New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

After the draft was one of the saddest things I have ever done, renounce all of the players that I have grown to love over these six years as General Manager. From Andre Drummond who started this whole thing to my two stellar draftees in Matt Brown and Marcus Randle to the newest addition Jacob Alexander who helped us get over the line, they’re all gone. It puts us at only $726,439 over the cap so we won’t be hit too hard with 15 minimum contracts.

I’m really not interested in the summer league circuit as none of these guys are going to get a contract with the team but we do go 2-3 which is better than I thought.

Onto free agency and even without the old Dallas players this is a doozy of a crop. The top ten have at least five franchise players and then depth is amazing. Unfortunately we can’t participate so it’s going to be a case of look but don’t touch. Here are the top ten free agents –

C Mark Lewis
PF Marcus Randle
C Andre Drummond
PF Donte Rock
C Travis Ross
SG Josh Jackson*
PG Kyrie Irving
C Gabriel Estevez
SG Varlam Chavchavadze*
SG Michael Williams

When Irving and Chav-chav are in the second half of the ten you know it’s a monster crop. And that doesn’t include guys like Gabe White, Matt Brown, Corry Hackworth, Cederic Thomas, Carl Farmer, Reggie Dobbins, Jacob Alexander, Jonas Valanciunas, Alexander Verhaeren, Lisandro Perez, Hillar Petrauskas and many, many more. Seriously, I could have rattled off another 10-15 names that I would love to have.

Mark Lewis and Josh Jackson re-sign with Utah and Los Angeles respectively with Lewis’ contract being one of the biggest I’ve seen in a long time, 5 year, $93 million. Marcus Randle gave me a call saying that he has decided to sign with Memphis for $55 million but first asked me if that was OK because it was my old team. It was like a best friend wanting to ask out your old girlfriend. I gave him my blessing and told him to make that team respectable again, which he gladly accepted as a challenge.

The next day Chav-chav re-signs with Boston for the maximum he can get while Murman Andronikov jumps ship to Orlando for $8 million a year. Kevin Durant takes a pay cut to stay with Portland with a one year, $8 million deal.

It must have been re-signing day as Donte Rock, Gabriel Estevez, Alexander Verhaeren, Carl Farmer, Andre Graham and Hillar Petrauskas all re-sign with their respective teams for various amounts of time and money. The only big name that didn’t re-sign was Lisandro Perez who skipped out on Sac-Town to play with the Sixers on a four year deal.

Apart from the forced move by Marcus Randle it has been pretty low key as Vitaly Ekomov and Joe Holmes also re-sign with their teams.

It’s tender offer acceptance day as all of the restricted free agents who couldn’t work out a deal took a one year contract to stay with their teams. It was weird then for Nevada to sign Matt Brown when Darren Banks accepted his tender offer so they now have two very good point guards on their team. Strange. Andre Drummond decides to go with Lisandro Perez and signs with Philadelphia for 4 years and $47 million while Kyrie Irving and Travis Ross re-sign with Houston and Washington. The Kings aren’t sulking about losing Perez as they sign Corry Hackworth for a good 4 year, $33 million contract while Jacob Alexander sends me a text that he wants to play with Marcus, signing a steal $6 million a year contract with Memphis.

There goes Philly’s chance of competing as they sign Dustin Harris for some reason to a four year deal. Atlanta overpays Borut Peschat, Detroit underpays Jim Turner while Gabe White goes back to Minnesota.

There are still some decent players out there who can be got cheap as Miami demonstrates, signing Ross Lampley to a $9 million contract over three years and Charlotte signs John Wall for nearly $8 million for one season. Hopefully some of these decent players don’t get signed so I can snatch them.

Mark Hill makes the Pistons more potent with a four year deal while Sean Gilmore texts me as well, telling me he is going to play with Mark Lewis and Derrick Favors is Utah. The next day the league goes into shut down as New Orleans steals a very good Peter McCaffery for three years, rounding out their line-up nicely. The point guard I really wanted for my team was Kendall Marshall but Utah snatch him up on a two year minimum deal. Damn.

Dammit, two more of my targets signed with other teams as Jing-xiang Mei went to Nevada and Michael Byrd went to Utah for the minimum. With only two days left of free agency I’m hoping against hope that the cookie jar hasn’t been completely raided before I get there.

After training camp (which was useless for us) I pick my team. It’s almost like an expansion draft except these guys are from the bottom of the barrel. It doesn’t really matter what order I pick the players in but it still feels good to pick the best down. I start with one of my favourites-

Pick 1 – C Joe Duggins
Pick 2 – C Victor Jones
Pick 3 – PF Tristan Thompson
Pick 4 – SF David Forney
Pick 5 – SG Steve Anderson
Pick 6 – SF Brian Jenkins
Pick 7 – SF Shawn Latimer
Pick 8 – C Ernest Jameson
Pick 9 – SF Andrew Seitz
Pick 10 – SG Mike Lloyd
Pick 11 – SG Tyreke Evans
Pick 12 – PF John Henson
Pick 13 – PG Changa Hendricks
Pick 14 – PG Kemba Walker
Pick 15 – PG Marquis Teague

So as you can see there wasn’t a good crop of point guard to choose from as I first wanted Kendall Marshall, then Ryan Robinson and then Brandon Jennings but they were all nabbed before I could get them. I’m so happy Joe Duggins didn’t get signed (not for him obviously) and he could break out this season with all these minutes he will get.

Eastern Conference Pre- Season Rankings
1 – Chicago Bulls
2 – Memphis Grizzlies
3 – Philadelphia 76ers
4 – New Orleans Hornets
5 – Miami Heat
Last – Charlotte Bobcats

Any EC rankings that doesn’t have New Orleans on top is obviously invalid. Chicago are nowhere near the best team in the conference but I do like Memphis (adding Marcus Randle, Jacob Alexander and Cort Majishun) and Philadelphia (adding Andre Drummond and Lisandro Perez) at two and three. Charlotte aren’t as bad as they are ranked but that doesn’t mean they won’t be down the bottom at the end of the season.

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

Yep, we’re pegged to be dead last and I don’t blame them. I like these rankings as the Lakers have talent coming out their ears and if the Wolves and Blazers can get their balancing right they should also be forces in the league. It’s cool to see both the expansion teams in the top five, six years after they came into the league.

Pre-Season 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

Pre-Season All NBA Second Team:
Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets
Ron Winston, Cleveland Cavaliers
Raul Lopez, Boston Celtics
Marcus Randle, Memphis Grizzlies
Jimmy Forrest, San Diego Riders

Pre-Season All NBA Third Team:
Kevin Epps, Portland Trailblazers
Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers
Brad Largent, Chicago Bulls
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

As you can see, if the Blazers can get their heads together they could be a dynasty. They have the best SG and the third best PG and SF. I guess Kevin Durant might get another championship if they play the right way. It’s sad to see Marcus Randle on the list for another team.

After all the controversy, all the sadness and media scrutiny, here is your 2025-2026 “Cinderella” Dallas Mavericks –

PG – Changa Hendricks
SG – Steve Anderson
SF – David Forney
PF – Victor Jones
C – Joe Duggins
6th – Ernest Jameson
7th – Brian Jenkins
8th – Tristan Thompson
9th – John Henson
10th – Shawn Latimer
11th – Kemba Walker
12th – Tyreke Evans
13th – Andrew Seitz
14th – Marquis Teague
15th – Mike Lloyd

[zike_42]

Here is an update on where the ex-Dallas players went in free agency.

Andre Drummond -> Philadelphia, 4 year $47,461,050
Marcus Randle -> Memphis, 4 years $55,595,400
Matt Brown -> Nevada, 4 year $34,113,776
Jacob Alexander -> Memphis, 4 year $24,915,564
Sean Gilmore -> Utah, 3 year $13,024,935
Iman Shumpert -> Not signed
Joe Duggins -> Dallas, minimum
Ricardo Marquardt -> Nevada, 2 year $2,765,210
Ryan Robinson -> Sacramento, 3 year $16,678,200
Serge Ibaka -> Not signed
David Forney -> Dallas, minimum
Paul George -> Not signed
Royce White -> Not signed
Eric Bledsoe -> Not signed
Tristan Thompson -> Dallas, minimum

[OzzieLaker]

Here is an update on where the ex-Dallas players went in free agency.

Andre Drummond -> Philadelphia, 4 year $47,461,050
Marcus Randle -> Memphis, 4 years $55,595,400
Matt Brown -> Nevada, 4 year $34,113,776
Jacob Alexander -> Memphis, 4 year $24,915,564
Sean Gilmore -> Utah, 3 year $13,024,935
Iman Shumpert -> Not signed
Joe Duggins -> Dallas, minimum
Ricardo Marquardt -> Nevada, 2 year $2,765,210
Ryan Robinson -> Sacramento, 3 year $16,678,200
Serge Ibaka -> Not signed
David Forney -> Dallas, minimum
Paul George -> Not signed
Royce White -> Not signed
Eric Bledsoe -> Not signed
Tristan Thompson -> Dallas, minimum

What rating is Shumpert now? If he's still respectable, why didn't you sign him?

[zike_42]

What rating is Shumpert now? If he's still respectable, why didn't you sign him?

Shump is 35 years old and even though his defence is still great the rest of his game has fallen off. He is my back up if we have any trouble makers in the team.

[zike_42]

Alright, here we go. First game of our new team. Ang guess what? We lost, 104-92 to Philadelphia but there was some good signs. Steve Anderson was great with 26 points and 10 rebounds and Changa Hendricks was good for once with 13 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds to negate David Forney’s 5/20 night. New acquired Lisandro Perez was the best for the victors with 28 points but Andre Drummond had a quiet night with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Dallas Mavericks 0-1

When Paul Orvis is on his game it’s hard to beat the Raptors and unfortunately for us he was, with 28 points, 7 steals, 6 blocks and 6 rebounds as we drop a 33-18 last term to lose our first home game 111-99. Shawn Latimer is now starting at SF and had 20 points while David Forney showed his disappointment with 21 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Matias Perez is now one of the best PGs in the league and had 17 points, 15 assists and 7 rebounds in the win.

Dallas Mavericks 0-2

Woo! We win our first game behind Victor Jones’ 33 points and 3 rebounds. Yes for a centre he can’t rebound to save himself but boy can he score. We beat Golden State of all teams 125-109. Changa Hendricks is loving being the starting PG and showed his delight with 13 points and 13 assists. Too bad Ledaryl McMillian had 32 points on him but we won so that doesn’t matter. Willis Owens had 12 points and 16 rebounds off the bench for the Warriors.

Dallas Mavericks 1-2

We hold John Johnson to a 5/12 night (he did finish with 21 points) but we let a small three quarter time lead slip through our fingers as we lose again to Detroit 108-104. New Piston Jim Turner led the way with 22 points. We had six players in double figures and another three with nine points but we just couldn’t get away from the aging Pistons.

Dallas Mavericks 1-3

Victor Jones is currently carrying this team and we are going to ride him as long as he can carry us. In our 126-122 win over Washington Jones had 34 points (with only 5 rebounds) on 13/16 shooting as we went to the line 49 times to the Wizards’ 25. Shawn Latimer was Victor’s Robin with 26 points. James McDaniel is a dynamite scorer and didn’t disappoint with 31 points and 9 assists in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks 2-3

In practice Victor Jones sprained his wrist and unfortunately we didn’t have him in our battle against Charlotte. Obviously we lost, as his replacement Ernest Jameson, went 4/10 for only 10 points as the Bobcats took us to the cleaners with a 115-104 win. Shawn Latimer is coming into his own with 25 points and Changa Hendricks doubled up again. My old draftee Reggie Blake had a blinder with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists to lead the Cats.

Dallas Mavericks 2-4

Three players had double doubles for us as we withstand a Brad Largent hurricane to beat the Bulls 104-93. Largent had 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks but Shawn Latimer had 21 points and 10 rebounds while Steve Anderson and Changa Hendricks doubled up. We shot a worse percentage than Chicago but we shot 11 more shots to make up the difference.

Dallas Mavericks 3-4

We have a winning streak! The Knicks got out to a 19 point lead in the third term before we roared back with a 38-24 last quarter burst to take a squeaker 106-102. Shawn Latimer had 19 points while Victor Jones has recovered from his injury with 17 points. Jamal Howell was the best for New York with 23 points and even though Jake Chase started at PG he had 21 points and Vlado Prazina started at SG but had 10 assists. Rookie of the Year favourite Terry McKenzie had 14 points and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 4-4

Who knew that after eight games we would be 4-4?

In a game where one team shot 58% from the field to the other’s 40% and team A lead at half time 72-40. Too bad for us team A was Sacramento, as the Kings blasted us 133-102. Joe Abney actually shot well for once for 37 points while Corry Hackworth, Dylan Hahn, Nate Nixon and Ryan Robinson all having double doubles. Shawn Latimer was our best with 18 points and he and Jones are definitely our best players.

Dallas Mavericks 4-5

I’m flabbergasted that we are 4-5 and I decide to make a very ballsy move. I believe that in the end we should be at the tail end of the lottery going by this start so I decide to cash in one of our chips.

Dallas trade:
PG Marquis Teague
2026 1st round pick

Indiana trade:
SF Jack Dawkins

Winner – Both. Dawkins has potential oozing out of his ears and Dallas GM Yaxley McMillan was vocal with his crush on Dawkins at draft day. It’s a win for the Mavericks because McMillan gets his man. It’s a win for the Pacers because most people think that the Mavericks won’t be able to continue their average form and believe that they will drop back down into the top five of the lottery.

It’s a big risk because even though we are doing alright now we are still a team of minimum contract guys and we haven’t played New Orleans, Portland or most of the top tier teams. Dawkins looks amazing and I want him to get as much court time as possible.

I ask Coach Garnett to start Dawkins to see how he goes and he does really well in his first game, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 rebounds as we upset the 7-3 Heat 119-103. Victor Jones shoots 11/11 for 24 points and grabs 8 rebounds but it was Changa Hendricks who stole the show with 4 points (2/3 FG), 18 assists and 8 rebounds to do his best Matt Brown impression. Ross Lampley was the best for the Heat with 20 points as Keith Selden went 6/22 from the field. Number eight pick Kenneth Long had a DNP for the game.

Dallas Mavericks 5-5

Another setback as Changa Hendricks goes down clutching his ankle as we get blown out by the Neon 112-86. Mike Joseph top scored with 22 points as Victor Jones fouled out in nine minutes. Yep, nine minutes for six fouls. Steve Anderson top scored for us with 21 points but no-one else stood up. Also, Matt Brown is wasting away on the bench behind Darren Banks which is a shame. If I had any other assets I would try and nab him.

Dallas Mavericks 5-6

Coach Garnett came up to me after the game and told me that Jack Dawkins isn’t as good as we thought at the minute and thought that he would be better suited for the D-League this season. I tell him that it’s his call because he is the coach but we need him next season up and ready. Also, Kemba Walker is now starting at PG in Changa’s spot.

Walker doesn’t disappoint, going 6/11 for 23 points as we beat up the pretty average Spurs 109-99 in San Antonio. Joe Duggins also had a great game with 20 points and 9 rebounds to offset Victor Jones’ 1/8 night. Darcel Settles has 23 points on 22 shots as the rest of the team are pretty average.

Dallas Mavericks 6-6

The Spurs get their revenge the next night as we go down 127-110 from a hot shooting Lamont Nelson who had 29 points in the win. He was helped by Thomas Robinson’s 25 points and Darcel Settles’ 22 points and 12 assists. Our ‘stars’ Victor Jones and Shawn Latimer were again our best with 22 points and 21 points respectively.

Dallas Mavericks 6-7

After the game John Henson has a go at Coach Garnett and obviously Kevin didn’t like that. He tells John that he won’t get another shot in the big league and should take it all in while he can. That shut him up.

This team is doing much better than I could ever imagine and most of the credit goes to Shawn Latimer and Victor Jones. Lats had 23 points and Vic put up 19 points in our 111-97 come from behind win over Houston. Ernest Jameson led the second unit with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Leonard Hale had a dominant display in the game with 27 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as Kyrie Irving and Jay Warren combined to shoot 6/23 for 22 points.

Dallas Mavericks 7-7

With all the buzz around Tiburcio Tommasini and Enrique Mendez sometimes Raul Lopez gets left behind. Not anymore. In the Celtics’ 124-101 win over Golden State the sixth year SF went 25/32 from the field and 18/21 from the line for a sizzling 69 points and 9 rebounds for the most points in a single game since I have been in the league.

It was a whole team effort in our 111-94 win over Los Angeles has Steve Anderson got the individual gong with 23 points but all five starters were in double figures as well as Ernest Jameson. Ali Riley was the tops scorer for the Lakers with 18 points but their two young stars, Chris Jackson and Michael Taylor combined for 8/30 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 8-7

Shawn Latimer had 23 points but it was Reggie Dobbins who stole the show with 18 points and 22 assists as the Suns scored the 122-104 to put us back to .500. Antonio Haginas had 24 points in only 20 minutes for the victors.

Dallas Mavericks 8-8

Our last game of the month is a 113-105 win over Marcus Randle and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz had the better individual performances with Joe Curry with 29 points and Ronnie Howard’s 28 points and 12 rebounds. Marcus Randle had an average game with 15 points and 8 rebounds and Jacob Alexander had 18 points at PG for some reason. Kemba Walker is loving being the starting PG with 7 points and 13 assists and Victor Jones put in 16 points and 8 rebounds. Cort Majishun played 10 minutes for one foul and a whole lot of zeroes.

Dallas Mavericks 9-8

Who would have thought that a squad made up entirely of minimum contract guys would be sitting sixth in the conference? Sure we have played 12 home games to 5 away but it’s exciting at least. Milwaukee are leading the way at 10-3 while Nevada and San Antonio are second and third respectively. Denver are wallowing at the bottom with a 4-12 record.

Surprisingly the Cavs are leading the East at 14-3 with Miami and New Orleans hot on their tail. Atlanta are unsurprisingly down the bottom at 2-14 with Detroit and Boston keeping them company.

Dallas Top Points
Shawn Latimer – 18.0
Victor Jones – 17.1
Steve Anderson – 13.5

Dallas Top Assists
Changa Hendricks – 8.9
Kemba Walker – 6.1
Tyreke Evans – 2.4

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.1
Victor Jones – 6.1
Ernest Jameson – 5.8

League Leaders
Points – Jimmy Forrest (SDR) – 30.9
Assists – Darcel Settles (SAS) – 11.5
Rebounds – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 9.6
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.4
Steals – Paul Orvis (TOR) – 3.4
Efficiency – Jimmy Forrest (SDR) – 30.3

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 15.3
Assists – Chris Jones (ATL) – 6.3
Rebounds – Terry McKenzie (NYK) – 6.2
Blocks – Joe Moore (DET) – 0.8
Steals – Chris Jones (ATL) – 1.9
Efficiency – Chris Jones (ATL) – 13.8

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors – 30.4 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder – 15.3 points, 2.3 assists, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

**TRADE**

Oklahoma City trade:
SG Adarrial Faye

San Diego trade:
2026 1st round pick

Winner – Both. It all depends on the pick but as of right now it will be in the lottery as the Riders are at 7-9 on the season. Faye is a great young player and will bolster San Diego’s bench stocks until he is ready to start.

We start a four game away trip with a 105-98 loss to Seattle but it wasn’t even that close. When the benches were emptied we raced back with a 10 point run but we just didn’t have enough time. Bret Davis was the best on the court with 23 points as Andrew Owens shot badly for 18 points and 13 rebounds. On our side Steve Anderson made up for Victor Jones’ 13 points with 18 points while I’m really warming to Changa Hendricks (though he won’t ever live up to a #2 pick) as he had 9 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 9-9

**TRADE**

Milwaukee trade:
C Dylan Callier

Utah trade:
2026 1st round pick

Winner – Milwaukee. With Mark Lewis out with a broken leg the Jazz needed a starting centre but giving up their first round pick this season was a blunder. Utah should be in the lottery even when Lewis comes back and the Bucks will reap the reward.

Next up is a visit to Portland and we get smashed 128-96 behind Kevin Epps’ magnificent game of 21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his fifth career triple double. Tiburcio Tommasini top scored in the game with 24 points while the Blazers still have Earl Oliver coming off the bench and had 17 points in the win. Shawn Latimer was our best with 22 points.

Dallas Mavericks 9-10

I’m getting a little concerned that Victor Jones can’t grab a rebound. He had 15 points and a single board while averaging 5.6 rebounds on the season. I don’t like big men that can’t rebound so if this continues I might have to trade him in while he has value but only if I can find a good deal.

Game three was a crazy game. There were 13 lead changes and 12 game ties against the 11-3 Bucks as we just scrapped and fought all the way through against a team that thought they would win by just showing up. So when we finished the game on the right side of the score (120-117) Milwaukee was shocked and their coach was furious. Joe Duggins was amazing with 19 points and 13 rebounds as we had six players in double figures and three double doubles in the game. Changa Hendricks was outstanding again with 13 points on 1/2 shooting (10/10 from the line) and 11 assists. Christopher de Castro led the way for the vanquished with 23 points and my old draftee Brandon Anderer had 22 points and 8 rebounds starting at PF. It’s great to see him starting somewhere.

Dallas Mavericks 10-10

Our last away game was up north in Toronto against the 13-5 Raptors. Behind Marcus Sanders’ 29 points and 9 rebounds the Raptors got out to a 13 point lead in the third quarter and the crowd thought they were going to romp it in. Unfortunately for them we went on a final term blitz, outscoring the home side 32-19 to take another top tier scalp 112-107. Joe Duggins was again our best with 18 points and 14 rebounds but was held by his other starters who all scored in double figures. Matias Perez was Sanders’ helper with 15 points and 10 assists but Paul Orvis was held to only 11 points, six points below his average.

Dallas Mavericks 11-10

This team has confidence in spades now, shown by our 139-108 shellacking of Milwaukee in Dallas. After Shawn Latimer and Steve Anderson fouled out early it was up to our bench, with Tyreke Evans leading the way with 26 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds to turn back to the clock to five years ago. Victor Jones chipped in 23 points as well. Our bench scored a whopping 82 points which is just phenomenal and just goes to show how deep our team is. Sure we don’t have the top end talent to win a championship but this team is dedicated to winning games and upsetting more fancied teams.

Dallas Mavericks 12-10

That’s four wins in a row against excellent opposition as we outscore the 18-6 Cavs 41-32 in the final term to win again 106-103. Victor Jones heard my criticism with 22 points and 11 rebounds as his big man partner, Joe Duggins had 20 points and 13 rebounds. Ron Winston shot 27 shots for 34 points but didn’t have any friends in the game.

Dallas Mavericks 13-10

Mike Lloyd played his first game of the season and played well, scoring 11 points in 8 minutes before spraining his knee and will be out for two weeks. We beat the nearly overpowering Blazers but a fair margin 108-87. John Henson took over when Joe Duggins with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals in only 19 minutes in an electric display. Victor Jones went 8/11 for 20 points. Tiburcio Tommasini had 25 points to lead the losers but for some reason Earl Oliver only played 22 minutes, even after going 4/4 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 14-10

It was bound to stop sometime as our five game winning streak got snapped by a 119-111 loss to Houston. Kyrie Irving and Ryan Smiley combined for 47 points as the Rockets just smashed us from the start, getting out to a 35-14 first quarter and we couldn’t recover. Our usual suspects led the way with Vic and Lats having 19 points each.

Dallas Mavericks 14-11

Next up is a home and home against the Thunder, with the first home at ours. We played well, holding Mike Bickerstaf to only 20 points but shooting 17 threes in the game. Steve Anderson was really, really good for us with 25 points and 11 rebounds. You’re probably wondering if we won or not and if it wasn’t for one player we would have. Peter Napier of all people went 13/24 from the field and an otherworldly 22/31 from the foul line for a dominant 48 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunder beat us on our own court 120-113. Damn Napier was good.

Dallas Mavericks 14-12

We wanted to get revenge going into OKC but we just couldn’t get the lead down to a single digit margin, losing our third game in a row 112-102. Robert Jackson had 21 points and 9 rebounds and now that Russell Westbrook has been taken over by Father Time Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is starting at PG and had 11 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds. Changa Hendricks took advantage of MKG’s slower speed with 23 points and John Henson, starting at PF, was our second best player with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Dallas Mavericks 14-13

That five game winning streak is a long way in the distance after we drop our fourth game in a row, this time to the Wolves 116-88. Enrique Mendez is a special player, having 30 points and 8 rebounds but for some reason Brad Beal is starting at PG and he wasn’t a good PG when he was in his prime, limiting Camah Williams to only 8 minutes but still had 10 points. We shot 42% from the field and honestly weren’t in this game at all. Shawn Latimer led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 14-14

The streak continues as we fall to the Bulls 116-102 and this team has lost its confidence. We waste a 29 points, 10 rebound outing from Victor Jones as Wesley Fields nabs the Player of the Game award with 21 points and 7 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 14-15

Cedric Watson has a great all around game with 17 points (8/10 FG), 7 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists as our streak continues with a 121-94 loss to San Antonio. The Spurs shot 53% from the field to our 40% which is the major factor in the loss. Victor Jones was our shining light with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 14-16

Good news is that we break our losing streak with a 107-89 win over Indiana. Bad news is that Andrew Seitz hurts his arm and will be out for 10 days or so. Shawn Latimer had a great game with 27 points and 6 rebounds while holding Darrell Hampton to only 16 points. Five of our bench players played in double digit minutes, giving our starters a good rest. Alexander Verhaeren had a blinder, going 10/13 from the field and 7/10 from three for 27 points.

Dallas Mavericks 15-16

That didn’t last long as the Suns put us away early to beat us 117-105. Reggie Dobbins and Varlam Cherkezov combined for 44 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds to blow us away. Victor Jones was again our best with 22 points but Shawn Latimer went 3/15 to doom us.

Dallas Mavericks 15-17

After a bit of a disappointing month where we went 6-9 and we fell to tenth in the West, one and half game behind eighth spot. The Timberwolves are leading the way with a 19-9 record, only three wins in front of the surprising Spurs with the Lakers in third spot. Denver are down the bottom and will probably be there for the season at 9-18.

In the East the Cavs are beating out the Hornets at 23-11, ahead of New Orleans at 16-9. Toronto are in third place at 19-11. Atlanta are going for the worst record ever and will probably get it at this rate at 2-28 while Memphis are second last at 12-21 which is really unexpected with Marcus Randle. Maybe Randle was so good because of Dallas, not the other way around.

Dallas Top Points
Victor Jones – 17.2
Shawn Latimer – 16.7
Steve Anderson – 12.6

Dallas Top Assists
Changa Hendricks – 8.0
Kemba Walker – 4.9
Tyreke Evans – 4.0

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.1
Victor Jones – 5.9
Steve Anderson – 5.6

League Leaders
Points – Jimmy Forrest (SDR) – 30.3
Assists – Darcel Settles (SAS) – 10.7
Rebounds – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 9.8
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.4
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.7
Efficiency – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 29.9

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 18.0
Assists – Chris Jones (ATL) – 5.9
Rebounds – Terry McKenzie (NYK) – 6.7
Blocks – Matt Fox (BOS) – 1.0
Steals – Chris Jones (ATL) – 1.6
Efficiency – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 14.3

First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. C Schuyler Vanderwerken (Netherlands), 18 years old, 6’9”, 257lbs
2. SG Phillip Rude (Gardner-Webb), Freshman, 6’6”, 189lbs
3. SG Jason London (Dayton), Freshman, 6’5”, 189lbs
4. SG Curtis Anderson (Colorado), Freshman, 6’5”, 198lbs
5. PF Victor Brinker (Wofford), Junior, 6’9”, 225lbs

Thoughts – Vanderwerken is one of the rawest players I have seen sitting atop the prospects list but his physical talents are undeniable. If he can show even a sliver of progress in his actual basketball skills during the season he should be the consensus number one pick this draft.

[zike_42]

I thought I would do an update on those six players that I previewed before the draft every two months, just to give people a heads up on the most intriguing players in this class.

#35 PF Terry McKenzie, New York Knicks – 12.6 points, 0.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks
Has started every game and is looking very comfortable in the Big Apple. His shooting is pretty good and he has become a vocal leader on the team. His potential is also bigger than was thought at draft day.

#4 SG Chris Jones, Atlanta Hawks – 12.6 points, 5.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 0.0 blocks
The Wizard is shooting pretty poorly at 36% on the season and his teammates are getting on his nerve as they aren’t taking this season as seriously as Jones. At 2-28 it’s a pretty depressing locker room but with his all around form Wiz is trying his best. Unlike McKenzie, Jones’ potential is less than what was thought when he was drafted.

#17 PG Cort Majishun, Memphis Grizzlies – 11.2 points, 4.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks
After a slow start coming off the bench Majishun has got the starting gig and running with it. His 29 points against Miami was a break out party and will continue being the starting PG for the underperforming Grizzlies for the rest of the season most likely. His potential at the moment is drool worthy, maybe even close to Kyrie Irving (now).

#13 SG Kenneth Long, Miami Heat – 3.9 points, 1.9 assists, 1.2 rebounds, 0.1 steals, 0.1 blocks
The Heat are bringing Long along very slowly, averaging only 8.7 minutes per game. He is ready to contribute and is getting a little annoyed with his coach for his lack of playing time, a stint in the D-League would probably be good for him.

#47 C Art Stevenson, Boston Celtics – 2.0 points, 0.7 assists, 1.0 rebound, 0.1 steals, 0.1 blocks
Definitely someone who would benefit from playing in the D-League, Art has only played in seven games all season. His potential is really good compared to what it was on draft day so getting him some burn in the lower level would be great for him.

#41 SF Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks/Reno Lions – 8.0 points, 1.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.1 steals, 0.0 blocks
After being traded to Dallas, Dawkins had three games in the pros before being sent down to work on his game. He has started slowly for the Lions but his potential is off the charts and even though he will probably be down in the D-League this season big things are expected from his next season.

[zike_42]

December Player of the Month – Enrique Mendez, Minnesota Timberwolves – 30.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks per game.

December Rookie of the Month – Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder – 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

That is a man sized stat line for Mendez for December and I would put him as a top three player in the whole league right now. He defence is below average but the rest is simply amazing.

I recall Jack Dawkins from the D-League because I want him to get used to being in an NBA squad. If he doesn’t get any court time then at least he is fraternising with proper NBA players.

Victor Jones goes 13/17 from the foul line for 29 points but we couldn’t stop the Buzzsaw, who had his best game against a Dallas team with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists as the Warriors stomp us 113-102. Shawn Latimer had 19 points as well but we shot 37% from the field compared to Golden State’s 51%.

Dallas Mavericks 15-18

We get back to our winning ways as we smash the Bucks in a game where they didn’t have a single lead, winning the game 123-93. Victor Jones had 21 points but it was Joe Duggins who stole the show with 27 points, going 13/18 from the foul line. David Forney was a spark off the bench with 16 points in 19 minutes. Christopher de Castro led the way for the Bucks with 19 points but the team went 1/14 from three compared to our 8/15.

Dallas Mavericks 16-18

It’s a winning streak! Coach Garnett shocks everyone and starts Jack Dawkins at SF and he explodes for 28 points and 6 rebounds as we take care of the Jazz 107-94. Joe Duggins has been pushed to the bench (Victor Jones slides to C and Shawn Latimer slides to PF) but that didn’t faze him, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. My old buddy Sean Gilmore took the lead for his new team with 20 points as Mark Lewis fouled out in 19 minutes, not before scoring 17 points.

Dallas Mavericks 17-18

It’s a more subdued second start for Dawkins, going 2/9 for 7 points but we still won the game, outscoring the Nuggets 34-22 in the third term to take the win 127-111. Victor Jones was spectacular, going 13/13 from the field and 6/6 from the line for 32 points and 6 rebounds, ably helped by Changa Hendricks’ 22 points and 12 assists. Chris Drexler played a solitary hand (like he usually does) with 26 points on 11/14 shooting before fouling out in only 21 minutes. Imagine if he stayed out of foul trouble? He could have got 50.

Dallas Mavericks 18-18

Alright, Hell Week. It’s going to be strange grinding through Hell Week with a whole new squad but if we can get a 3-3 record I’ll be over the moon. First up is the disappointing Detroit, sitting at 15-23 wasting John Johnson. He didn’t disappoint with 36 points but like usual his teammates just weren’t with him as we scoot past the Pistons 124-102. I’m feeling like a real idiot sending Jack Dawkins down to the D-League as even though he went 11/27 from the field and had seven turnovers he scored 29 points and handed out 8 assists in the win. Changa Hendricks was SO close to a triple double it hurt with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. It was Shawn Latimer’s turn to take to the bench but had 16 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 19-18

We seem to have the wood over Portland, this time upsetting them at our house 106-97. Jack Dawkins had a shocker, going 1/8 from the field (but still 11/12 from the line) for 14 points but was torched by Tiburcio Tommasini who had 34 points in the loss. Shawn Latimer stepped up with 21 points and 8 rebounds off the bench to lead the way. Kevin Epps also had a night to forget, going 4/16 for 11 points and 11 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 20-18

While we have the wood over the Blazers the Wolves seem to beat us at will, downing our group of misfits 121-111. I guess that’s ok because they are one of the best teams in the league. Camah Williams has finally been released from his shackles, dominating the game with 23 points, 11 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds as Enrique Mendez scores 22 points in 24 minutes before fouling out. Victor Jones has 28 points and 8 rebounds in another dominant display and even though we shot a whopping 57% from the field Minnesota loves to run and shot 25 more shots than us.

Dallas Mavericks 20-19

We drop to 2-2 on Hell Week as the Magic run us off the court with a 127-120 ‘defence optional’ game. Nashon Smith had a field day with 36 points and 9 assists to lead all scorers. Changa Hendricks was our best with 14 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds and Steve Anderson popped his head up after being quiet from a while with 25 points to lead our team.

Dallas Mavericks 20-20

Like clockwork, the Timberwolves beat us. They went 50% from the field and had a 41-27 last quarter to descimate us 130-115. Enrique Mendez and Camah Williams were stunning, with the Argentinean having 44 points and the young point guard putting up 30 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds in the win. The Wolves are in good hands with those two and it’s unnerving to know that Mendez is only 22 years old and Williams only 21. Shawn Latimer is back in the starting line-up at PF and had a great night with 26 points and 15 rebounds as Andrew Seitz bounced from the bench for 20 points in 22 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 20-21

It’s strange to say it but the Sonics are pretty good this year and they showed their might with a 111-98 win over our fast fatiguing team. Carl Farmer was great with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks as Donnie Hankins is becoming a great starting C with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Andrew Seitz was our best with 17 points but Victor Jones was hampered with fouls and only played 20 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 20-22

After winning our first two games of Hell Week we dropped the next five (yes there were seven games in eight days this year) as the Warriors put us down early with a 112-95 win. Ledaryl McMillian was his normal awesome self with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists as Cedric Mapp helped out with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Our top scorer was Andrew Seitz with 13 points which is all anyone really needs to know about the game.

Dallas Mavericks 20-23

Usually when someone scores 53 points and grabs 14 rebounds their team wins but not in Mark Lewis’ case. His Jazz went down to New York 108-97 helped in no small part with his shooting. Lewis went 21/30 from the field which is really, really good but he was let down by his 11/28 foul shooting which is really, really horrible. I know he is 28 years old and won’t change but get your stuff together man. Granted he has lifted his FT% to above 40% for the first time in five years.

Our last game of the month is a disappointing 126-118 overtime loss to a terrible Brooklyn team who are sitting at 15-25 on the season. Lars Ray had a great game with 38 points while holding Jack Dawkins to 8 points, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. The Nets had six players in double figures as we could shoot well enough in the overtime period to take the win. Victor Jones was amazing as usually with 34 points and 14 rebounds but the rest of the team was pretty average, shooting 39% from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 20-24

After starting the month with a five game winning streak we are now on a six game losing streak to put us four games below .500 and still in tenth place in the West, five games behind Houston and the eighth spot. Minnesota are still leading the way at 27-14 with Nevada (27-17) and San Antonio (22-14) not far behind. Denver are the worst team in the conference at 14-28 and really need a shake up.

New Orleans have taken their rightful spot at the top of the conference at 31-14 with Toronto having a record of 31-17 not far behind. It’s good to see the Knicks doing well at 33-19 and in third place. Atlanta didn’t win a game in January, slipping to 2/42 and in real danger of not even getting to five wins. They have a winning percentage of 4.5%.

Dallas Top Points
Victor Jones – 17.8
Shawn Latimer – 15.6
Jack Dawkins – 14.8

Dallas Top Assists
Changa Hendricks – 7.8
Kemba Walker – 4.1
Tyreke Evans – 3.8

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.1
Shawn Latimer – 5.8
Victor Jones – 5.7

League Leaders
Points – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 30.1
Assists – Darcel Settles (SAS) – 10.7
Rebounds – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 10.0
Blocks – Anthony Davis (NOH) – 3.8
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 2.8
Efficiency – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 29.9

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 19.3
Assists – Chris Jones (ATL) – 6.1
Rebounds – Terry McKenzie (NYK) – 7.2
Blocks – Joe Moore (DET) – 1.1
Steals – Chris Jones (ATL) – 1.4
Efficiency – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 16.0

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) C Schuyler Vanderwerken (Netherlands), 18 years old, 6’9”, 257lbs
2. (5) PF Victor Brinker (Wofford), Junior, 6’9”, 225lbs
3. (NR) SG Kelly Pryor (USC), Freshman, 6’8”, 204lbs
4. (3) SG Jason London (Dayton), Freshman, 6’5”, 189lbs
5. (2) SG Phillip Rude (Gardner-Webb), Freshman, 6’6”, 189lbs

Thoughts – Brinker is making a real claim to being the number one pick which is simply phenomenal coming from a school like Wofford. His rebounding and soft hands have garnered huge praise from scouts. Rude is rude by nature as he doesn’t care who’s feet he steps on to get to the top but at the moment he is doing a great job at it.

[jcomey]

Mr. Dawkins looks decent to start his career. I hope he goes the route of Marcus Randle.

[zike_42]

Mr. Dawkins looks decent to start his career. I hope he goes the route of Marcus Randle.

Jack does look the goods. Sure he is making mistakes (39.4% FG, 3.8 turnovers per game, third in the league) but that just comes with being a rookie. There has been enough potential shown to really make me excited about his career. This may be getting a bit ahead of myself but I can see him being a better player than Randle if that's possible.