Tim Cato of The Athletic on Mavericks Trade Rumors, Midseason Evaluation, Luka/Kyrie Duo & More

Tim Cato of The Athletic on Mavericks Trade Rumors, Midseason Evaluation, Luka/Kyrie Duo & More

Welcome to another episode of inside the Mavs the official Maverick podcast of 971 the freak the home of Dallas Mavericks basketball the Dallas Mavericks radio network Kevin gray here Mavericks preum postgame host on 971 the freak really appreciate you joining me here however and wherever you may be

Listening to us on Apple podcast Spotify or on iHeart radio wherever you get your podcast for free make sure you give it a festar rating and write a review for it while you’re there or if you’re watching this on my YouTube channel at Kevin gry Sports be sure to like and comment on

The video as well so excited for my guest today here on the show as we are now past the halfway point games wise for your Dallas Mavericks as they get ready for the second half of their season Unfortunately they took a loss on Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers but

Nonetheless good enough to be joined by beat rider for the athletic Tim KO good enough to joining me here on the inside the mass podcast Tim what’s going on nothing much Kevin I am uh still here in at Los Angeles that’s the uh that’s the California Sun that is giving me some

Weird front lighting I don’t know I think I think that the the lighting people behind movies would have a a lot of critiques right now but we’re goingon to roll with it I I just it’s nice seeing the Sun for once we weren’t doing that a lot in Dallas that’s very true in

Fact you know while you were basking in the California Sun you know we trying to get our pipes to unfreeze uh here because of the how cold the weather has been over the last the last several days but nonetheless is the city still there you know like when when I come back is

It going to just has it we descended into Anarchy or is is law still in effect uh uh we’re still good we’re good here everything is good everything is tight and right so uh when you come back you will see everything’s still intact for the most part for the most part uh

That whole Mike McCarthy thing with Dallas and the Cowboys thing that might have some other people jumping off a ledge uh but everything else other one is going here so we appreciate your concern while you’re basking in the sun in California there that’s good that’s good to hear well let’s jump into it

Unfortunately the Mavericks took an L to the Los Angeles Lakers uh on Wednesday night but what’s interesting to me is and we’ll touch on it just before we move on because I Marvel at the fact that and I’ll start here because LeBron James at 39 years of age could continues

To play at a high level and he Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell they put on a show in LA but from a Maverick perspective Luca dones comes back after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain and how would you assess the way that he looked against the

Lakers on Wednesday night this man has the best Bad Games I’ve ever seen in my entire life what was it 33 13 and 10 and and I thought that he was a little a little off uh at points in the first half uh you know a little better in the

Second half uh good in the second quarter too I don’t know man he’s to to be 303 13 and 10 and for us to be thinking well you know that wasn’t him at his best uh I don’t think it’s any first off I don’t think it’s anything to

Be concerned about you know I thought physically he looked good ready to come back uh you know that’s what you would expect from an ankle injury uh you know just need a week to to let it rest up and as for the rest I don’t know I’m not

Too worried about it I’ve watched too much Luca and I and I know that uh you know you know even even what he did on on Wednesday was was plenty enough for the Mavericks to win if they had just hit three-pointers uh but but both Luca

And pretty much every single one of his teammates uh really struggled to do that and then that’s really where the game was decided in in in my view of it usually for this team when they’re knocking down three-pointers they’re going to win a lot of games when when

They don’t knock down three-pointers Tim Hardway Jr as he did against as he didn’t against Los Angeles on Wednesday they’re going to lose a lot of games so for a team that as dependent upon Luca and Kyrie as they are it’s about them knocking down shots and when they do

They look really really good when they don’t it doesn’t tend to look pretty I guess that’s the moniker of a make or Miss League I guess yeah yeah I think that uh we’ve seen there’s a lot of math and and stats that say that the outlier shooting performances on either end you

Know those are the some of the strongest dictators of uh of wins and losses in the NBA you know if you are a team and you shoot around 20% uh you’re probably going to lose like 90 95% of the time if you shoot over 50% you’re going to win

90 95% of the time um and and that’s what happened for Dallas you know they they finished a little bit higher than that but at one point they were um I believe three and 24 and they had the worst shooting percentage outside of that one game against the Rockets where

Luca Kyrie and Dante aom all didn’t play they had the worst shooting percentage of the season and that’s just not going to work but that’s also unlikely for a team that is second in makes and second in in attempts in the NBA I don’t think another night like this is going to

Happen for them um you know at most we’re we’re going to see one more game where collectively all of the players struggled this much from the outside and I know that’s not a enjoyable you know analysis to take from this which is just basically throw it away and and we can’t

Analyze it but that’s kind of where I am it’s it’s certainly not an excuse and if you’re a fan with emotional interest you can be annoyed at the players and and there are a few other things that happen this game the defense definitely regressed a little bit but even the

Defense where I thought it got away from Dallas was the third quarter that’s the quarter where the Lakers were running constantly they were getting you know a bunch of their 36 fast break points uh you know came in those 12 minutes and what did those come from what did those

Mostly most of the times when they were breaking down the court when the Lakers were were getting the kick ahead passes it was off a Miss three because Miss threes bounce right out to the perimeter and then all of a sudden you got a guy

Leaking out and you got a you know you got somebody ready to to outlet it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be better in that area it doesn’t you know again not an excuse you’re going to have to play transition defense off Miss threes when you’re a team like this but

When I look at that game it’s it’s really hard for me not to look at it all-encompassing in a way that you know this was an outlier shooting performance and a lot of the bad things that we saw that led to the loss came from those

Miss shots and even with the loss the Mavericks are 24 and 18 through 42 games they played their 24th different starting lineup on Wednesday against Los Angeles and as we kind of start to broaden our view of this team now that we have gotten to the Midway point of

This season give me just your overall assessment of this team after everything that they’ve gone through from an injury perspective different lineups that they’ve had to play the emergence of a 19-year-old rookie and Derek Livy II where are you with this team now through 42 games through the season it’s a team

That has a higher floor than the one we saw last season it’s it’s a team that I I don’t think is possible for them to collapse in the way that we saw them do last season just because Lively brings more defense and and just competency to that in uh as

Does Derrick Jones Jr um you know and I think that the the offensive pairing for Luca and Kyrie has was always good last season that was never the issue and so I think it’s a team that that we know they will not collapse in the same way they

Might have some bad losses here and there and they certainly have but I don’t think that there’s any way for this team to collapse to end up out of the playoffs to you know be six games over 500 and you know finish beneath it I don’t think that’s going to happen

This season what I don’t think we know about the team is is just high how high their ceiling is because the ceiling is going to come from the five best players and they didn’t know who the five best players were until Dante aom really emerged and really it’s those four you

Know it’s it’s Luc and krie and it’s Derk and then it’s Dante exam I want to see those four together and we’ve still only seen them for you know less than 100 possessions you know and and not really fully Unleashed for an entire game you know even even when exm came into the

Starting lineup uh you know initially you know that was for Grant Williams uh who who missed a couple games and then Kyrie missed some time and that’s where exom really emerged I want to see what those five can do because I think if there is a slightly higher ceiling than

What we’ve seen if this is a team that can go and beat you know not just a Minnesota but a Boston on Monday and I don’t think xm’s going to be back for that but we’ll see he he looks he looks better he’s doing more on the court but

But we’ll see that might be a little soon um but but if it’s a team that could you know be competitive with a Boston even if it’s not going to be favored against any of these you know really Elite title contenders in the playoffs just be competitive and and

Make a game of it against some of these really Elite teams um I want to see what those four or five players what starting lineup can do probably isn’t going to be as good as those teams and and I think we know that but I I still want to see

Them play before making any Grand conclusions about just how high this team ceiling really is let’s stick with Derrik Jones Jr and Dante Aon for a second because the surprise that those two have been so far this year both offensively and defensively I don’t think a lot of us anticipated we would

See the kind of impact for the both of them and what they brought now obviously for XM dealing with the injury that he’s been dealing with for a little while now but before then on both ends of the floor really making significant impacts what was your understanding of what

Jones Jr and exam’s roles would be on this team before we started to see the emergence for both of them throughout the course of this year Jones Jr I for sure thought was going to be a rotation player uh I I didn’t realize he’d be a

Starter but it it made more sense to me after a couple games but I I thought he was I thought he’d be a good fit I thought he’d be one of those players who is athletic has some on ball capabilities uh has has some shooting ability and defends really well and

We’ve seen a lot of those players come to Dallas and Luca gets them paid and you know it’s it’s not all Luca but but playing with Luca is such a good environment for players like that so him being a 30 to 36 minute a night guy sometimes um

That’s a bit of a surprise to me but but looking back on it it makes sense to me and it especially makes sense to me because Chicago uh especially last season was very much the opposite environment and it it was one in the same way that Luca

Amplifies I I think that there’s some neutralizing effect or deamplification that happens from a Chicago team that had really rough spacing and did not shoot enough threes Dante aam though I did not think this man was going to be a rotation player I thought that he would be

Further down the bench I thought he would make sense for some games um I you know as much as people talked about his his better three-point shot I I still looked at his numbers and and and wasn’t sure if he was going to take enough of

Them for for that to really matter and certainly I I think I underestimated just the overall ability and and you know just just a guy just a guy who can dribble and make decisions a a former point guard you know still playing you you know not fully as a as a point guard

What does that term even mean anymore in the NBA sure a guy you can trust with the ball in his hands driving to the rim making passes and he has been so good in that area and Dallas liked him for his defending you know that that that’s what

I thought was going to get him minutes um you know as a as a semi- rotation guy but once he showed that you know he’s really capable offensively too uh you know that that just completely changed my full perspective of him I think Dallas is to some extent and and that’s

Why there’s so much um you know excitement for his return and you know uh just just anti anti anticipation for all of that that’s a Dennis Lindsay special with the Dante exm uh reemerges with him I’m sure Dennis Lindsay is getting uh some nice satisfaction about

Seeing Dante yeah I think it was him I I will say um I I don’t think Nico was hard to convince uh because uh Dante’s agent is is uh Kobe’s old one okay and so obviously there’s a there’s going to be a close relationship between Nico Harrison and and you know

Kobe’s agent sure makes sense well he has played extremely well but he’s been able to do so and provided them some length and some athleticism what I’ve enjoyed most about this team and I didn’t think it was going to sustain itself honestly Tim throughout the course of the year but this team has

Remained a top 10 Pace team throughout the course of the year and Jason kid talked about it coming into the season that they wanted to get up and down the floor a little bit more in transition and we saw that really take flight throughout the early portion of the year

But it’s really kind of maintained itself even with the up and downs that we’ve seen from this team and the injuries that they’ve gone through this team has played at a much different pace do you think that will continue to happen with Kyrie Irving in this team

Throughout the course of the rest of the season here I mean if they’re 40 42 games in and and they’ve made it this far I don’t see why not um you know some of it comes from the players and and you know some of the players that Dallas is

Playing with you know not having Reggie Bullock and and replacing him with a Derk Jones Jr that is someone who just naturally was always goingon to increase your pace a little bit um obviously the main reason is is Luca and Kyrie buying into it and you know Luca plays Luca

Still plays slow at times it’s just he’s willing to play fast when you know the the situation kind of dictates it um and Kyrie is definitely a a you know a Tempo Pusher um maybe a little bit too much that that that was uh you know trying to

Push the tempo is what got him to go to the locker room early in the game and then you know he had a I think four 16 shooting night so you know there you know there there’s going to be downsides like that but yeah I do expect the pace

To to continue and honestly you you said it well like I thought I thought they would maintain it for you know a couple months I thought it would would be maybe average I I wasn’t expecting to be top 10 all year that that has been one of

The big surprises for me yeah it’s interesting to see how this team has been able to adapt a different pace but also at the top of it Luca donic being willing to play that kind of pace and to come into the kind of shape that he did

Going into the season and for the most part being able to maintain that and for him going forward here this team obviously is dependent on him as much as they are you been able to see a little bit more balance obviously with Kyrie Irving the emergence of of Derrik live

Of I second being able to take some of that pressure off him or is it always going to be Luca Centric he’s got to do it all be the offensive hub for this team and then everyone feed off of him is there a way to maybe strike a little

Bit more balance with him even on the floor still um I I don’t think so I mean I I don’t think that’s needed he’s not he’s not touching the ball and and you know he’s he’s right up there in the league and in time of possession I I

Think Trey young is the only one with more but but it’s it’s within all of these star players who dominate the ball is within the same you know area he he he has it a little bit more than than than most but he’s a star player you

Know this is what he’s this is what he’s here to do um you know I don’t think that he’s going to become a a yic like player who uh you know is doing you know passing more in holding less I I don’t think that’s you know I I think with every

Year it it might be a good development for him to to get a little bit more like that um but we’ve seen NBA titles won with with players like LeBron who you know were very heliocentric and who were very um you know ball dominant for all

The reasons that they should be so I I think I think that this is what you expect from from Alca and I think that balance is is pretty good when Kyrie is healthy and and you know on a terror and and you know we we’re just kind of wash

Away what whatever happened against LA because I think that was probably an outlier as well and and we’ll go from there sticking with those Superstars let’s go to Kyrie Irving for a second because when the Mavericks made the trade to acquire him last year and obviously the situation that had gone

Down in Brooklyn him not getting the extension getting out of there and then coming to Dallas and the way things ended coming into the year once he signed his his extension the question would be how will those two coexist fully formed together and even with Luca’s injuries that he’s dealt with

Kyrie Irving it feels like has turned himself into leader veteran guy who was diving on the floor for loose balls being able to do all the other little things even at one point my man was rebounding the heck well still rebounding the heck out of the basketball right now but at the same

Time that’s what he says right exactly doing all the other stuff what have you made of Kyrie Irving and the fit that he’s been with this Mavericks team and a guy that as you have covered him seems like quote unquote more at peace with what is going on in his life and his

Situation based on him being on this team right now I I think he’s maybe one of the most adaptable Superstars we’ve ever seen you know he’s he’s fit into so many versions and so many different uh you know he’s he’s fit next to so many different types

Of of you know co-stars that I never really had any doubt that when he was on the court for Dallas that that that he’d be good um yeah he he you know he had sour relationships with several with with all three of the the previous franchises he played for um there’s a

Lot of reasons for a lot of that some of them are not replicable in Dallas um some of them still could show up um you know this history is is not doomed to repeat itself but you know when this is the guy’s history it is something to be

Aware of but at the same time it’s it’s reasonable to think that you know now that he’s over 30 now now that you know the the end of his career is is more in sight than it used to be um you know that that that he’s got a role in Dallas

That that he does seem very happy and and content with um you know this is I I don’t see any reason to believe that this is not who just Kyrie is going to be the rest of his time in Dallas I’m not going to guarantee that that’s the

Case but I I think it’s you know perfectly logical that this is just the the type of player that he is and as long as Luca is content and happy and as long as everybody around the team is content and happy and right now they are um you know that things will continue

Going well and there’s are some big ifs like there there is still roster Improvement that needs to be made to to Dallas and and there are ways but but not as expansive ways as other teams and Rivals are the leag to make those improvements and you know

You reach a point where you have really tough questions if you’re a team that has a superstar in its prime and needs to be contending and we’ll we’ll see what happens when if and when Dallas reaches that point or or if they just build this team and take it one step

Further you know in in the in the meantime so you know but as of right now I I think Kyrie is you know calm and and accepting of of you know his role and and all the ways that you’ve said and all the ways that he said um I think

He’s also a very good basketball player and uh you know there’s little doubt about his adaptability and and I think he’s shown that once again that you know he can play with or without uh Luca you know or he can play with Luca not you know even available for the game and

And do a little bit of carrying for the team you know when they need him to so um I think that’s where they can stand and and we’ll just see where they go and you started to kind of lean me down the direction where I wanted to go because

As we start looking toward the NBA trade deadline on February the 8th and what this team still needs to improve on two guys I want to ask you about before we get to maybe some of the names or some of the things that you know could happen

For this team two names on this team currently being Josh green and Grant Williams what have been your evaluations of the two of them I’ll start with Williams because he was the guy that was their big quote unquote you know acquisition you know this past summer

And what his role has been how it’s evolved to the point where there’s been some questions about what has been happening with him to where it hasn’t gone as well I think I’m sure as the Mavericks would like it to so far I think he’s a competent NBA rotation

Player who is playing worse than we would expect him to I I think that there’s a few injury issues that have factored into that um you know has has had a bit of a wrist thing that has affected his shot a little bit and and a

Knee thing that has affected uh you know just his Mobility a little bit um I I I absolutely think that fans and and the team and and me as an analyst you know want a little bit more from him and if he can get back to being a you know just

A 40% catch and shoot shooter you know 40 40 uh 45 in in today’s NBA is is perfectly realistic on open Catch and shoot shots and you know that’s the diet that he’s been getting lately and I I think that there’s a you know there’s this team needs one more really

High Lev shooter he showed he could be that early in the year and and he showed the value in that and you know when if and when he gets back to that this season you know I I think that there is enough that he does that that is

Confident that’s good um you know it’s not stopper level defense but it’s above average for the most part um you know especially if you just ask him to play de team defense within a concept um I think he can get I think he can get back

There and I I don’t think that you know I think that player is is perfectly priced for what he is but I all of that said I I really do understand why there’s a bit of disappointment you know because he has not been up to that standard over really the past month

Month and a half and for Josh Green a guy who got his extension before the season started really up and down theyve kind of been enigmatic of what this team has been with the up and down roller coaster that they’ve been on what have been your thoughts about what Josh green has

Brought to this team this year one of the most confusing players I’ve ever watched Kevin I I I don’t I don’t fully understand how this player can do like just ridiculously good stuff and then you know I I forget he’s on the court for a quarter

Um I think that clearly um he has been someone who who responds a bit better when the ball is in his hand a little bit more than you know it ever will be with uh you know when he’s playing next to Luca and I think other NBA teams have

Noticed that and you know see the upside and and see the the potential for it all to come together and you know or not valuing him at that but are valuing him with a player with untapped potential and that is why you know he’s the likeliest or I think I think he’s you

Know certainly the best uh player that that Dallas is would be willing to trade that other teams are really interested in trading um Dallas willing to trade what exactly that means um I don’t have any brand new you know Intel to to drop in here but but you know I I think that

They you know for the right deal for the right player for the right circumstance uh Dallas likes Josh Green they don’t want to move on from him you know just for for nothing certainly uh but they understand that he is a player that they might have to move if if the

Circumstances require it um as for you know I still think that he contributes in in his role on the team I think the one area I’m more disappointed than you know his offense has been inconsistent but it shows up here and there and overall the numbers are pretty

Good I I’m disappointed that he’s still not consistently an above average Defender um he really struggles with uh with getting around screens uh maybe it’s just his body type you know you don’t really get around screens in in off SE football just you all run into a

Big pile you know so so maybe maybe he’s just still conditioned for for that to be the way things are um but that was a big re reason why uh Jordan Hawkins went off uh a couple games ago against New Orleans you know the the lost to New Orleans that everybody thought Dallas

Should win and certainly they they were right they they should have won you know it was a it was a C team you know almost you know at least a B Team uh for for the Pelicans out there and you know one of the players that popped off was was

Hawkins and and he’s a he’s a runaround screens guy and Josh Green really couldn’t affect him um Josh you know for as athletic as he is I I just want to see a little bit more consistent impact uh on that end I I think that would be a

Good thing to see um but he’s still young you know he came into the league really young and and he’s still younger than players who were drafted just last year so I I’m not you know I find him confusing but I certainly see the talent

And the and the value and you know if if that talent and value is is the reason that he’s traded you know it just better be for the right trade that that Dallas can make so let’s take it there as I mentioned close to the NBA trade

Deadline which is on February the 8th we’ve heard names banti about around this team Pascal seak of course that’s no longer a thing because of course now he’s with the Indiana Pacers but other names like a PJ Washington a Kyle kosma our old friend Dorian fny Smith new

Reporting maybe a Jeremy Grant as well number one what does this team need in your mind based on what you’ve observed so far and do any of those names realistically potentially fit with the Mavericks based on what they have and what they may want to part with to acquire those players oh

Dallas Dallas is definitely looking at the right places they need a tall four you know they’re small then they they need more size and they need need the option of more size you know at times you can play lineups that look a lot like the ones Dallas has out there but

They need you know a 68 A 69ine A 610 guy who you know can also play next to Lively and can also be a scorer and can also be a Defender I don’t know if any of those players um you know seum was probably the best fit

Um and even him you know wasn’t 100% perfect but obviously I I I think you’re going to bet on that Talent uh you’re going to bet on the you know defensive upside that you know the the high-end defense that he’s shown at at many points in throughout his career

Um like PJ Washington uh I think he’d helped the team um I don’t know if that’s you know I don’t think that’s the cont move um Jeremy Grant uh I kind of feel the same way um it’s it’s a lot of you know like the the idea of the the

610 def you know two-way Wing who rebounds really well but also has some guard skills and can score 20 a night every player you know every team every franchise in the league wants that player and about five of them exist that actually check all those boxes um and so

Dallas is going going to have to settle for you know which aspects of you know they’re right that the size is a check mark I I think that is a good starting place you can’t just go get another 66 player on a roster filled with them so

They’re right that they need to be looking for someone taller with size with you know a defensive mindset and rebounding ability I think those are all of the traits that you start with and then you see what else is available um you know like even if they you know if

They can’t find the guy um you know but but there there’s a reasonable trade for Kelly oen um and I’m not sure there would be a reasonable trade for Kelly oen I I I think that you know he’s gonna be very solid his Market might might uh

Might be a a decently sized one also Utah’s playing really well right now yeah um but but I wouldn’t mind you know if that’s the route they choose to go if there’s a way that without trading a first round pick um you know then give up some seconds

And maybe even a player to go get somebody who who fits as you know shortterm as a as a big minute guy and longterm maybe you keep him around as a as a bench veteran you know this is still a team that needs you know another

Veteran or two Off the Bench um that that’s something that would make sense for me but entering the season last season this whole time I’ve said it’s probably next summer or now this summer you know the coming summer um that makes the most sense for

For a bigger deal to happen and I still think that’s the likelier case even if Dallas is is certainly active in in looking at all of these players just to see I I still just think it’s likelier that you know when when they have a few more first- round picks next summer um

That’s probably when things uh are going to happen for them but we’ll see last thing before we get you out of here today because I want to make sure I touch on him in terms of Jason kid where are you with Jason kid as a head

Coach for this team all the things that he’s kind of had to deal with from you know injury lineup standpoint the roster you know changes that he has seen and what he’s been able to manage here he hit us the other day with the line you

Know I’m just the coach after their loss to I believe it was to the Pelicans after that uh particular loss where are you with Jason kid as the head coach of this team I think he’s fine when the team’s doing fine and as long as the

Team is fine the rest of the season um I I don’t think that he is I I think that there’s about like five coaches that that really add something to a team and and maybe five that really subtract something um you know I think at most you’re amplifying what a team

Could do by 10 or 15% and maybe if you’re a bad coach it’s more like 20 25% but it’s like we we forget the margins are are you know amplifying what a team could be by about 10% that matters that’s important important but it is not going to you know solve a a

Lack of talent it’s not going to turn you know a 30 win team into a a 5501 team it’s going to turn them into a 351 team um and I think you know he’s just one of the guys in the middle um I have issues with various coaching things that he

Does but I I think that I’ve I’ve realized that he has some you know absolute qualities and you know the I think the locker room is is you know in Luca and Kyrie together you could argue you know that’s a you you it’s not the easiest locker room Luca

Specifically is not the easiest Superstar and the locker room still has a lot of respect and and faith in Jason kid um you know I think the the lineups when you understand them when you look at them through the lens of experimentation regular season is a

Is a test lab he does it a bit much for my like but I don’t think as many of the decisions he makes with with all that stuff as sometimes M Twitter is mad at stuff that I look at and I’m like I

Don’t I don’t know I I I I I think it’s justifiable he also I really like the uh the foul up too against Zan Williamson so you know he’s got a lot of deserved criticism for for late game uh situation stuff and so I just thought it was cool

And and new to see him you know respond in that way you know respond in a late game situation and uh do something that a lot of coaches wouldn’t do and it worked out great so um I I I think that he is just one of the coaches in the

Middle of the league whether he’s below average above average I I just don’t think it really matters with that middle group as long as the team is going fine and and I don’t think he responded last season when things weren’t going fine but I just don’t think that this season

Is is going to replicate that how’s your Rel relationship with mass Twitter these days I don’t know I barely tweet anymore so I think I think uh I think the I think the the quantity uh you know the absence breeds uh what do they call it familiarity or they breeds uh something

Uhuh yeah I’m always I’m always reading tweets you know around I’m around during games you know trying to just in the shadows now you’re in the background a little bit more these days yeah yeah yeah when you’re not get your court when you don’t have your Courtside seat I saw

You on TV the other I Tim got the nice got the media seat uh out there on the uh the front row there yeah always where I am there you go that’s where we can find you Tim tell the folks that they can find you what you got

Going on man well when I do tweet I’m on Twitter Timor um the athletic subscribe uh go subscribe to uh our free podcast the only Mavericks podcast uh we’re also doing that and yeah that’s about it wrote a cool story about how dunking hurts last month

I saw that I saw that what inspired that story by the way well obviously all the dunking that I do yeah I I don’t know man it just something I’d heard and and read and I’d had actually the idea for like five years i’ always maybe I’m going to go

Back to you know maybe I’m going to like really dive into it and around this time last season I was like let’s do it you know and and and I got to the end of the year I got to the end of last season and I had enough

Reporting that I that I actually wrote a whole draft and I kind of looked at it and my editor kind of looked at it and I was just like it’s not there yet it’s not there yet yeah so uh so I finished it up the first couple months of uh this

Past or this season and uh came out a little bit before Christmas and it was fun to do more of those coming soon looking forward to that found a very very fascinating that the idea that hey man while it’s one of the most one of the coolest plays in sport hey man that

Think takes a toll on your body when you doing it all the time especially when you’re you know really good at it it can take a toll on your body a little bit so Tim I appreciate you hanging out with me today for a little bit man on the the

Inside the mass podcast man thank you of course of course anytime that is it for this episode of inside the Mavs again thank you to Tim KO of the athletic covering the Dallas MAV for joining me on the episode today you can download and subscribe to inside

The mass wherever you get your podcast for free the official Mavericks podcast of 971 the freak your home of Dallas Mavericks basketball my name is Kevin gray Mavericks pre and postgame host on 971 the freak until next time I’ll talk to you later on inside the mad I’ll talk to you later peace

#dallasmavericks #lukadoncic #kyrieirving #jeramigrant

On this episode of ‘Inside The Mavs’ I am joined by Tim Cato of The Athletic covering the Dallas Mavericks as we discuss the latest trade rumors for the Mavericks, go over midseason observations and discuss the pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. We recap their most recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers and look forward to the rest of the season as he gives me his observations on Josh Green, Grant Williams, and others through their first 42 games of the season. We also dive into the needs of the Mavericks and if they can be solved at the NBA Trade Deadline. We talk about the emergence of Dereck Lively II and his amazing start to the season and what it means for the team going forward and so much more!

Be sure to like and comment on the video and follow Tim on Twitter @tim_cato

Follow me on Twitter @KevinGraySports and be sure to subscribe to ‘Inside The Mavs’ wherever you get podcasts free!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495