New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

Can't wait.................

Let's do it!

[zike_42]

On the second day of the season and even before we play a game there is already a trade.

**TRADE**

Memphis trade:
C Marlon Haymon

Detroit trade:
PG Eric McIntyre
2027 2nd round pick

Winner – Detroit. I can kind of understand why the Grizzlies did this deal because Marco Edward looks really good and they wanted to get a backup guard for the now expendable Haymon. Too bad Haymon is a fantastic player and will work wonders in the Motor City. Huge steal for the Pistons.

We start off our season on the road against the very tough Miami Heat and we don’t disappoint. Jack Dawkins was spectacular with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists while Jake Chase showed that he still has some gas in the tank left with 25 points. Victor Jones had 13 points in 7 minutes after going 9/10 from the line. That’s right, he had 10 foul shots in seven minutes. The Heat’s class showed through in the end as they stole a one point victory out of our hands with a 107-106 end score. Keith Selden led the way with 25 points as both Eryk Charnowski and Demond Lewis fouled out early.

Dallas Mavericks 0-1

I’ll just put this here...



Are you serious? This game was the definition of EPIC. I don’t know how they stayed out there after all those overtimes. WOW.

Next up we head into Seattle, Washington for another away game against the Sonics. Marlo Graham was great with 24 points and Carl Farmer (playing out of position at C) did his best with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks but it was our man Jack who stole the show with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists as we notch our first win 105-93. Again Jake Chase played backup with 21 points as John Wall was inserted into the starting line-up and handed out 8 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 1-1

**TRADE**

Chicago trade:
PG Ricky Rubio

Brooklyn trade:
PG Brandon Knight

Winner – Both. Chicago gets a guy that has only one year left on his contract (if they take the team option) while Brooklyn gets a 35 year old Rubio who is still a great play-maker but has lost more than a step.

Our first home game is a shocker as we let the Pistons shoot a whopping 57% from the field and 14/27 from three point land as they run roughshod over us 130-118. Of course John Johnson was in the middle of all of it with 38 points and no other statistic while Ryan Smiley gets his chance to be a starter and doesn’t disappoint with 16 points, 14 assists and 6 rebounds. Jack was our leader again with 26 points and 6 rebounds but we just couldn’t stop the Pistons to save ourselves. Shawn Latimer was a great addition to the game with 23 points and 7 rebounds on 11/14 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 1-2

It looks like Victor Jones’ performance last year was just him playing for a contract and nothing more. In the first three games he has averaged 7.7 minutes (still putting up 8.3 points) but he doesn’t really care anymore. He has his money and that’s that. Lucky for me, because I was so close to giving him our full $5 million MLE in the off season so it’s a big relief that we just have him on the minimum.

In a surprisingly low scoring game where Jack went 6/27 for 19 points and 10 rebounds while Mike Bickerstaf (at PG) went 5/20 for 21 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers in a very screwy game. We won 97-81 after a 56-31 second half performance but if we couldn’t beat the Thunder there is something wrong. Steve Anderson shot magnificently relative to the rest of the game with 23 points and 7 rebounds on 10/17 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 2-2

Honestly, what are the Thunder trying to do with a starting five of –

SG – Mike Bickerstaf
PF – Robert Jackson
SF – Pat Archie
PF – Chris Drexler
C – Peter Napier

That’s right they have 6’11” Robert Jackson at SG and Bickerstaf, who played the role well tonight, at PG which really isn’t his natural spot. They should be rolling out Dave Coulter/Mike Bickerstaf/Victor Brinker/Chris Drexler/Peter Napier in my opinion.

It seems to be that we are good at winning at home and terrible away from Dallas, shown again by our 100-95 loss to the underachieving Riders. Jimmy Forrest fouled out in the third quarter with only 16 points and we still lost, with Dionsio Mason leading the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Jake Chase woke up with 29 points after seemingly dozing off in the last couple of games with Jack having 20 points and 6 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 2-3

Nope, we aren’t very good at home either but to our defence we were playing the championship runners up. The Spurs took care of us practically from the opening tip where we scored the first bucket and then didn’t lead for the rest of the game. Vitaly Ekomov was lights out with 26 points and 12 rebounds, ably assisted by Lamont Nelson and his 11 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Our best was Shawn Latimer with 18 points and 7 rebounds but we shot 34% from the field in a ‘go home early’ type of performance.

Dallas Mavericks 2-4

I don’t like our chances against the Buzzsaw and he doesn’t disappoint, scoring 39 points and handing out 9 assists as we got flogged again, 120-98 to Golden State. Jack had 25 points and 5 rebounds and finally Joe Duggins stepped up with 17 points and 12 rebounds but it was a very one sided game.

Dallas Mavericks 2-5

As much as I would like to see this team try and work things out I make a deal. I didn’t go looking for this trade because my first target was Matt Brown but I couldn’t get the salaries to match so I went young, very young.

Dallas trade:
C Victor Jones
SG Jake Chase
PF Dwayne Knight
2029 1st round pick
2027 2nd round pick

Atlanta trade:
SG Kelly Pryor
PG Tim Westbrooks

Winner – Dallas. Atlanta have been terrible for a while now so they wanted some ‘win-now’ type of players like Chase, Jones and Knight and the pick in two years time is nice but they overpaid. Pryor was the #4 pick in the most recent draft and looks to be a great defender while Westbrooks, while not as good as first thought when he was drafted is a decent point guard. Top points for the Mavericks.

Tim has sprained his finger so won’t be suiting up for about a week but Kelly goes straight into the starting line-up at SG.

And the trade pays off straight away, with Kelly scoring 20 points and holding Josh Jackson to only ten as we rout the Western Conference favourites the Lakers 112-82 on their home court. Talk about a good first impression. Jack leads the way like he always seems to do now with 30 points and 6 rebounds as Bart Flanders pokes his head off the bench for 17 points and 10 rebounds. No-one on LA had more than 14 points, and that was on 18 Michael Fisher shots.

Dallas Mavericks 3-5

We have our first winning streak of the season with a 116-84 clobbering of Houston as Jack announced himself to the world with a dynamic 36 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. Tim decided that he was fit enough to play a bit, scoring 4 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in limited minutes. Kyrie Irving and Jay Warren were smothered all game long, combining to shoot 8/34 for only 23 points.

Dallas Mavericks 4-5

The Rockets are looking for revenge when we travel to Houston three days later but they wouldn’t get it, as Bart Flanders had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in only 23 minutes as we get past Houston again 120-112. Jack seems to already be the leader of this team on and off the court with 32 points and 6 assists as well as a few stirring speeches before the game. Joe Duggins come to life with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Kyrie and Warren were again limited, combining for 10/29 shooting for 27 points. At least it was a little better than last game.

Dallas Mavericks 5-5

It seems that Tim came back a little too early from his injury and sprained his knee again, keeping him out of the squad for at least a week again. Maybe this time he will take it slow because we don’t need him back as soon as possible. Without him we got flogged by the very good Nevada team 115-95 as Mike Joseph went to town on us with 36 points, ably assisted by Darren Banks’ 20 points and 12 assists. We had six players in double figures but none over sixteen points with Jack having a terrible night of 2/14 shooting, 15 points and 6 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 5-6

Our last game of the month was a huge confidence boosting 127-120 win over Portland as Jack Dawkins overcame his performance last game with 37 points as Steve Anderson (now starting at SG) had 20 points and 7 rebounds. Kelly Pryor wasn’t sulky though, scoring 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Tiburcio Tommasini went toe-to-toe with Jack with 31 points but fouled out in the end. Great, great stuff from a really young core.

Dallas Mavericks 6-6

**TRADE**

Chicago trade:
PG Brandon Knight

New York trade:
2027 2nd round pick

Winner – Chicago. It looks like the Bulls got their wish, pure cap space. Dumping Knight on the Knicks gives them over $10 million in savings which helps out the wallet as they were nearly $30 million over the cap.

I can’t expect anything more than .500 and at the moment we are tied with three other teams for the eighth spot. This is going to be a really tough race for the playoffs. Golden State have broken away already at 11-3, three games ahead of Portland, Los Angeles and Nevada. Phoenix are at the bottom, even below Oklahoma City with a 3-12 record.

In the East the Raptors are leading the way at 11-4, three wins ahead of Boston at 8-3 who is one loss in front of the 10-5 Bobcats. The usual suspects are down the bottom with the 3-13 Knicks in front (behind?) the 2-7 Hawks.

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 26.5
Shawn Latimer – 11.8
Tim Westbrooks – 11.5

Dallas Top Assists
John Wall – 5.6
Tim Westbrooks – 5.5
Jack Dawkins – 4.7

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.4
Jack Dawkins – 6.2
Shawn Latimer – 6.1

League Leaders
Points – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 32.9
Assists – Ryan Smiley (DET) – 10.4
Rebounds – Bryce Metcalf (CHA) – 10.8
Blocks – Andre Drummond (PHI) – 3.4
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 3.6
Efficiency – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 30.4

Rookie Leaders
Points – Marco Edward (MEM) – 10.7
Assists – Dave Coulter (OKC) – 1.9
Rebounds – Billy Jefferson (DET) – 4.0
Blocks – Justin Robinson (PHI) – 1.4
Steals – Billy Jefferson (DET) – 1.1
Efficiency – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 10.3

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors – 32.9 points, 6.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Marco Edward, Memphis Grizzlies – 10.7 points, 0.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

I don’t like Steve Anderson taking a lot of Kelly’s minutes so I look for a deal, one that should get me a high draft pick. I ask Atlanta about their pick and they flat out refused to work with me after shafting them in the last one, New York still haven’t forgiven me for apparently ‘deserting’ them all those years ago so I call up Phoenix and get a deal done.

Dallas trade:
SG Steve Anderson
PF Leonard Hale
2027 1st round pick
2028 2nd round pick
2029 2nd round pick

Phoenix trade:
PF Hayletts Smith
2027 1st round pick

Winner – Dallas. Another good deal by the Mavericks as the Suns are inexplicably 3-12 so far on the season even with a very good squad. Also, Smith becomes their sixth man and should give them some decent minutes in his second stint in Dallas. The Suns are hoping that Dallas’ start was a mirage and they drop down to the end of the lottery but going off last year that won’t happen.

I sign Kareem Baker and Scotty Anderson to be our 14th and 15th men primarily on their D-League performances so far. Just goes to show that the NBA is looking at the talent in the D-League so if you don’t get drafted kids don’t give up hope, play well in the D-League and you might get your chance.

Our first game of the month is against the same Phoenix Suns and we increase our odds of a nice pick with a 118-73 smattering on their home court. Kelly Pryor had a great 19 points in the game while Hayletts Smith showed his skills with 16 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. Going off a 73 point game your don’t expect there to be a big scoring output from a Phoenix player and that’s exactly right, with Reggie Dobbins leading the way with 14 points on 6/20 shooting. Steve Anderson went 0/5 for 0 points in 11 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 7-6

Another night, another win over a below average team as we beat up the Thunder 113-92 as Tim Westbrooks takes over with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Hayletts Smith gets shoved into the starting line-up but gets stage fright with a 2/12 night but Shawn Latimer helps him out with 14 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes. That’s what I love about this team, no-one gets huffy that they lost their starting role; they just get on with it for the good of the team. Peter Napier was the best with 19 points and 8 rebounds but they are a mess.

Dallas Mavericks 8-6

For some reason we have a week off, so the guys get to take a couple of days with their families before getting back into training. The break didn’t help us, going down to Washington 126-110 as they are quietly putting together a great squad. James McDaniel had 30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 turnovers to lead the way but also got contributions from Rowan Taylor (24 points, 4 rebounds) and Alexander Verhaeren (13 points and 14 assists at PG). Jack was our best with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists as Hayletts put up 17 points and 5 rebounds back on the bench. It seems that that is his preferred position, being the supersub.

Dallas Mavericks 8-7

The Thunder didn’t like it when I called them a mess and set out to prove me wrong. Peter Napier was the most peeved and showed his frustration by going to the foul line practically at will, ending up scoring 12/17 foul shots for 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. The Thunder obviously won 116-105 as we just couldn’t slow them down. Mike Bickerstaf also went loco on us with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Kelly Pryor was a class act for us with 24 points in the loss as Bart Flanders made up for Hayletts 0/9 night with 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 8-8

The reason we had that week off was to prepare us for Hell Week (cue dramatic music). That’s right, six games in seven nights in a brutal display of stamina and will power. First up is against the equally .500 Bucks who are sporting a 10-10 record so far. In a stunning display, Jack went 14/31 from the field for a whopping 44 points and 7 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as Milwaukee had the last laugh with a 111-103 win. Andrew Graham was great with 21 points but it was the eternally disgruntled Dustin Harris who was the star with 13 points and 11 rebounds in only 22 minutes.

Dallas Mavericks 8-9

Game two was again against Oklahoma City as it seems we play them every third game. The game itself was extremely tight, with both teams getting out to double figures leads before the other team bounded back. Jack had a more subdued game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists but was undone by Tim Westbrooks’ 7/23 shooting as we fall again, this time by a score of 97-94. The Thunder have changed their starting line-up (thank god) that allows Victor Brinker to start at SF and he didn’t disappoint with 18 points and 13 rebounds, assisted by Mike Bickerstaf’s 23 points and 8 assists.

Dallas Mavericks 8-10

We need to get a win to break our Hell Week curse but it wasn’t here, going down easily to the Grizzlies 114-94. Joe Curry led the way with 29 points and 9 rebounds but it was the second year man Cort Majishun who stole the show with 22 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. That is a name to look out for in the future. Joe Duggins tried his best with 8 points and 15 rebounds but Jack had an off shooting night, going 8/20 for 18 points.

Dallas Mavericks 8-11

I’ve just learned that this isn’t just a normal Hell Week, it’s the Hell Week from Hell with a massive 10 games in 12 nights. Why? What have we done to deserve this punishment? It doesn’t help that our next opponent is the 19-4 Warriors who keep running when we ran out of puff, winning 144-130 in overtime. Ledaryl “The Buzzsaw” McMillian showed why he is the reigning MVP with 49 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds to blow us away. Golden State shot 54% from the field as we simply ran out of steam. Shawn Latimer had a great game with 24 points and 6 rebounds in 7/9 shooting as Jack did his thing with 23 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. That’s what you get when you play in Hell Week, you just can’t stay with elite teams down the stretch.

Dallas Mavericks 8-12

Finally we get a win in Hell Week! And again it was against the Rockets 112-94. Joe Duggins and Shawn Latimer combined for 31 points and 20 rebounds but it was our guards who did the job, halting Jay Warren and Kyrie Irving again to only 16/40 shooting for a below average 41 points.

Dallas Mavericks 9-12

It’s a winning streak! The much more fancied Lakers didn’t stand a chance against our underdog spirit as we rattle off a 34-15 second quarter to coast from there 117-101. Tim Westbrooks was our best with 21 points and 6 assists as all five of our starters were in double figures. That offset a wonderful performance from Michael Taylor and Chris Jackson who had 35 points and 28 points, 8 steals respectively. It did come at a cost, with Kelly Pryor hurting his knee and will be out for the next three games while Shawn Latimer sprained his toe severely and will be out for pretty much two weeks. Changa Hendricks and Ernest Jameson will move into the starting line-ups.

Dallas Mavericks 10-12

Well that’s disappointing, going down to the 7-16 Sixers by a large margin 103-83. I don’t know why they are so back as they have Lisandro Perez (19 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) and Andre Drummond (15 points, 11 rebounds) still on their squad as well as the number one pick Jamil Fleming coming off the bench for 12 points and 6 assists. Jack was our best with 22 points but when Russell Westbrook shoots 15 shots in 19 minutes and only makes three of them we are in trouble.

Dallas Mavericks 10-13

The Lakers try and get revenge against us and do their best to take Jack out of the game as our star went 3/16 for only 11 points while their two stars, Michael Taylor and Chris Jackson, combined for 57 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists but it wasn’t enough. Tim tried to go up against Taylor and even though he wasn’t as good with ‘only’ 23 points and 6 assists, it was enough for us to get a 109-106 win against LA.

Dallas Mavericks 11-13

Our last game of the month and finally our last game of the Hell Week from Hell is a very comfortable 125-98 win over Milwaukee to take revenge from last time. Ernest Jameson showed some of his residual talent with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals as everyone but Kareem Baker (who only played two minutes) scored at least once. Christopher de Castro led the way for the vanquished with 21 points but also 7 turnovers.

Dallas Mavericks 12-13

After starting Hell Week from Hell with a five game losing streak we ended up winning four of the next five games to only put us two games under .500. It means we are sitting a half game outside the eight which is good enough for now. Golden State are leading the way with a 20-7 record while Nevada and Minnesota are neck and neck for second place. Good news for us is that Phoenix are down the bottom still at 9-22 and even though they won more games than I would have liked, they still have the third best odds at winning the lottery.

In the East Boston of all teams are leading the way with a 19-6 record while the Anthony Davis led Bobcats are in second place at 23-9 and Toronto right behind them. Atlanta were wise to hold onto their pick at 6-19 with New York and Philadelphia trying to catch them.

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 23.6
Tim Westbrooks – 13.8
Shawn Latimer – 12.5

Dallas Top Assists
Tim Westbrooks – 5.9
Jack Dawkins – 4.5
John Wall – 3.9

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.8
Jack Dawkins – 6.5
Shawn Latimer – 5.9

League Leaders
Points – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 31.5
Assists – Darren Banks (NEV) – 11.9
Rebounds – Bryce Metcalf (CHA) – 10.5
Blocks – John Jackson (MIL) – 2.8
Steals – Jay Warren (HOU) – 3.1
Efficiency – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 30.1

Rookie Leaders
Points – Kelly Pryor (DAL) – 11.4
Assists – Dave Coulter (OKC) – 3.1
Rebounds – Victor Brinker (OKC) – 4.6
Blocks – Justin Robinson (PHI) – 1.2
Steals – Billy Jefferson (DET) – 1.1
Efficiency – Kelly Pryor (DAL) – 10.9

First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. PF Michael McQuay (Providence), Freshman, 6’11”, 251lbs
2. PF Andy Kante (Texas Tech), Freshman, 6’8”, 247lbs
3. PF Julius Hobbs (Oregon State), Freshman, 6’9”, 239lbs
4. SF Alfons Dietz (Germany), 21 years old, 6’10”, 230lbs
5. SF Hayletts Wilcox (UT-Chattanooga), Senior, 6’8”, 200lbs

Thoughts – This seems to be a top two draft, as McQuay and Kante are head and shoulders above the rest of the draft. If they aren’t picked one/two at the draft then that team was wrong. Kante is a better scorer while McQuay is a better rebounder at the moment.

[zike_42]

December Player of the Month – Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors – 30.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.

December Rookie of the Month – Kelly Pryor, Dallas Mavericks – 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.0 blocks.

I’m pretty happy with the way that trade went at the moment.

On the back of his Rookie of the Month award Kelly Pryor had a career game with 31 points but Jack went 4/19 from the field as we lose our first game of the New Year 126-103 to San Antonio. Cedric Watson had a great all around game with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks to lead the way.

Dallas Mavericks 12-14

Jack still didn’t shoot well in our next game, going 4/10 for 15 points and 9 assists but we had enough strength to hold off the playoff bound Neon 124-110. Kelly Pryor continued his fine form with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. It was a ‘defence optional’ game as both teams shot above 52% from the field with Ryan Garris leading the way for Nevada with 22 points.

Dallas Mavericks 13-14

The Spurs love playing us, and even though we got out to a 14 point lead the Spurs raced back into the game to take the win 117-107 as Darcel Settles makes up for a 8/27 night from Lamont Nelson with 24 points, 13 assists and 5 rebounds. The biggest surprise was Jon Mitchell’s 20 points night on 8/14 shooting in only 15 minutes. Yep, 20 points in 15 minutes. Lavor Freeman poked his head out off the bench with 21 points in 23 minutes but it was in vain.

Dallas Mavericks 13-15

It wasn’t a losing streak as seven Maverick players were in double figures as we beat up the Riders 119-107 at home. I’m really enjoying Tim Westbrooks play at the moment and tonight he had 20 points and 7 assists in a tight, efficient game. Lance Ellis top scored with 25 points and 12 rebounds but Jimmy Forrest broke his foot at the start of the month and will be out for all of January.

Dallas Mavericks 14-15

The Jazz have played eight more games than us so far so it was no surprise that we ran right past them 122-97. Jack was spectacular again with 28 points and 6 assists but Lavor Freeman was amazing with 17 points on 7/8 shooting in only 9 minutes. If he played 36 minutes he would have scored 68 points at that rate. Mark Lewis had 21 points and 5 rebounds as another big name big man is out injured with Derrick Favors tearing his ACL and is sidelined for the rest of the season.

Dallas Mavericks 15-15

We take care of the Riders for the second time in three games with a 121-104 lead from the start game as we took control of the game after a 46-27 first quarter bender. Jack had a night to remember with 31 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds and I’m really loving how often he gets to the foul line averaging over six times a game on the season. Tim Westbrooks was our leading rebounder with 10 to go along with 18 points and 5 assists. James Blakemore was electric for San Diego with 25 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds but without Jimmy Forrest they are sunk.

Dallas Mavericks 16-15

In our most dominant offensive game of the season, we shot 51% from the field and hit 17 three pointers to totally blow the Wizards out of the water with a 140-118 win at home. Jack was fantastic, going 12/22 from the field and 9/17 from three for 39 points and 8 assists to lead the way. There was also Tim Westbrooks with 20 points and 10 assists and Bart Flanders with 20 points and 9 rebounds who helped out and Bart is quickly becoming a must have off the bench. Rowan Taylor might be a terrible rebounder (averaging 5.6 rebounds per game) but he can score with the best of them with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 turnovers in an average ‘score lots, suck at the rest’ game we all expect from him now.

Dallas Mavericks 17-15

**TRADE**

Milwaukee trade:
C Dustin Harris

Seattle trade:
PF Stanley Carter
2027 2nd round pick

Winner – Milwaukee. Get rid of Harris = win. It doesn’t help that Seattle now has six centres on their team. It’s Harris’ seventh team in seven years.

The Kings are playing really well at 25-13 but that didn’t stop us from outscoring them in every quarter to win 116-107 to keep our streak alive. Jack was again our best with 34 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists but was ably assisted by our backcourt who put up 33 points and 10 rebounds. Dylan Hahn stepped up off the bench with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists but was undone by Joe Abney’s 8/22 night.

Dallas Mavericks 18-15

That’s six wins in a row after we blow out the Pacers in the last quarter 41-33 to take the win 117-109. Who else but Jack to lead us with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists while Tim Westbrooks added 26 points. Jack didn’t have it all his own way was Darrell Hampton went 12/16 from the field for 26 points and 11 rebounds as even though Indiana shot much better than us (47% to 43%) we hit 14 three pointers to their two.

Dallas Mavericks 19-15

Shawn Latimer strains his knee after putting up 17 points and 14 rebounds but our streak has been broken as the Bulls give us a taste of our own medicine, outscoring us 40-13 in the last quarter to steal the 115-98 win. Jamaal Lewis was the guy that was drafted in front of Camah Williams and is desperately trying to show that he isn’t a bust with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 steals in the game. Bart Flanders made up for the lack of Latimer with 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.

Dallas Mavericks 19-16

Our last game of the month is against the 10-25 Hawks and we take care of business easily with a 135-92 smashing. Jack had his way all night with 35 points while five other Mavericks were in double figures. Bart Flanders was not one of them, fouling out in seven minutes in the starting role. Six fouls in seven minutes, he is definitely a bench player. Hayletts Smith took over for him with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Chris Jones tried his best with 20 points and 6 assists but they really need much more help.

Dallas Mavericks 20-16

We did well that month with a six game winning streak to bump us up to eighth spot and looking really good for the rest of the season. Golden State are leading the way with a 29-10 record, four games ahead of Nevada and Minnesota. In great news for us, Phoenix only won one game that month and are languishing at 10-34.

Toronto have the best record in the East at 33-14 and are rolling with Charlotte and Miami trying to keep up. Atlanta are giving Phoenix a run for their money for the best odds in the draft at 10-35.

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 24.2
Tim Westbrooks – 15.0
Shawn Latimer – 12.7

Dallas Top Assists
Tim Westbrooks – 5.6
Jack Dawkins – 5.3
Changa Hendricks – 4.1

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 7.7
Jack Dawkins – 6.1
Shawn Latimer – 6.1

League Leaders
Points – Tiburcio Tommasini (POR) – 30.4
Assists – Matias Perez (TOR) – 10.1
Rebounds – Bryce Metcalf (CHA) – 10.3
Blocks – Andre Drummond (PHI) – 2.7
Steals – Cederic Mapp (GSW) – 3.2
Efficiency – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 29.1

Rookie Leaders
Points – Kelly Pryor (DAL) – 11.7
Assists – Dave Coulter (OKC) – 4.0
Rebounds – Victor Brinker (OKC) – 4.9
Blocks – Justin Robinson (PHI) – 1.3
Steals – Jamil Fleming (PHI) – 1.3
Efficiency – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 12.6

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) PF Michael McQuay (Providence), Freshman, 6’11”, 251lbs
2. (3) PF Julius Hobbs (Oregon State), Freshman, 6’9”, 239lbs
3. (NR) PF Leon Oliver (Wake Forest), Freshman, 6’9”, 229lbs
4. (5) SF Hayletts Wilcox (UT-Chattanooga), Senior, 6’8”, 200lbs
5. (2) PF Andy Kante (Texas Tech), Freshman, 6’8”, 247lbs

Thoughts – Not quite the McQuay/Kante top two that I thought, it is now the McQuay sweepstakes. He will definitely be the number one pick after showing his otherworldly composure and lightning quick feet. He has all the makings of being the next big PF in the NBA.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers – 32.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Kelly Pryor, Dallas Mavericks – 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

Our first game of February was a smooth, easy 103-90 win over Orlando which is surprising because the Magic are pretty good. Jack went 6/26 for 23 points so not the best shooting night but Tim Westbrooks made up for it with 21 points and 7 steals. Nashon Smith is an elite PG, might even be the best passing point guard in the league now Matt Brown is injured but needed to score tonight, putting in 34 points and only 3 assists in a very strange game for him.

Dallas Mavericks 21-16

Guys are dropping like flies with Changa Hendricks, Shawn Latimer, Lavor Freeman and Ernest Jameson all in different stages of injury but it didn’t stop us from beating Utah 111-100. The reason was Jack Dawkins who poured in 43 points on 10/17 three pointers in a truly dominant display. Mark Lewis was also good with 23 points and 15 rebounds but tonight was all about Jack.

Dallas Mavericks 22-16

Lars Ray is turning a lot of heads this year after dropping in the draft like many raw overseas players, and against us he had 39 points and 8 rebounds against Jack. Jack struck back with 27 points, 6 assists night and even though the Nets roared back from a 15 point deficit they fell crazily close as we won 104-102 to keep our streak going. Joe Duggins beat up the undersized Dave Webb with 15 points and 14 rebounds as Kelly Pryor dished up 12 points and 8 rebounds. Donte Rock helped out Ray with 18 points but fouled out early and they didn’t have enough oomph to get past us.

Dallas Mavericks 23-16

That’s another five game winning streak as we stomp out the Sonics 105-90 behind a 22 point, 14 rebound, 6 assist performance not by Jack but by our star rookie Kelly Pryor. He played every minute of this game trying to slow down Travis Grigsby, which he did as the Seattle star went 5/16 on the night. Shawn Latimer is now fully healthy and back in his starting PF position which had two positives with Lats putting up 16 points and 8 rebounds and without the pressure of starting Bart Flanders added 15 points off the bench. Bret Davis seemed to hit everything he shot, going 9/10 for 22 points and 7 assists in a losing effort.

Dallas Mavericks 24-16

**TRADE**

Portland trade:
C Brian Caldwell

New York trade:
2027 1st round pick

Winner – Portland. Caldwell is a cancer, no doubt about that and not good enough to warrant a possible top three pick. The Knicks are currently third last in the whole league which has a very high chance of becoming superstar in the making Michael McQuay. Dumb, dumb trade by the Knicks.

Lars Ray and Jack Dawkins went toe-to-toe again but the result was different as Ray had the last laugh as Brooklyn got their revenge with a 113-96 win. Ray had 34 points and 6 rebounds, beaten by Jack’s 39 points on 12/17 shooting in a dazzling display of shooting. Too bad Ray had Donte Rock’s 25 points and we didn’t have a second guy to stand up.

Dallas Mavericks 24-17

**TRADE**

Washington trade:
SG James McDaniel

San Diego trade:
SG Adarrial Faye
2027 2nd round pick

Winner – Draw. It all depends on McDaniel because talent wise the Riders have committed grand Larson. So far this season McDaniel is averaging 23.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists which are All NBA numbers but on a losing team his personality is toxic at the best of times. If the Riders start winning with a very talented roster this team could be a dark horse for the championship, that’s how good they now are on paper. For the Wizards, they simply had enough of McDaniel’s attitude and tried to get something for him.

We make our lottery chances better with a 97-86 win over the woeful Suns as Kelly Pryor is our best with 21 points but this game was over a long time before the final siren. I would like to talk about how disappointing Phoenix are this season. A team with players such as Reggie Dobbins, Kwame Cravens and Emmett Emerson they should be sniffing the playoffs, not rooted to the cellar. I just don’t know what is going on with them.

Dallas Mavericks 25-17

Against the Celtics we never won a quarter and even though Raul Lopez scored only 9 points in the game we still weren’t in it, losing 115-80. Chav-chav was the difference maker with 27 points as we shot 38% from the field to their 51% which killed us. Joe Duggins was our best with 12 points and 12 rebounds which should show how badly we played.

Dallas Mavericks 25-18

**TRADE**

Philadelphia trade:
C Andre Drummond
2027 2nd round pick

Nevada trade:
PF Billy Manley
SF Kawhi Leonard

Winner – Both. Yes Andre Drummond is still a stud at the centre position at 33 years old and puts the Neon into the selective group of bonafide championship contenders he was getting older and the Sixers are looking to rebuild. They get over $11 million in expiring contracts which will help them immensely and they should lose enough games this season to get another high pick.

I’m really scared of the Neon now and squarely set on winning their first ever title. They are now a top 3-5 team in the league if they weren’t before, that’s how good they are.

Minnesota come to town and they class in awe inspiring, as they sweep past us like we are nothing 116-93. Camah Williams has been let off the leach and showed his fight with 21 points, 11 assists and 6 steals and even though Enrique Mendez fouled out in only 21 minutes trying to guard Jack he still put up 18 points and 7 assists. Jack didn’t do much anyway with 16 points and 5 rebounds as we were well and truly beaten by a top tier team.

Dallas Mavericks 25-19

We really should be beating an average Detroit team but we just can’t stop John Johnson who had 36 points in a 121-96 Pistons win. It didn’t help that Kelly was struggling with a sore hip so Changa had to guard Johnson for the most part because Kelly is a very good defender already. Jack led the way with 23 points but had 7 turnovers and Joe Duggins has quietly had his third double double in a row with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks 25-20

That’s more like it as we again improve our lottery chances with a 114-86 smattering of the terrible Suns. Tim and Jack went at it for player of the game honours but Tim won out because of better shooting with 24 points and 5 assists while Jack had 24 points and 5 rebounds. Emmett Emerson led the way for the losers with 18 points but no-one else had more than 12 points.

Dallas Mavericks 26-20

**TRADE**

Houston trade:
PG Kyrie Irving

New Orleans trade:
SF Antoine Martin
2027 1st round pick

Winner – New Orleans. At the moment the Hornets are sixth in the East at 29-23 and shouldn’t fall out of the eight. Sure Kyrie is on his way out but not for two more years and so far is averaging 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds on the season. It does create a logjam at PG with Irving, Chad Carney, Lewis Vines and John Weir all decent and are combined to make nearly $40 million by themselves this year. Talk about overkill at the PG position.

In our last game before the All Star break was a disappointing 100-85 loss to Seattle as we must have been focusing on the break instead of the game. Marlo Graham was the best in the game with 19 points and 8 rebounds while Shawn Latimer was ours with 21 points and 7 rebounds but it was very much a nothing game.

Dallas Mavericks 26-21

Again we don’t have a participant in the festivities on Friday night but it was still a great watch. Oklahoma City’s Steve Smith was by far the best dunker on the night, obliterating Chicago’s Jamaal Lewis 73-61 in the final. What was even more impressive was Detroit’s John Johnson in the Long Distance Shootout. Sure he only had 19 points in the preliminaries which put him third he went berserk in the final, hitting all but one regular and one money ball for a total of 27 points out of 30 to demolish the rest of the field by 10 points. WOW.

In a totally one sided game, the sophomores shot 55% from the field and hit 26 three pointers as they continued the lop sided form of the weekend by beating the rookies 160-116. Mike Bickerstaf was named player of the game with 44 points on 14/20 field goals and 10/13 from three, ably assisted by Cort Majishun’s 35 points. Mike Bickerstaf came off the bench as Kenneth Long is finally getting some burn and started. Jack Dawkins also started at SF for 20 points and 6 rebounds. I’ll update the Rookie Six after this month on their travels. Billy Jefferson was the high man for the first years with 20 points and I’m outraged that Kelly Pryor didn’t play even though he is leading all rookies in points.

The All Star game was a much closer event which was surprising as there seemed to be plastic on the ring on one end as it was alternating quarters and a very exciting game. Jack Dawkins got a nod on the West bench and did really well! He scored 25 points on 10/20 shooting as the West took the honours 146-139 as Tiburcio Tommasini won the All Star MVP with 29 points in only 21 minutes. Jimmy Forrest was also over 20 points with 24 points in 24 minutes. John Johnson continued his fine shooting form with 34 points and 10 three pointers and Nashon Smith helped him out with 24 points and 13 assists before fouling out.

Western Conference All Star Starters
Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors
James McDaniel, San Diego Riders
Tiburcio Tommasini, Portland Trailblazers
Carl Farmer, Seattle Supersonics
Mark Lewis, Utah Jazz

Team with most All Stars – Seattle (Carl Farmer, Travis Grigsby), San Diego (James McDaniel, Jimmy Forrest) and Nevada (John Nemitz, Mike Joseph) with two.
Teams represented – Nine (Seattle, San Diego, Nevada, Portland, Utah, Golden State, Dallas, Minnesota and Los Angeles).

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Nashon Smith, Orlando Magic
John Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Raul Lopez, Boston Celtics
Brad Largent, Chicago Bulls
Eryk Charnowski, Miami Heat

Team with most All Stars – Indiana (Travis Ross, Darrell Hampton) with two.
Teams represented – Eleven (Indiana, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Orlando, Charlotte, Toronto, Cleveland, New Orleans and Philadelphia).

We get back to work with a 130-107 smashing of New York as Kelly Pryor takes his frustration out on the Knicks for not making the rookie team with 23 points as Jack hasn’t come down from his All Star weekend with 17 points. Bart Flanders and Changa Hendricks both scored 18 points off the bench. Terry McKenzie was outstanding with 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Knicks.

Dallas Mavericks 27-21

Grr, we let a win slip through our fingers against the very good Celtics 109-105. Raul Lopez destroys us with 25 points and 12 rebounds as Boston has six players in double figures, highlighted by Art Stevenson’s 6/6 night for 13 points in 9 minutes. He wouldn’t have put much more on as he already had three fouls in those nine minutes. Jack had 24 points and 7 assists as Bart Flanders is really becoming one of my favourite players with 21 points off the bench. Also he is a walking Simpsons cliché, now in its 39th season and still going strong.

Dallas Mavericks 27-22

Finally, some movement nearing the deadline.

**TRADE**

Atlanta trade:
PF Borut Peschat
2027 2nd round pick

Orlando trade:
SF Roderick Coleman

Winner – Orlando. Peschat may not be a good defender but he is a dynamite scorer and will be the starting PF for the Magic and hopefully can turn their season around.

Chicago trade:
PG Marco Barker
2027 2nd round pick

Sacramento trade:
PF Dylan Hahn

Winner – Neither. The Bulls get rid of their only PG for another PF while the Kings add another PG to bring their total to five. Bizarre deal for both sides.

What a disappointing trade deadline. Sure there were some massive deals leading up to it so everyone was excited to see what happened at the actual deadline but nothing really happened. Boo.

Terry McKenzie goes 2/6 for only 8 points and 7 rebounds and we still lose, going down to the Knicks 114-103 as Vlado Prazina lives up to his potential with 25 points and 10 assists to lead the way. Jack also had a terrible night with 10 points on 4/9 shooting as Tim was our top scorer with 19 points. All in all, it was a terrible game.

Dallas Mavericks 27-23

Jack scores 31 points, Kelly Pryor scores 24 points and Joe Duggins and Tim Westbrooks double up and we still lose! Dammit! Andrew Graham was outstanding with 24 points and 10 rebounds and my old draftee Brandon Anderer had 18 points in 15 minutes off the bench. I would really like us to be able finish off games like we used to last season.

Dallas Mavericks 27-24

Yay, we get a win! And we actually did it in the final term as we beat the Sonics 36-24 in the last term to take the W 105-96. Bart Flanders again stood up off the bench with 24 points and 11 rebounds to take the best on ground award as Joe Duggins poked his head out with 17 points and 16 rebounds. It was a big man dominance from our side while Travis Grigsby played at PG as Bret Davis is down injured and had a strange old game with 16 points (6/18 FG), 12 assists and 6 rebounds. I didn’t know he had it in him to get that many assists.

Dallas Mavericks 28-24

The Hornets are actually still pretty good at 33-23 after adding Kyrie Irving and holding onto Hillar Petrauskas who combined for 50 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the game against us. Too bad we went on a 45-22 first quarter tear to win the game with a massive 134-124 win. Six players on our side had 16 points or more with Shawn Latimer leading the way with 24 points. It’s strange seeing Kyrie Irving in a uniform other than a Houston Rocket one. Especially going to a team like the Hornets.

Dallas Mavericks 29-24

In our last game of February we again get out to a fast start, beating the Cavs 42-18 to run out winners 129-83 to get our 30th win. Jack had a brilliant night, hitting 8/12 three and 8/9 free throws for 34 points while Tim Westbrooks scored 22 points in the win. Ron Winston and Brooks Badu combined for 46 points but needed 41 shots to get them.

Dallas Mavericks 30-24

Again another good month and we are up fifth in the West! Hell yeah! Golden State have opened up a five game lead at 41-11 while Minnesota are eight games behind the Warriors in third. Phoenix are making me very happy at 14-43 and at the bottom of the conference.

The Raptors are still leading the way in the East at 41-17 but are being tailed by the Heat at 36-18, only one loss away. The Wizard and Atlanta are the worst team in the league at 13-47 and will probably be there for the rest of the season.

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 24.0
Tim Westbrooks – 14.6
Shawn Latimer – 12.9

Dallas Top Assists
Tim Westbrooks – 5.5
Jack Dawkins – 4.9
Changa Hendricks – 4.0

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 8.1
Shawn Latimer – 6.1
Jack Dawkins – 5.6

League Leaders
Points – Tiburcio Tommasini (POR) – 30.8
Assists – Matt Brown (NEV) – 10.3
Rebounds – Bryce Metcalf (CHA) – 10.7
Blocks – Andre Drummond (NEV) – 2.8
Steals – Cederic Mapp (GSW) – 3.1
Efficiency – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 30.2

It’s nice to see Matt Brown and Andre Drummond playing together again.

Rookie Leaders
Points – Kelly Pryor (DAL) – 12.2
Assists – Dave Coulter (OKC) – 4.7
Rebounds – Victor Brinker (OKC) – 4.9
Blocks – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 1.2
Steals – Billy Jefferson (DET) – 1.2
Efficiency – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 12.9

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) PF Michael McQuay (Providence), Freshman, 6’11”, 251lbs
2. (4) PF Andy Kante (Texas Tech), Freshman, 6’8”, 247lbs
3. (2) PF Julius Hobbs (Oregon State), Freshman, 6’9”, 239lbs
4. (3) PF Leon Oliver (Wake Forest), Freshman, 6’9”, 229lbs
5. (NR) SG Tobe Slaughter (Miami (OH)), Freshman, 6’7”, 219lbs

Thoughts – Of course McQuay is the clear cut number one pick and Kante is back in second spot but for the rest of the top five isn’t too bad. Other PFs like Hobbs, Oliver and Ron Morgan are quality players as are PGs Earl Harris and Jason Collins so it’s a nice and deep draft.

[zike_42]

It’s that time of year again, time to look at those interesting guys known as the Rookie Six (even though they aren’t rookies any more)

#41 SF Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks – 24.0 points, 4.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks

The first of the Rookie Six to play in the All Star game, Dawkins has been spectacular, increasing all of his stats from last season. His game has been compared to Lebron James without the defence and his first triple double is a matter of when, not if. His turnover rate has dropped but he is still turning it over 2.8 times a game which needs to drop if he wants to be a MVP calibre player.

2025 – Rookie Game Starter
2026 – Sophomore Game Starter
2026 – All Star Game Reserve

#13 SG Kenneth Long, Miami Heat – 20.6 points, 2.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 1.2 block

After spending 16 games in the D-League and torching everyone in his path (27ppg, 8rpg) he was brought back and the result was immediate. Shooting a very good 45% from the field, Long has been better than anyone could have expected. He is also shooting a crazy 90% from the line and a better than expected 36% from three as the Heat have finally woken up to his game. Even though it’s all roses with his numbers Long is having trouble getting along with his coach and teammates after they didn’t respect his game enough and it might be irreparable for the long term. But for now, Kenneth Long has arrived.

2026 – Sophomore Game Starter

#17 PG Cort Majishun, Memphis Grizzlies – 16.9 points, 8.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 0.2 blocks

Obviously the best passer of the six no-one thought that he would be that good so early. Majishun is currently eighth in the league in assists and he is still getting better. Not surprisingly with his high usage rate he will be turning the ball over more often but at 3.6 times a game he needs to bring that down from fifth in the league. Honestly, I really like how he is progressing and if he plays his cards right the Majishun could be a 20 point, 10 assist player in the near future.

2025 – Rookie Game Starter
2025 – NBA All Rookie 1st Team
2026 – Sophomore Game Starter

#35 PF Terry McKenzie, New York Knicks – 15.8 points, 1.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.8 blocks

Shooting 58% from the field McKenzie hasn’t improved as much as some of the other Rookie Six players but that has to do with him being the best player on the team and shouldering all of the load of the fans. McKenzie still looks to be a near 20/10 player in the future but this year he just needs to get through this season to get more help. It doesn’t help the cause that the Knicks traded away their first round pick for the cancerous Brian Caldwell.

2025 – Rookie Game Starter
2025 – NBA All Rookie 1st Team
2026 – Sophomore Game Starter

#4 SG Chris Jones, Atlanta Hawks – 14.3 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.0 blocks

Another player that is in desperate need of support, there is only so much the Wizard can do on his own. He often sees double and triple teams from oppositions because there isn’t enough talent on the team to give him some room. No triple doubles yet but it’s only a matter of time. He is a crowd favourite in Georgia and fans would love to pair him with Michael McQuay in the draft.

2025 – Rookie Game Reserve
2025 – NBA All Rookie 2nd Team
2026 – Sophomore Game Reserve

#47 C Art Stevenson, Boston Celtics – 4.1 points, 0.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.3 blocks

It’s hard for Art to get court time because the Celtics have Gabriel Estevez, a good centre who they have pumped a lot of money into. It doesn’t help that Boston are gunning for a high playoff seed so they aren’t looking to develop young guys. That’s disappointing because when Stevenson gets court time he delivers in a big way. Shooting 58% from the field he averages 21.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, which has prompted some Boston fans to start ‘Free Art’ chants at ball games.

2025 – NBA All Rookie 2nd Team

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Ledaryl McMillian, Golden State Warriors – 31.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game

February Rookie of the Month – Dave Coulter, Oklahoma City Thunder – 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.3 blocks per game.

There is no stopping the Heat on their rampage as we get massacred 110-84 to the title dreaming Heat. Keith Selden goes off for 29 points and 9 rebounds while Michael Graham nearly gets a triple double at the PF spot with 8 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Kenneth Long has finally got some court time with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Jack was our best with 28 points but when our PF and C go 0/7 together it’s a tough night.

Dallas Mavericks 30-25

We really need to win 50/50 games if we want to make the playoffs but we just can’t seem to do that, going down to Charlotte 109-104 as Dan Mixson torched Jack with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Anthony Davis was average with 14 points and 4 rebounds but the team shot 54% from the field and we just couldn’t keep up. Shawn Latimer made up for his ‘0-fer’ with 25 points but it was our poor shooting that killed us, with Jack and Tim combining for 13/37 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 30-26

Damn, damn, damn. We lose again and are in danger of dropping out of the eight with a 106-82 rout by the hands of the Magic. Matthew Edney of all people blitzed us with 33 points and 9 rebounds while new addition Borut Peschat added 25 points and 7 rebounds. Jack was our only player in double figures with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists as we shot 30% from the field. We need to snap out of it but with the schedule we have coming up it’s going to be hard.

Dallas Mavericks 30-27

Nope, not here as we get absolutely pummelled by one of the top teams in the league the Nevada Neon 120-78. Darren Banks was amazing playing at SG with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists to record a very nice triple double with Matt Brown backing him up with 19 points and 9 assists of his own. It’s good that the Neon are able to play these two guys together without any problems. Our shooting is going from worse to horrendous, as tonight we went 27/92 or only 29% from the field with our back court shooting 5/25 for 14 points. Ouch. We need to regroup.

Dallas Mavericks 30-28

What. What just happened? The Bobcats seemed to be playing against children as we lose our fifth game in a row 107-69. That’s right, 69 points as we shoot 29% again. Anthony Davis had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 9 blocks in the win as we have nothing. NOTHING.

Dallas Mavericks 30-29

Another day, another loss as it seems we have packed it in, losing to Golden State 104-80 with Willis Owens doing the bulk of the scoring with 25 points and 10 rebounds. This meant that Ledaryl McMillian could focus on other things on his way to 14 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Jack decided to do everything and failed, going 8/32 for 21 points as Kelly Pryor laid another goose egg, going 0/10 from the field.

Dallas Mavericks 30-30

I tell Coach Garnett to get his **** together, so he goes small with a Westbrooks/Curtis Anderson/Pryor/Dawkins/Duggins starting five as I recall Curtis for his first NBA game.

Guess what? It worked! Sure it was against the terrible Grizzlies but we win, getting the job done in overtime 122-113. Jack had a great time at PF, going to the line 23 times, hitting 21 of them and fouling out Marcus Randle in only 13 minutes on his way to 29 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Tim also had a great time with 25 points and Kelly notched 21 points at SF. Even Curtis got into the act with 11 points and 4 rebounds in his first NBA game. Joe Curry played 47 minutes for 30 points but his usual friends weren’t there as Cort Majishun had 9 points and 9 assists and Randle was non-existent.

Dallas Mavericks 31-30

We try that line-up again and it worked again! Small ball for the win. A 108-92 win to be exact against the terrible Nuggets but a win is a win. Tim leads the way this time with 16 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 6 steals while Jack lives at the foul line again, going 9/10 on his way to 15 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists. This might just work. Donte Tolliver led the way for the Nuggets with 28 points and it’s great to see Schuyler Vanderwerken getting playing time, starting at C for 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.

Dallas Mavericks 32-30

It’s the Nuggets again and we win again, this time 113-92 on our home turf. Tim again was our best with 23 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks as they just don’t have any scorers to stay with teams. Man, I sound like a broken record. Jack had 22 points Kelly scored 23 points in the win. Shoo was amazing with 19 points and 6 rebounds while fouling out Joe Duggins in 19 minutes, he has some great potential and hopefully brings Denver back from these dark ages.

Dallas Mavericks 33-30

This is the real test for this new small ball line-up, the 40-27 Hornets at their home. We get out to a 14 point lead before Kyrie Irving puts his foot down, scoring 30 points in the game to break our streak with a 112-103 win for New Orleans. Aleks Something-something had 20 points on 10/13 shooting as the team went for 53% on the night. We did alright with six players in double figures but Jack didn’t get to the stripe very often and shot badly, going 7/23 for 19 points but Tim did get 7 steals which is something.

Dallas Mavericks 33-31

That’s right, we play Denver again this time in the Mile High City. We ran out of puff after that New Orleans game and went down to the terrible Nuggets 120-108 as MKG had an amazing night with 20 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks to decimate Kelly Pryor. Jack was again great with 21 points and Shawn Latimer had 14 points off the bench but it just wasn’t our night.

Dallas Mavericks 33-32

Will this brutal month ever finish? We have the 43-23 Timberwolves twice and the 46-22 Raptors once just in this freaking week! Coach Garnett goes back to a more traditional starting five with Shawn Latimer going back to PF and everyone else sliding down a spot but it didn’t help as the Wolves roll off a 40-23 last quarter to take the 111-93 win and we are now out of the eight. Enrique Mendez was great with 31 points while his buddy Camah Williams added 25 points and 15 assists. And again Jack was our best with 23 points with Lats adding 20 points. Simply, they are just too good for us at the moment with Mendez and Williams starring.

Dallas Mavericks 33-33

Back into the fire against the Raptors and obviously we lost, but not by much going down 99-91. Paul Orvis was great with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks but it was their defence that did the trick with none of our starters shooting over 50%.

Dallas Mavericks 33-34

The torture doesn’t stop there as we head off to Minnesota to play the overpowered Wolves. And you know what? We damn well beat them! Riding Jack’s 41 points and double doubles from Lats and Joe we took out the Wolves on their court 109-95. Where has this fire been in the last month? Enrique Mendez still had 34 points but Camah Williams was limited to 5/20 shooting for 18 points and 13 assists, less than what he would have been expecting.

Dallas Mavericks 34-34

That’s two in a row and we’re back in the eight with a 120-101 blasting of the Pacers. Jack had 26 points but wasn’t alone with Shawn Latimer adding 23 points, Joe Duggins putting up 13 points and 17 rebounds and Tim Westbrooks assisting with 13 points and 13 assists. Darrell Hampton was the lead man for Indiana with 25 points but didn’t have any friends along the way.

Dallas Mavericks 35-34

Just when I thought we were turning a corner we go and lose to the pretty bad Bucks 122-110. We just couldn’t slow them down which is a terrible way of playing because no matter how good we shoot we won’t get back. Raoul Dumas wasn’t the leading scorer but he was the best player out there with 14 points, 11 assists and 7 steals to lead the way. Jack was our leader with 35 points but as I said, we didn’t play good enough defence.

Dallas Mavericks 35-35

Welp, there goes our playoff chances as Jack breaks his toe and will be gone for the rest of the season. He had 12 points in 16 minutes but that is a devastating loss, especially when we lost the game to Sacramento 122-113. Lats tried his best with 23 points and Curtis had his best game yet with 20 points but without our young leader it’s nothing. Joe Abney was dead on which is a huge surprise for with 31 points on 12/17 shooting.

Dallas Mavericks 35-36

Shawn Latimer moves into the SF position while Bart Flanders gets the nod at PF. I don’t think anyone spoke on the way home.

Our last game of March was obviously a loss, going down to the Jazz 110-98 and out of playoff contention. Mark Lewis had another great night with 21 points and 12 rebounds as his new running buddy Dylan Callier had 20 points at PF. Bart Flanders looks to have overcome his starter’s stage fright with 17 points and 7 rebounds but we shot 39% from the field which lost us the game.

Dallas Mavericks 35-37

As you might expect we are a game and a half outside the eight and most likely not going to make it in for the second year in a row which is a little disappointing. Oh well, with a probable top three pick in this draft I’m not that depressed. Golden State are still leading at 51-20 with the usual suspects trailing behind them in Nevada and Minnesota. Phoenix are doing their bit for my happiness, sitting at the bottom of the ladder at 20-51.

Miami have taken the lead in the East at 53-21 as Toronto’s Matias Perez has broken his foot and will be out for a month and a half, maybe back for the second half of the playoffs if they make it. Toronto are still holding onto second spot at 50-25 with Charlotte not far behind at 45-29. It looks like Atlanta are going to stitch up the best odds for the lottery with a 17-54 record.

Dallas Top Points
Jack Dawkins – 23.7
Tim Westbrooks – 14.5
Shawn Latimer – 12.8

Dallas Top Assists
Tim Westbrooks – 5.5
Jack Dawkins – 4.6
Changa Hendricks – 3.8

Dallas Top Rebounds
Joe Duggins – 8.2
Shawn Latimer – 6.2
Jack Dawkins – 5.6

League Leaders
Points – Tiburcio Tommasini (POR) – 30.8
Assists – Matias Perez (TOR) – 10.2
Rebounds – Mark Lewis (UTA) – 10.5
Blocks – Andre Drummond (NEV) – 2.8
Steals – Cedric Mapp (GSW) – 3.0
Efficiency – Ledaryl McMillian (GSW) – 28.6

Rookie Leaders
Points – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 12.0
Assists – Dave Coulter (OKC) – 4.9
Rebounds – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 5.0
Blocks – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 1.5
Steals – Jamil Fleming (PHI) – 1.3
Efficiency – Jerry Benton (NOH) – 13.5

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. (1) PF Michael McQuay (Providence), Freshman, 6’11”, 251lbs
2. (2) PF Andy Kante (Texas Tech), Freshman, 6’8”, 247lbs
3. (3) PF Julius Hobbs (Oregon State), Freshman, 6’9”, 239lbs
4. (5) SG Tobe Slaughter (Miami (OH)), Freshman, 6’7”, 219lbs
5. (NR) SG Eddie Harris (Seton Hall), Junior, 6’6”, 189lbs

Thoughts – Again it’s McQuay and then the rest but it seems that Hobbs has joined the party for the second spot. Don’t forget the German Alfons Dietz who could sneak into the top three in the end.

[jcomey]

Sweet, so he's injury prone. Sigh.

[zike_42]

Sweet, so he's injury prone. Sigh.

I thought that as well after breaking his wrist last season and his toe this season but he isn't made of glass at all. His durability is an 8/10 so these two injuries must just be freak accidents. I hope anyway.

[AussieVilla]

Any chance you could "Free Art" to the Mavs... He needs some burn!