came to town. Jacob Alexander shot badly for 28 points and 5 steals while Matt Brown shot wonderfully for 20 points and 14 assists so it all works out. Lamont Nelson led the way with 22 points while second year player Charles Means had 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 13-1

Our biggest lead against the Kings was 38 points and we are rolling on like last season. Marcus Randle went 50% from the field and 50% from the line for 27 points and David Forney had 12 points in 13 minutes as we beat the Kings 134-96. It’s a little bit of a rebuilding year for Sacramento after DeMarcus Cousins jumped ship to New York as Joe Abney went 9/23 for 23 points and everyday I’m glad I got rid of him.

Dallas Mavericks 14-1

When Chris Drexler goes 1/3 for 9 points in only 20 minutes the Nuggets are doomed. Jacob Alexander went 12/18 for 29 points while his backcourt mate Matt Brown racked up 16 assists as we demolish Denver 123-99. Last year’s sixth man of the year Chris Hampton led the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 15-1

Our last game is thought to be a walkover before it even starts, as we are on 15-1 and the Hawks are on 2-17 so far. To make matters worse for Atlanta, they traded away their first round pick this season in the draft for the very average rookie Matt Fergerson to Golden State. The game was a non-event, as we got out to a 35 point lead and won the game 110-81. Andre Drummond led from the front with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks while Jacob Alexander backed him up with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Raoul Dumas was one of only two Hawk players in double figures with 16 points and 7 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 16-1

After a shaky start with problems with rotations we won 13 games in a row and we have a two game lead in the conference. I’m not getting too excited because we played 12 games at home and only 5 games away so only when those numbers even out then I will get hyped. Utah is riding Mark Lewis to be second at 10-3 while Nevada are behind them at 10-5. The Spurs, Lakers and Riders have all got five wins and are at the bottom of the ladder.

The East has a logjam at the top of the order, with New Orleans (11-5), Charlotte (12-6), Orlando (10-5), Philadelphia (10-6) and Detroit (10-6) all in striking distance of each other. First round draft pick-less Atlanta are wallowing at the bottom of the ladder t 2-18.

Dallas Top Points
Marcus Randle – 20.9
Andre Drummond – 20.1
Jacob Alexander – 19.8

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 11.3
Iman Shumpert – 4.2
Ryan Robinson – 2.5

Dallas Top Rebounds
Andre Drummond – 8.8
Marcus Randle – 8.4
Joe Duggins – 4.9

League Leaders
Points – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 29.8
Assists – Reggie Dobbins (PHO) – 14.1
Rebounds – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 13.5
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 4.5
Steals – Li-chi King (PHI) – 3.8
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 30.3

Rookie Leaders
Points – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 17.5
Assists – Adarrial Faye (OKC) – 3.4
Rebounds – Matt Piatowski (IND) – 7.3
Blocks – Mike Lingle (PHI) – 1.8
Steals – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 1.4
Efficiency – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 18.1

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Mark Lewis, Utah Jazz – 29.8 points, 1.2 assists, 13.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Lance Ellis, San Diego Riders – 17.5 points, 1.4 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

I know I harp on it a lot but Mark Lewis is stupid not to work on his free throws. He is shooting 163/304 (53.6%) from the field but 62/190 (32.6%) from the line. That’s right; he is shooting 32% from the foul line. He is still averaging 30 points per game, but if he was only shooting 60% from the line (still not great) he would be up around 34 points per game. It’s hard to be disappointed in a guy averaging 30 points and 14 rebounds but still, what could have been...

A wonderful battle between two of the best centres in the league as Jimmy Forrest had 34 points and 9 rebounds (and six turnovers) while Andre Drummond went 14/18 from the field for 30 points and 11 rebounds (and four turnovers). In an uncharacteristic move from us we turned the ball over 25 times, but luckily we hit our foul shots as we beat the Bucks 119-114 to keep us rolling. We had six players in double figures as the team shot 77% from the line compared to Milwaukee’s 59%.

Dallas Mavericks 17-1

Oh dear. We play the Blazers. That Portland team that I traded Kevin Durant and Jake Chase to. Durant had 23 points at the PF position while Chase went 2/8 for only 4 points as we got out to a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter. Second year phenom Tiburcio Tommasini, that guy who was pegged as a top two draft selection who slipped to seventh has taken that to heart and exploded onto the scene. He had 18 points tonight as the Blazers roared back with a 31-18 last term but we held on for dear life for a 94-87 win. Earl Oliver is coming off the bench now which I don’t like and had 11 points in 29 minutes. Marcus Randle was fantastic for us with 24 points and 15 rebounds on Kevin Durant while Matt Brown helped out with 15 points and 12 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 18-1

Tommasini is averaging 18.7 points so far this season and at only 19 years old he could be a top 5 player in the league in the future.

Great, Sean Gilmore strained his knee in our 119-93 cruising over Minnesota and will be out for nearly two weeks. He still had 17 points but was greatly hampered after he did it. Marcus Randle was again our best with 27 points while Matt Brown was again our second best with 21 points and 13 assists. Enrique Mendez might well be a top five player in the league and showed it with 33 points, but for some reason the Wolves have Joe Holmes starting at PG, leaving Camah Williams to wallow on the bench for another year. I thought the whole reason they traded away Li-chi King was to open up Williams to the starting role?

Dallas Mavericks 19-1

David Forney is now starting for Sean Gilmore at SF.

Our fourth and last away game in a row is a 118-95 blasting of Toronto as Andre Drummond takes Marcus Sanders out back and puts him out of his misery with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 8 blocks. Matt Brown has been on a tear lately and tonight was no different with 18 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals while Tristan Thompson added 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Kevin Love was the lone highlight for the Raptors with 30 points and 12 rebounds. My old draftee Matias Perez is now starting which is great and had 9 points and 8 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 20-1

It was Matt Brown’s turn to flirt with a triple double in our 124-94 beat down of Minnesota with 12 points, 18 assists, 8 steals and 6 rebounds. Andre Drummond, Marcus Randle and David Forney combined for 64 points, 28 rebounds and 7 blocks to decimate the Wolves’ frontcourt. Enrique Mendez was close to a devil’s quadruple double with 17 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Gabe White shot badly for 19 points. I’m still not liking Joe Holmes at PG when there is a superstar in the making on the bench, especially when Holmes gets exactly zero assists in 28 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 21-1

In a major blow for our bench brigade, Tristan Thompson plays 11 minutes and then blows out is ACL, removing him from our team for the rest of the year. Having Alton Hardy would be a good thing right now but I can’t dwell on the past. In the game, we led from start to finish as Paul George gets the nod at starting SF and pours in 24 points as we beat Cleveland 131-99. For some reason the Cavs have Ron Winston starting at PG and obviously he got smashed by Matt Brown who had 9 points and 19 assists compared to Winston’s 12 points on 4/17 shooting and one assist before fouling out. JD Lawson, another one of my draftees had was the best for the Cavs with 15 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 22-1

It was Royce White who stepped into the bench PF role, with 18 minutes and 7 points as we withstand another furious fightback from Portland to win 99-81. They outscored us 29-19 in the final term and it seems we take the foot of the pedal when we know we are going to win. Andre Drummond led the way with 30 points and 11 rebounds while Marcus Randle had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Tiburcio Tommasini led the way for the Blazers with 18 points but Kevin Durant was held to 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 23-1

The Spurs aren’t in a good spot right now at 5-19 and we heap on some more misery with a 108-90 away win. Jacob Alexander led the way with 27 points and 9 rebounds on a whopping 11/30 shooting night while Matt Brown did his thing with 8 points, 15 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. In good news, Sean Gilmore is back in the starting line-up and had 10 points and 7 rebounds. He was torched by Cedric Watson, who went 15/27 from the field for 37 points, 8 rebounds and 6 steals.

Dallas Mavericks 24-1

We start a home and home against the Thunder at our place and our hospitality is terrible as we destroy OKC 120-97. Jacob Alexander shoots much better (13/23) for 32 points while Matt Brown has 19 points and 21 assists. Sean Gilmore is getting into his groove again with 25 points. The Thunder had six players in double figures but no-one over 15 points which isn’t a good way to play. Instead of three players with 15 points they need a couple of guys to go further than that.

Dallas Mavericks 25-1

It’s the Thunder’s turn to host and we listen to their stories and eat their slightly cold food but in the end we say enough is enough and go hard and leave. It’s fairly close in the first three quarters but we turn on the jets with a 44-19 last term to win 125-91. Matt Brown gets into foul trouble but it’s no trouble for us as Iman Shumpert has 19 points and 13 assists off the bench. Marcus Randle was our best with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The reason Brown was limited was Russell Westbrook who had 23 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 26-1

Our winning streak is snapped at 22 games as the Sonics win every single statistical category to smash us 111-95. Travis Grigsby takes home his first ever triple double with 17 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds with Bret Davis scoring 26 points to lead the way. There was more to Matt Brown’s low minutes last game as he bruised his sternum, keeping him out of this game. It was unfortunate for us as Iman Shumpert started and had nine turnovers in the game. Marcus Randle led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds but we shot a confusing 33% from the field which isn’t like us at all.

Dallas Mavericks 26-2

**TRADE**

Philadelphia trade:
PF John Jackson
SG Charlie Adams

Washington trade:
PG DeShaun Worley
2025 2nd round pick

Winner – Neither. Worley was a top two pick three years ago and has some great potential still but the Sixers already have Li-chi King and Tim Westbrooks for their point guards so adding another guy that will want minutes is strange. The Wizards trade their only good PG for Jackson who is slotted in at ninth man and have 6’11” SF Perry Jones starting at PG. Terrible deal for both sides.

Iman Shumpert has a better game in our 112-98 victory over Chicago with 10 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds with only four turnovers has Andre Drummond is the best player on the court by far with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals. All of our starters were in double figures. Ryan Wadley was the best for the Bulls with 18 points off the bench as Brad Largent only had 15 points and 11 rebounds, far fewer than his season averages.

Dallas Mavericks 27-2

Matt Brown is back in the starting line-up but that didn’t stop us from losing to Houston 113-103. Leonard Hale was magnificent with 28 points and 12 rebounds while fouling Marcus Randle out early and Kyrie Irving was his normal best with 22 points. Tre Hines was a dynamo off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds in only 18 minutes. Andre Drummond was our best with 23 points and 11 rebounds as Brown had 15 assists in his game back.

Dallas Mavericks 27-3

The Hornets are ‘only’ 22-6 but they have us a game to forget. We got out to a 16 point lead in the fourth quarter before Anthony Davis and surprisingly Bryan Plowman stormed back with a 34-19 last quarter to steal the win 104-100. What makes matters worse is that it was our first home loss of the season. Anthony Davis had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 blocks in the win but it was Plowman who stole the show with 27 points on 10/13 shooting for his best game of the season. Andre Drummond had 30 points and 11 rebounds but Marcus Randle had more turnovers than points with 6 points, 11 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 27-4

After the game Paul George, Iman Shumpert and Ryan Robinson all went to the media crying about playing time and I tell them to shut it. They didn’t say anything when we were on that massive win streak and it just shows their real personality that when we lost two in a row they start bitching.

Our last game of the month is a 121-114 win over Denver to snap our losing streak. Marcus Randle bounced back with 22 points and 18 rebounds while Andre Drummond (25 points) and Jacob Alexander (21 points) joined him over 20 points. Chris Drexler had 26 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks for his usual stunning performance while Brandon Jennings had up and down game with 23 points, 10 assists and 9 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 28-4

Yes we lost three games this month with one of them being our first at home but we are still well and truly in front in the West. The Jazz are second at 16-7 and even though we have lost only three games less than Utah we have won 12 more games. San Antonio are last at 9-24 and the supposedly terribly Denver Nuggets are only just mediocre at 13-18.

The Hornets pulled us back a little and are now at 23-7 while Detroit aren’t far behind at 20-10 with Cleveland coming third at 22-12 and then daylight. The Hawks are still last at 4-29 but I have been informed that they traded last year’s draft pick to Golden State, not this season’s which means they are still the favourites for the number one pick.

Dallas Top Points
Andre Drummond – 20.5
Marcus Randle – 19.2
Jacob Alexander – 18.3

Dallas Top Assists
Matt Brown – 12.3
Iman Shumpert – 4.0
Andre Drummond – 2.0

Dallas Top Rebounds
Marcus Randle – 9.2
Andre Drummond – 8.7
Matt Brown – 4.8

League Leaders
Points – Jimmy Forrest (MIL) – 29.8
Assists – Reggie Dobbins (PHO) – 12.7
Rebounds – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 12.7
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 4.3
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 3.2
Efficiency – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 30.3

Rookie Leaders
Points – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 17.7
Assists – Marcus Barnes (CHI) – 3.3
Rebounds – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 6.7
Blocks – Mike Lingle (PHI) – 2.0
Steals – Tim Westbrooks (PHI) – 1.5
Efficiency – Lance Ellis (SDR) – 19.0

First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. SF Kelley Bright (Saint Joseph’s), Freshman, 6’10”, 196lbs
2. SG Mike Bickerstaf (Illinois), Freshman, 6’6”, 186lbs
3. C Nick Street (Georgia Tech), Sophomore, 7’5”, 273lbs
4. PF David Greer (BYU), Junior, 6’11”, 215lbs
5. SG Edmund Stinson (Temple), Freshman, 6’6”, 197lbs

Thoughts – I really like Bickerstaf at the moment, who is averaging 31 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game as a freshman which shows that not only is he a dynamite scorer but a willing passer. Also Street is intriguing, at 7’5” you can’t teach height.