Mavericks vs Suns Recap and Live Show: Luka Doncic hopes to pass 10,000 points and beat Devin Booker

Mavericks vs Suns Recap and Live Show: Luka Doncic hopes to pass 10,000 points and beat Devin Booker

N [Applause] Hello friends Josh Bo and Kirk Henderson joining you once again for another episode of pod Maverick this time just a shade after Christmas has officially ended and the Dallas Mavericks gave us a late Christmas present with an unbelievably fun Christmas Day night cap where they defeated the Phoenix Suns 128

To 114 Luca donic scored uh his 10,000th point as an NBA player while also casually dropping a 50 and 15 game Josh how are you I’m doing pretty good Merry Christmas to you and and everyone listening out there hope everyone had a pretty stress-free holiday got to watch some good Hoops I

Know the Maverick’s playing the the late the last game on the Christmas docket is a little tough for those of us that are already uh under the gun with sleep but at least I didn’t have to fight um many family members to watch the game in the

Middle of the day I think I would rather take the the night cap to end things when everyone’s asleep in the house um and I’ll stay up and we could talk some hoops I know we’re both this pretty fun game we got some stuff I love that you

Said that because when you’re looking at this game like I don’t know middle of summer you’re like oh yeah because you and I both have small children we’re both like oh yeah we’re gonna be able to get done with Christmas stuff we’re gonna be able to watch the game and both

Of us and and I’m no I’m not I’m a Christmas veteran at this point we’re both stupid in the sense of what I did not build in was the fact that I wouldn’t sleep last night where right my wife you know um my favorite thing I

Love love that that um that Tiger Woods meme going around where it’s like him going dog and I saw a tweet this morning where it says husband husbands thanking their wives for all the Christmas gifts they’re just now learning about and like that was me I’m not gonna lie that was

Me at like 11:30 last night where my wife gives me this fort I have to build and I’m like wait what and so I you know it was about 2 3:30 in the morning baby didn’t give a about sleep and I’m sorry I’m cursing so much I’m not that

Sorry but I’m tangentially sorry um and man so it’s just like I come into this game it was like 6:30 T night I remember I sent a message to M’s group chat a minute I just said like I gotta stay up like seven more hours are you

Kidding me and the Mavericks gave us the kind of game that you want to stay up for because I went through the full range of fan emotions well let’s just let’s kind of talk about the game and and then we can talk about how we felt about it

So you were doing I think bedtime stuff during the first half but Luca came out and was very very un it this might have been it’s in the top 10 regular season performances from Luka donic I just I don’t know how to describe it to where he was on early and

He looked good and he did not let up see he had some lapses defensively in this game but first half in this game he looked as strong defensively as I can remember him being possession to possession and I I just had a great time watching him where halftime the Maverick

Only up 10 due to some late lapses but Luca crossed the 10,000 point mark pretty early on in the game getting that whole Holo out of the way he only needed to score 11 points incredible story up on Mavs Moneyball decom from our guy Isaac if you want to read it he turned

In 1,800 words on how Luca scored 10,000 points I was not expecting that um if you can’t tell I’m a little bit wired right now uh and then and then the second half happened and why don’t you tell us what happened in the third quarter Josh um GCE Allen hit a million

Three-pointers um the Mavericks gave up the lead that they worked so hard to get in the first half um and yeah and what’s his I can’t even say his name uh metu from the Suns I mean both of those guys had insane games overall but in the third quarter particularly they kind of

Just torched the Mavericks who were their game plan was obviously let everyone let anyone but Booker or Durant beat us and in the third quarter you could see how that Str strategy can maybe backfire a little if you let you know I mean Allen’s not a terrible

Shooter so I mean they just kept helping off him helping off him and he just kept making them and uh yeah they turned to what looked like was going to be a blowout I thought in the first half into into a real dog fight so so let’s let’s

Talk some brass tax here do you really think oh the gr I know you want to get to did you want to get to the Grant Williams stuff in no no I mean it’s included in that um beyond the fact that that Grant Williams um please stop we

We’ll return to Grant Williams just for the record Grant Williams please stop and you know what I mean everybody who watches this game knows what I mean you don’t get to you don’t get to instigate and talk trash when you have more fouls than statistical contributions anyway um

I was was I I’m wondering just from a like a you know you’re you know ball let’s just be clear you you have a very good eye for strategy it’s one of the things that that you bring to our site and to this podcast which I have a

Harder time doing a first pass do you think that their commitment to stopping Booker and Durant or do you think Booker and Durant were bad I think I would take a little column A a little column B I thought Durant was incredibly passive um I mean he only had 11 shot

Attempts and I know he got doubled a lot but he had six turnovers and seven like to seven assists and six turnovers and a lot of those turnovers were out of doubles so like if he wasn’t going to score a lot um his passing was not good

Enough like at least Booker had a pretty bad score you know shooting game but he had 10 assists and three turnovers like he handled the doubles pretty well passing wise he just couldn’t get a shot the fall Durant couldn’t get a shot the fall and he handled the double teams

Like very poorly um and so I think you know it’s a little it’s a little bit of both obviously if the Mavericks probably single guarded those guys the whole game they probably would had a different stat line but still you know I think Durant he just played a really passive game it

It was really weird and it was especially funny coming off of the the the the um the ESPN report from earlier in the day about how Durant is apparently frustrated with the lack of help on the sun’s roster and then he comes out and shoots four of 11 has 16

Points meanwhile two of his role player teammates Grayson Allen and metsu have like career nights um so I thought that was pretty I thought that was cos Al pretty funny for that all to happen in one day uh but yeah like this was one of I mean let’s be real I mean we’ve

Watched Durant a lot one of the worst games I’ve ever seen him play I think yeah and and so like I’m gonna ride this high and I’m gonna talk my because I had a lot of fun watching this game but I couldn’t help but think that there

There was a bit of quicksand going on with guys of not digging out and it could have been a blowout except for the Grayson Allen of it all now the Mavericks do deserve some credit there I really thought there were moments where they absolutely flew around like crazy

On for sure um but it it also felt like to a degree what do you have oh my God my dog has my wife’s Christmas present I’ll be right back yeah defensively yeah I mean they had some moments I it was it it was hot

Or cold um I think they gave up way too many Corner threes but thankfully the Suns didn’t make him pay the Suns only shot four of 16 on Corner threes you give up 16 Corner three attempts in a game that’s usually not great news um so that wasn’t great but they

They got lucky with the Suns missed him but I thought Luca had some real I mean this was probably one of Luca’s best defensive games of the year and I thought Jones also did a decent job when he was in single coverage against Durant and there wasn’t a double I mean Durant

Got him a couple times but didn’t get him a lot obviously he only made four shots so I thought those two in particular were pretty good Lively coming back back I mean hey Lively’s back I mean what a difference having Lively is just immediately comes back

And has a 20110 game uh so that was cool so so yeah there were there were you know there were some some weak spots defensively but I thought Luca Lively and Jones all had had pretty good moments Luca had four Steals and three blocks I don’t think he’s ever done that

Before seven stocks I bet he has never done that in an NBA game before I bet he’s never done that in a since he was like or something something that was pretty crazy and and he had some good stops against Booker too like they they switched LCA got switched onto Booker a

Couple times and Booker couldn’t get past him like it was pretty clear from tip I mean you said this before like Luca was pretty jacked up for this game like he was he was absolutely ready from opening tip to final buzzer like his his focus and attention to detail and effort

Level not trying to say that it’s like you know it’s bad normally like but it was just he was he was kind of on another plane of existence when this game started and you could just sense it uh from the I think well and

See I um I by and large try not to give a care about uh like media narratives but this was one of those games where it’s just there’s ESPN has such like Mad Lib style decision making on the things they’re going to talk about where LCA passes 10,000 points I don’t

Think they talked about it at halftime and maybe it became a thing as the game wore on but it was it’s such a focus on like the old stars and what the suns were doing to where we didn’t have enough time to talk about Luca donic and

I and I I want to give like that that credit here because Luca donic does not get to do what Devin Booker does I’m sorry what was Devin Booker’s final line uh 20 points 10 assists three rebounds not a bad line no not a bad

Line not a superstar a NBA all NBA first team player or MVP candidate line it is a above average line for a team’s best player on a run-of-the-mill mediocre team which is what the suns are and I’m sorry LCA donic has a game like that on Christmas day that’s the story for two

Days about how Luca is you know it’s just the nature of this stuff and usually I don’t care but I wanted a full-throated celebration of Luca at a time when he was kicking ass because he went out there as the best player on the court with Devin or Kevin Durant a

Future Hall of Famer and just kicked their asses there’s really no other way around it I mean I was going to wait till after our our our immediate break to talk about about Luca but we’re just going to do it right now because Luca donic scored 50 points and had 15

Assists so just doing some basic math here guys assuming all of Luca’s 15 assists were for two-point shots okay two-o shots only and that’s not what they were Luca donic was responsible for at or not responsible for played a part in 80 of the Mavericks 128 points that’s

Special that’s MVP kind of stuff period I know people you know I know embiid’s going to win it because this is a this is a narrative award and nobody works the media like that ass clown but this is this is a a a MVP type performance

From an MVP Cali player and I want to just I want crow about it it’s fantastic couldn’t be more excited yeah he had uh eight made threes and 12 made free throws which I mean I mean this is kind of obscure but has he ever had a game in

The NBA where he’s had a combined 20 made threes and free throws he might have oh I could have killed I could have killed mad’s Moneyball contributor SJ who said well if Luca’s hitting threes and hitting free throws we’re going to win this game and I’m like you don’t say

That out loud what kind of mad woman are you but it it’s this is what it looks like when he when he’s doing that I mean it’s just Unstoppable um yeah eight of 16 from three 12 12 from the free throw line that was pretty awesome the MVP thing is

Interesting like he’s absolutely MVP worthy like that’s not a question his statline is great the Mavericks are 18 and 12 so they’re currently fifth in the west when you know most prognosticators had them either in the playin or outside of the playin entirely so I mean he’s obviously worthy the thing that’s going

To be tough is you know love or hate embiid he has the numbers and his team is 29 yeah well you know what he skipped today’s Christmas game and I saw I saw from the the Twitter account hate I think it was brick Muse where it said

Dnp Miami yeah I know I know Luka doesn’t skip the tough games and I’m sorry embiid does no I know but I think I’m gonna talk my because I’m correct and if you want to argue with me go look at the game log no go do it but I’m just thinking realistically

If he’s going to win MVP this year the Mavericks probably need to get I would say I mean bare minimum they need to be top four uh maybe they need to be top three like if they’re right behind the nuggets and the wolves or if they’re

Right around them then I think and he and he finishes the season strong because let’s be be frank like he’s had some pretty crazy October November def December runs in the last couple years and then March April maybe late February some things don’t look as great uh as

How it started so he needs to finish the season strong which he hasn’t really done in a couple years especially after last season people are going to hold that against him uh and then they need to finish with you know they need to finish with with at least homec court

Advantage in the west because I know joic won MVP as a six seed in 2021 that’s not happening anymore yeah that’s just when the comp like you know that happened because I think they were tired of giving it they didn’t want to give it to Giannis again and there wasn’t really

Another great candidate because it wasn’t like there weren’t a lot of dominant teams like the suns were the best team in the NBA but they were very like they were kind of the the the sum is more you know the parts are bigger than the hole or whatever so there’s too

Many good candidates this year between jic himself between Shay yeah and beid Giannis again like there’s just too many good candidates for for Luca to be able to win it if if he’s not in the top three in the west I’m being an here in large part because of how these

Conversations take place okay what Joel EMB is doing like if you’re watching it’s terrifying he’s playing unbelievably good basketball he did not deserve to win the MVP last year let me be clear he was a clown fraud and and talked his way into that award but he’s

Playing better now than he did last season I know he’s doing all the things that that he all the that he T yes he I mean he like I think you take away his free throws he still might be like close to Leading the league and scoring

Like he’s doing some insane stuff so like but what drives me crazy about the conversations is that we’re gonna finally start to talk we Collective media Wei will finally start to talk about Luca once he’s had a downturn or something why can’t I mean he has scored

30 points or more in 13 of the last 14 games he’s he’s been un real and it’s not that I want the media attention I always tell I’m mean I’m in a variety of group chats I’m like you know what I’d rather walk softly and carry a big stick

But it’s the like sort of like odd disdain key moments where it’s like well what does Kevin Durant feel about this like Kevin Durant’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever watched he’s also a journeyman at this point who has hurt his own reputation by changing team so

Many times by like nobody cares about his titles so it’s like why cannot why can’t we talk about the guy who’s up and coming and yeah Luca’s still up and coming sorry pretty sure he’s 24 years old unless I can’t do math yeah I know it’s it’s like it’s stuff that’s not his

Fault like it’s not Luca’s fault that he was the the betting preseason favorite like four years in a row which causes media people to get be like ah well we thought he was going to win it two years ago and we thought he was going to win

It three years ago and then he didn’t and it’s like you know it’s almost like a weird self-fulfilling prophecy from the media side of it but like that’s not you know Luca didn’t asked to be that um he can’t control who’s who’s the preseason favorite to win MVP which then

Hurts his narrative when he doesn’t win it um so again it’s just you know numbers wise stuff on the court literally he’s done more I mean he’s done everything he can possibly do um to be a front runner for the like the Mavericks are good he’s great he’s had a

Historic month of December he’s been good all season uh the team’s winning they’re they’re I mean 18 and 12 after where you know they had 38 wins last season um they’re off to one of their best starts in team history you know I mean I know they kind of the last 10 or

15 games haven’t been as good as the you know the first 10 or so games but uh they started the season strong and after last season’s disappointment so I mean you really can’t ask for anything more maybe the only thing that he probably need a couple more games like this

Either National TV wins or just wins against good they haven’t really beaten good teams so they Pro he probably needs a couple more of those to really front front of me of the Pod and and betting analyst Matt Moore of of the Action Network said this this is the best

Mavericks regular season win to date and I think it is it might be like if if they had kicked the out of the Lakers and held on to that lead in Los Angeles that probably would have been the other deciding one but this one’s this one’s pretty rough um let’s let’s

Let me read you stat here Josh per the NBA PR account Dallas’s Luca donic 50 points is the fourth player to score at least 50 points in a day in a game on Christmas Day Bernard King had 60 1984 Wilt Chamberlain had 59 in 1961 Rick Barry had 50 in

1996 Luca donic 50 in 2023 so for those of you who can do math it is the first 50-point game in 39 years it’s pretty crazy anytime you’re on a list with Bernard King and Will Chamberlain because they’ve got some pretty nutty uh stats and records from back in

The day like that’s pretty that’s pretty impressive especially yeah that’s nice and look at the chat here shout out to to to I I can’t even say my man’s name here uh fantasist zero fast luga donic fastest to 10K and scoring in the regular season season since Michael Jordan um I can’t

Believe he beat LeBron on that that’s crazy by like 10 solid games yeah oh it’s like all it’s it’s so weird because it’s like he’s only 24 but it feels like he’s 30 because he’s just been a professional for so long and it’s just been it’s been like clockwork like it

Feels it feels like he’s so old because he’s been all NBA basically since what since his second season uh like there wasn’t that grad like he was he had a rookie season that was better than expectations and then since then he’s been a top five player in the NBA like

There was no like he needed like you know like you look at someone like Shay who’s awesome I love Shay G Alexander he still needed like a couple he needed a handful of Seasons before he got kind of plateau you know not Plateau but till he

Reached you know where he is now like even Steph Curry needed a couple years like it’s just the the how instantaneous Luca has been is both incredible and also I feel like almost like a detriment to how people think about him because now he’s like it’s just so common like

It’s just it’s it’s just bizarre it’s crazy how he makes these improbable things just feel really probable that makes sense ah okay we’re at the point in the podcast well past the point in the podcast where I’m uh algorithmically supposed to suggest that you all do us

All a favor go hit that like on the stream at the moment we’re at something hilarious let me just go check the number because it makes me laugh uh we are at 46 likes there’s 370 of you in this room at the moment if you could do

Me a favor and go hit that like each and every one of you that would be a big favor to me if you could also consider subscribing to the Pod Maverick podcast Josh and I or one of us tends to go live almost after every single game we’re

Rounding into the new year here and now that they’re no longer holidays I’ve realized this over the last week that basketball is actually what gets me through the the um seasonal uh like seasonal sadness disorder because it’s dark it’s cold it’s boring the sun sets early I watch basketball and then I talk

About it with you please hit that like button please hit that subscribe button and also please consider leaving a comment on the actual video when we’re done here tonight Josh and I will probably tap out here in the next 15 minutes and then I will con uh stay

Hosting and you can come talk to me about this game if you want to stay up until the all hours of the morning and talk Hoops I have nothing to do I I don’t know if I’m working tomorrow um we’re going to assume that I’m working

Tomorrow and then I’ll slam like a a Red Bull at like 7 in the morning and be fine um thanks so much for for hanging out with us guys cannot appreciate it enough okay so what else are are like the real like positive things we can we can talk about the the frustrating

Things I think at some point but I I was there’s just a lot to be delighted about I think yeah I mean Lively 20 and 10 um I wish it was on a minutes restriction which uh you know I’m I’m not a medical trainer so I’m not really going to give

Two cents there but it was a little it I it was a little bit of a shame because he started the game I think seven points in like the first four to five minutes like just doing the thing that we’ve talked about that’s so impressive catching in the fouron three off doubles

And finishing and scoring instead of just making that auto pass like being able to catch the ball at the free throw line and then score which is just like no none of us thought he had that in his bag uh his rookie season like to him developing

That so quickly has just been incredible because he did not do that in Duke like at all um so that’s that was pretty awesome and then he he got taken out with about eight minutes left in the first half in the first quarter so I almost feel like you know he played 32

Minutes so still played a decent amount but almost felt like he could have had an even bigger game if he maybe was on an dominance restriction but again I’m not gonna I’m not gonna double you know armchair quarterback or Monday Morning Quarterback medical staff decisions because I’m just way out of my league

There but he was awesome I mean 10 rebounds three offensive rebounds his offensive rebounds were huge felt like they were big momentum plays um just his again his ability when Luca is doubled to to be the finisher and the direct finisher not like getting a hockey assist and then finish like Luca

Directly getting him the ball and then scoring is just a game changer for this offense and makes a big difference and then of course his size near the basket helps as well the Mavericks defense wasn’t incredible um but the the Mavericks outscored the suns in the paint and the Mavericks do not outscore

Teams in the paint very often so he was aside for sorz I mean he was he was great so I’m going to talk about one more Luca thing I forgot to talk about but it’s in relation to Lively so you talked about how often Kevin Durant was doubled we saw tonight the difference

Between a Luca donic pass and a Kevin Durant and Devin Booker pass out of a double team Luca simply puts the ball where the guy can catch it Kevin Durant and and Devin Booker put it within range of their teammates being able to hopefully grab it and there is such a

Decided difference in a game with this much athleticism meaning the NBA basketball game that it’s hard to contextualize unless you’re watching like possession after possession after possession where you see it there were a couple of times where luk is standing near what in my brain I always think of

Is like the volleyball line like well extended from the three-point line where he hits Lively in the hands as Lively makes himself available maybe six feet away from the rim and the kind of trust it takes to throw that pass and the confidence and ability to catch that pass is extraordinarily underrated Josh

Lapsed big men when you that pass up you don’t get you don’t get it thrown to you again no he’s earned his trust for sure it’s crazy and he just he catches it time and again and he had one real high one that Bobble and it’s like I remember yelling

At the TV I was like come on catch that I’m like wait the seven-footer tried to pull it down like he was you know trying to do the catch when it’s Joe Montana in like 1983 and it’s like okay maybe it was a little high for him he also only

Had one turnover so like that was the turnover that was the one and it’s it’s just that sort of thing is so remarkably under appreciated you know we get these we have these Twitter accounts and I’m just going to be a tonight I don’t care like um local clown show ball don’t

Stop who was talking about how OJ mayo is a bucket despite putting up six points per game in a Egyptian League in 2021 the kind of skill I just described is what makes a difference in an NBA game not ball handling and throwing up terrible shots and shooting

39% sorry it’s the difference in it’s why we talk about this stuff and it’s why people who do discuss basketball um can sometimes do so in a really disdainful way because it’s it’s not appreciated enough and it’s also not explained enough what Lively did he hit tonight one of the closing buckets that

He hit tonight was like a seven or eight foot kind of turnaround hook that you’re looking at that and you’re like that’s such an easy shot because I don’t think anybody was near him I think it was he was just sort of giving it to him and he

He chose to take it and it it just splashed right through and I giggled with Glee because there Brandon Wright might be the only Maverick that I’ve seen hit a shot like that in my time really I mean not even Tyson Tyson didn’t do stuff like that I mean yeah

That area of the floor is like commonly referred to as like The Dead Zone like not right at The Rim but not like at the free like in between the free throw line in the rim like that’s it’s difficult like it there’s traffic there’s people

Near you like you know it’s it’s kind of it can be an awkward shot so yeah he’s doing that that’s pretty great I just I I I love him I love him I hold him to such high standards this is why you draft this is why you this is why you

Want draft picks you know I know that they’re not automatic but like you just want that bite at the Apple you know I mean I’m I’m I’m very much like Renee zel wigger and Jerry Maguire where she’s talking about him and he’s off camera

We’re like I love him I do I’m I just I can’t help it man I cannot help it because it’s all it’s so much more than we ever could have wished for and I I I just I couldn’t be happier I couldn’t be happier about it what what else we

Thinking uh I mean we got I mean Jones jerck Jones Jr 23 points uh from a Mavericks roll playing Wing uh and it wasn’t on a bunch of spoonfed uh spot up threes is pretty unheard of in the Luca donic era I mean he attacked the rim

Pretty aggressively and in a way that like he’s been doing it now all season that it’s obviously like a thing like this isn’t like a flash in the pan um you know we got everyone kind of knew his three-point shooting would cool off especially because he was making a lot

Of above the breakthroughs early on but like his ability to attack Closeouts and do stuff around the basket is pretty impressive he was four of seven and restricted area two of three in the paint I mean seven shots at The Rim like I mean it’s again it’s another site for

Sort like think about how many times we’ve been on this podcast after Mavericks game and it’s like no one knows how to drive like no one on the roster can drive and it makes a big difference and again it’s not like we need someone to make a it’s not like

They need someone to make a play like you know running offense or setting up some for an assist it’s just can you can you when a Defender running at you can you dribble past him like that’s not not as you know crazy of an NBA

Skill that some people make it out to be which is why it was so frustrating to see the Mavericks roster lacking so much of it and so he’s been a breath of fresh air for sure the way he he can do that and this is not to take anything away

From him the Suns had no Rim protection no that was a but but that’s a tactical decision where they they could have played what uh who was it um they could have played Drew Eubanks more than 17 minutes they chose not to and the Mavericks being able to take advantage

Of a tactical Choice by the Suns that would put them at a detriment is so important so is he gonna do that against Minnesota probably not okay I don’t care right now I don’t care doesn’t matter it’s just like like everybody that that gets really hellbent

On like building a contender right now I just I want to put that idea to rest for a day or a week or a month because going from winning 38 games to the trend that the Mavericks are on right now kicks ass and these wins where Derrick Jones Jr is

The emphatic you know putback dunk of a point is so important he was great he really was great like he had a fin him and you know Luca obviously 50 points you love it okay but but what were the like if we were to go by the play-by-play in the fourth quarter I’m

Wondering I just I need to go look this because again I was kind of like screaming at the TV um yeah LCA was I mean they he was passing for most of the fourth quarter it also dawn on me as we’re talking that I signed up to write

The stats post um love when I love when I forget the things as an editor-in chief that I forget I’m going to do L gets a pair of free throws at at the at the four minute Mark to put them up by seven you get a lively dunk a Derrick

Jones Junior uh layup Derek Jones Jr free throw Tim Hardaway dunk Derek Lively 8 foot floating jump shot Luca donic 11-point shot when the game’s out of hand like Luca wasn’t I mean Luca orchestrated he’s important but the other guys closed the door on the Suns and I I just find that extremely

Important yeah yeah I mean it was and especially like Jones is like literally the last signing of your offseason veteran minimum deal um like it’s just crazy the way that that’s worked out for them uh and I’m just glad like it’s just nice to see them move on

From just hey you know everyone that’s around Luca is just going to be a standstill spot up guy like it just you don’t have have to have a lot of juice playing next to Luca to to get downhill and get some easy buckets at The Rim

Just need a little bit and then that’s what Jones has and it’s and it’s really fun it’s really fun to watch uh and it was cool that like he was able to do that like exom finally had like a normal game even though when he was on the

Floor uh the team still played well but like statistically he kind of had a you know a back down to earth game so for Jones to do what he did uh was great um and this was like kind of a new look starting lineup by the way too this I

Don’t know if this lineup has started before so and kid talked about starting lineups and rotation stuff before the game so we kind of got a peek I think into what the team might be might be looking like going forward even when Kyrie and Josh Green get healthy because Tim Hardway Jr started

Grant Williams did not first game Grant Williams did not start uh this season came off the bench uh also Mavericks basically didn’t play a backup five like they played Grant as the backup five when Grant was in the game he was the five um which they can’t do they can’t

Do that they can probably do it half the night they get away with it yeah yeah they can get away with it in a game like today but yeah you know they can’t get away with that against the Nuggets but but honestly with the way they’re with

The way they’re playing when they try to go match size with size against those bigger teams it hasn’t worked so why not right I mean that might be they might be leaning into what this team’s good at and and maybe they’ve stopped fooling themselves thinking that this could

Be a defensive minded team because we both know that like that’s how kid would prefer to have his roster he’s a defense first coach but I wonder if they’re not to say they’re waving the right the white flag on being a you know a better defensive team but they might just be

Like look we’re getting killed anyway so let’s just play our five most productive players on the court as often as possible even if that means we’re going to be even smaller than we were before yeah and and there’s going to be a time where we Circle back on this discussion

And we’re talking about how small the Mavericks are that’s just a fact um I choose not to do that during moments of Joy oh yeah that I I you know people rightfully people rightfully get very upset with me for my takes in games but if you’re watching at a B if you’re

Watching at a sports bar with me if you’re not having the same reaction if you’re like oh this is fine I’m passively watching this game okay that’s not how I watch sports but when it comes to like the the the wins and losses like we’ll Circle back on these things we’ll

Circle back on the fact that Grant Williams is bad yeah but not today I don’t really want to do it today you know he knows he needs to do better he knows he needs to not be a you know maybe he doesn’t know that because again I can’t emphasize

Enough the funniest moment in recent NBA history that I watched live was Grant Williams talking and saying he was gonna hit two free throws only to miss them both the second funniest thing might have been Devin Booker screaming at his teammates and it getting picked

Up on a hot mic tonight about how they didn’t get back on defense did you see that that was pretty good what did he say he was like you turned the ball over now you’re not getting you it’s like you’re not getting back for me it’s like yeah leader of men

There type stuff Devin just real big you know man man man man man what an what an enjoyable what an enjoyable contest I mean the Mavericks ran a playoff rotation tonight yeah um six-man rotation for the most part for the most part yeah you look through it and like

That’s going to catch up with them but again Kyrie Irving comes in solves solves some of these problems um we’re we’re eventually GNA have to talk about the Kyrie thing because I like Luca cannot keep doing this but they had like there’s this weird sort of oh well Kai can do this at

Any moment and no no he can’t sorry they’re not on the same level different guys right but he doesn’t have to do this he just needs to be the secondary guy just so Luca is not playing 45 minutes a night and having to to literally do everything on offense so

That’s the luxury he doesn’t have to try to match Luca’s production he just needs to be just someone else that can do some stuff for every now and then that’s fine yeah that’s fine and that’s actually probably helpful because it it extends Kyrie’s longevity and it extends Luca’s

Longevity while they’re being a while there’s an actual discussion you know it’s and that’s fine and I you know I have no idea if they would think differently about this a lot of this stuff comes down to like fan discussions where people take their sides like it’s

A political debate and I just I’m not super interested in that but it’s we’re we’re we’re inching towards that point because Again Luke MVP type stuff just really magnificent um I don’t know should we should we just sort of close it out there and then I’ll go on the

Other show is there anything else you want to talk about how’s Christ uh Christmas was good uh we hosted had Megan’s uh my wife’s family uh her parents and her sister came over to our house so we didn’t have to leave the house nice which was nice but you know

Hey it’s a busy day I cannot wait to get into bed but I had a great day you you’re tired you should go to bed um I got it’s very important I didn’t wear it on the show tonight CU my kids it feels good it looks great and and you know

Clint uh our guy Clint who writes for the for M Moneyball every great now and again shout out Clint right more um he told me I need to shave my head and start talking about how I’m just watching the team but I just you know just nice Christmas um my kid got far

Too much stuff um that’s that is what it is we need to get we need to get you on one of these shows where you’re wearing that zip I had it on the kid glasses he spit up all over it was like wet like across me and I was like okay we’re not

I’m not wearing that having to explain it all right so uh Josh and I are going to break here for 30 seconds and then I’m going to come back I guess it’s closer to a minute then I’m going to come back with our other live show show

For those of you who are listening on the podcast a little later be looking for this show probably on Tuesday afternoon we’ll be back we’re going to keep recording these shows there’s lots of Mavs game to be played thanks so much for hanging out with us uh and we will

Be talking soon everybody enjoy your night please hang around and come talk basketball with me go Mavs Oh [Applause] All right friends welcome to Mavs or I’m sorry pod Maverick presents what is the name of this show it is Mavs party it’s about 111 in the morning on December 26 my name is Kirk Henderson I’m editor-in Chief over at Mavs money ball.com joshb and I just CL

Cled out a rather spirited discussion about the incredibly fun Dallas Mavericks 12814 win for those of you who are still hanging out in the live show I just posted a link in the comments to a streamyard uh application streamyard is a very easy to use um program where you

Just click in and it’s almost like joining the work Zoom or whatever else you want it to be uh where you you can come and um Talk basketball with me ask me a question get off takes about the game tell me why I suck I don’t really

Care I just want to talk Hoops with you guys a little little more I’m not ready to go to sleep I’m not ready to get on the internet and go talk ball uh with with Suns fans I don’t want to argue tonight I just want to

Enjoy uh this kind of win so we’re here we’re hanging out um I usually have some some folks that come on up and talk basketball Brian maybe you’ll be joining me soon Jason I see you from the old um chat there that we used to have up on uh

What was it Spotify live but we’re here all right so I got Brian hanging out with me late he’s going to come up first so folks please look for the pinned comment in the chat click on that come up and we will uh we will talk all right Brian welcome welcome Merry Christmas

Happy holidays how are you doing buddy Merry Christmas to you man I couldn’t be better we just witnessed an alltime performance we just witnessed probably Luca’s greatest regular season game ever what are the other what are the other contestants I really can’t I I was like

Trying to think about it and I’m like the 60201 game I think is the other one what else are we missing I think I don’t know I really I really think that’s the one because I’m pretty sure that was like some Celtics game where you had like four him beting the

Celtics always feels great yeah it’s usually because he does it with a buzzer beater too that always feels more fun but yeah yeah no I don’t think I can think of won the 60 point game is the only real Contender and even then we were playing soft and getting our ass kicked

By the Knick for most of that game and managed to come back uh this game he was carving the Suns up from whistle final buzzer that’s probably right that’s probably right I mean that game there was something about the flow of this game um that felt less

Labored I’m not sure how to describe it because like that was in the was that that was like the fourth or the fifth game of Luca’s absolutely banana stretch where he was just carrying so much there elements this game and Josh and I just talked about it where it felt like he

Got and and it’s not just a feeling he literally got significant contributions from some of his teammates that helped make that game feel because it was 60 points 20 rebounds and 10 assists getting 50 helpers tonight and he had some to Derrick Jones Jr that could have

Like just Jones was just missing wide open shots earlier in the game I mean Luka could have had 20 20 22 assists something like that yeah and I think that who was it God it might have been Jason Gallagher that was uh was on the timeline like man Luca should get a

Nobel Peace Prize for continuing to pass to these guys and thank God he did because Derrick Jones came up huge in the second half man he was so so good like I don’t want to take desan completely off of the Le Luka too early but no no no let’s talk Derek there like

Like we get it like I I just talked about Luca for a while Luca will continue to get his shine we can Circle back to it but I think I think the Derrick Jones Junior and that the kind of other guy Factor element really needs to be discussed dude like like Dante XM

At least defensively he was really good too on Booker had a off night as far as playmaking he was making some weird decisions on the mov but Derek Jones dude the job he did on Kevin red defensively and then to do that and then also in the second half like half some

Shane and scor what like 20 points I think he had in the second half something like that because I know he ended with 23 he I remember hearing 23 being like when did that happen oh here’s where it happened all over the place he yeah he was dude just catching

The ball on the wing catching and going uh attack and close out get into the rim uh being able to score on the Move getting aside get to the free throw line eventually starting to knock down some open shots uh I believe he hit a big one

I want to say either at the end of the half or at the end of the third quarter that kind of got him going and off of a a Hardy assist no less which is funny that was a great I’ve been such a vement hater of Hardy that was a that was a

Great play pass yeah it was in the shooting pocket Derrick Jones had very little else that he needed to do other than go through his shooting Mo motions I was very proud of that kid in that moment man I was like yeah that’s that that’s a grownup decision I appreciate you

J that’s right dude if we could just get a little more of that the few times he has to have the ball for more than two seconds we we might be talking about something but we’re we’re probably a ways away from that but sure Derek was awesome other Dereck was awesome like I

Knew he was going to have to have a big game uh once we heard that nerk was out honestly nur’s a n’s a wuss anyway I would expect Lively to have a big game regardless but especially once we knew that he was out uh now I’m not all that

Happy with how not just Lively like Grant all of our other SS that played in the first half like chamei metu just do whatever you wanted on the boards not pleased with that but in the fourth quarter when we needed to stops Derek and Derek and Luka were and Dante X they

Would lock stman and it was just really cool to see and then Luka just deciding okay uh you’re gonna double me fine you’re gonna close off all the driving lanes for my teammates fine they’re just gonna get the ball back me I’m just gonna hit another three right in your face and

We’re not gonna do this until the game ends the one in the and and the one in the first quarter that came off a dribble handoff on the left wing with two guys flying at him is was the most Dirk nitzki disgusting kind of shot like

I I sent it to a friend of mine who’s a BigTime Lakers fan and I was like this is the most Kobe looking shot I’ve seen him take in a while just because it was like pure arrogance I’m gonna hit this shot and he buries it and my friend uh

Dumm says back to me he’s like oh now it’s good to be like Kobe I’m like all right like laser show relax like I’m just like the Luca takes all kinds of like shots that make me angry but his shot was butter tonight oh yeah there’s

I’m I’m this is a ridiculous like Dad based statement I’m gonna make I want to look at his home road splits after about 20 games he’s shooting better when he doesn’t have to do baby stuff in the middle of the night yeah realistically like let’s be clear the the probable

Eventual billionaire doesn’t have to do his own nighttime baby stuff but it’s still hard and so it’s like if he’s not having to do it on the road I’m curious if that affects his his play but like he’s just I’m really leaning into the Luke of it all because he’s so Preposterous to

Watch I just don’t know what to do sometimes yeah no do like I’ll I’ll I’ll talk to or be in like playback spaces or like having back and forth on Twitter with like people who are way smarter than me about basketball like I was talking uh to or listening to uh the dun

Podcast with Steve Jones Jun great show if you guys don’t know what we’re talking about probably the pound-for-pound most basketball if you want to learn stuff like if even if you’re a hardcore guy and I am and I but there’s so much I don’t understand that’s probably the

Single best show to watch or listen to yeah a lot of well-meaning non-agenda carrying basketball talk explaining stuff it’s great yeah and like I’m in their playbacks a lot during games and Nik was talking about uh the different guys he had on his MVP ballot this had to be like a

Week ago maybe a week and a half ago uh and where he had LCA I think he had LCA might have been fourth fifth something like that maybe third I don’t know he was like right behind Shay and when he was talking about it the way he was

Explaining it obviously the numbers look good the team is having success right now you know you can’t really poke holes than that there questionable losses here and there but the thing that was kind of puzzling him and I can understand you know why at first glance it would the

Onoff numbers looking kind of funky with LCA this year and my response to that is usually when you get a game like this it’s like okay I hear you about the onoff numbers looking a little funky like with how the team is having success you know when he’s off the court right

But when you factor in a lot of that happened early in the season when we we had Kyrie and we were running out all the offensive players we could outside of Luca in lineups where he wasn’t out there you know it’d be Kyrie Tim Josh whatever other Center that we had and

Then we would send Luka back in with the squ and say make magic happen usually would uh and then you get games like this where if he sits a minute longer than he did we lose this game in embarrassing fashion to Grayson Allen having 30 points right and so like when it comes

To performances like this I’m not really trying to hear about his on off numbers like look at what he’s doing on the court look at how efficient he’s being right yeah look at how much everyone on the team is relying on him and how much carrying him through because if

He honestly even if he has the same process all game long and just a few of his shots don’t fall in the first half we’re out of this game by the second quarter you know what two thoughts kind of come to mind there first I think this might have

Been one of seven stocks so so Steals and and blocks in a game individual markers like that defensively aren’t always the best teller of of how good a game defensively a player has but if you’re trying to explain to someone that this was one of Luca’s finer defensive

Performances that’s kind of a thing I think you’d point to um but it can’t be it can’t be understated how valuable he was at times where even the the commentators which like I’m sorry ESPN and ABC all day long really not my favorite just across the board I watch the game on

Mute just not just not my favorite you know no one in particular just not my favorite um and and the Luca probably he he shut down Booker a couple of times and it was just like oh Luca can Luca can do this and it’s a reminder because

You get a lot of fans friends friends haters whatever you want to call them people in your life that are like luga doesn’t play defense most of the time they’re right today man showed up and played in those you know you said he was resting one more minute it would have

Made a difference I agree with you I really really I really really agree with you it was this is the kind of MVP level performance and prime time where it’s just like Luca you know when when Luca like I want to say it was like a Denver

Game like the very first Denver game of the year I remember being like Luka why are you doing this stop embarrassing me on like live television because he had a number of turnovers on that on the yeah on the IST cord man then he comes out

Tonight it’s just 50 points I’m gonna be really really mean to everybody who uh talk to me over the next 24 hours just letting everybody know it’s the way it goes yeah and then people act like like it’s a fluke like what we were talking about as far where the team and

Luuka in particular really hunker down was in fourth quarter this is what they were doing regularly the first like eight nine games of the Season like I this isn’t an isolated incident I can go back to people remember and they should that ridiculous three-point hook shot

That he hit against Brooklyn to win that game what people don’t talk about enough is before that happened M Bridges tried to ISO on LCA three separate times and he shut that down three possessions in a row like doing like that he’s done that multiple times this season

People just don’t talk about it’s truly wild it’s truly wild Brian I’ve commandeered a lot of your time do you have anything else you want to you want to get off and then I’m going to head head to some of the other folks who are

Hanging out no I’m glad to be on dude I’m just excited for Kyrie to get back yes can we do it already Josh and Maxi to get back yes I I just I also love like like Kyrie just you remember um you’re old enough for this like where

David Stern started to get upset with how people were dressing when they were not playing in game I really I really appreciate Kyrie’s willingness to just be like you know what I’m dressing like I’m going over to my second mom’s house and it’s Christmas and I don’t really want to go and I’m

Just here I’m here we’re gonna have fun wait there’s nowhere to go where you know the Mavericks still have a lot of room like there’s not a lot of positives to take away from this many injuries but I think that the Mavericks have different gears to get to I don’t want

To necessarily say better but I want to say different and I’m excited to see that as this incred incredibly long season continues to pan out all right man thanks so much for hanging out of course dude peace peace all right coming up next friend of the

Program do dang but before I bring doe up on stage I want to encourage everybody to go and like the stream if you can tell your friends tell your enemies tell your parents anybody that wants to listen to the podcast that wants to uh um participate in this sort

Of show we have fun because basketball should be a communal experience and I enjoy hanging out with you guys even at 1:30 on Monday night coming up next Mr D what’s happening tonight guy hey cck you’re a mad man I love your enthusiasm I’m gonna die tomorrow but not not yet

That’s okay you know it’s okay we’ll be fine I agree with you those uh analysts from ESPN were horrible I always have to turn the mute down and listen to cooperstein you know which is Chuck’s good Chuck’s very good he’s my favorite out of all all the people that do the shows

But uh very satisfying I love beating the Suns it’s one of the top five teams in the league that I really rejoice in beating especially uh seeing the look on Booker’s face oh he had a terrible game especially the first period but uh I was a little upset uh

Sometimes I wish kid would call a timeout tell the guys hey quit shooting threes and attack the basket you know you have you have two on threes going to the basket you know when Luca gets double teamed they finally figured that out in the third period and started

Attacking the rim more you know and and that’s when we really started closing out the game you know some of that skill so we’ve not it’s been almost 90 minutes and or I guess it’s been almost an hour and we’ve not yet made fun of Grant Williams attacking the rim and like

Looking like he got hit by a truck as he tried to like jump over a phone book um there’s elements of that why that’s why they don’t do it because certain guys just can’t and like I’m you know I don’t I’m too old I don’t drive

To the rim anymore sucks but I I understand what you mean because you would like to see that and like I think more guys like that come with time um I think that seeing what Dante exom has been able to do seeing what Derrick Jones Jr has been able to do if Luka

Donic is going to remain a Maverick for the next two to three years and Beyond which I hope those are the kind of guys who will start to see you know Josh Bose said this repeatedly it’s he’s been he’s been on this this train for almost two

Years if you’re a mediocre Wing come play with Luka donic and let’s see what happens oh yeah you’ll get paid with without a doubt you know yep U the thing that I loved also about the season is Luca just looks like he’s he’s playing with a lot of passion and he’s look like

He’s having a good time you know I mean the referee you know situation with him has been down a whole lot compared to the P previous three years you know so it’s really good to see you know he’s playing with a lot of Joy yep and I

Think it’s paying off with the off season he looks so much fitter this 50 that he got is probably the 50 easiest points that I’ve ever seen anybody score you know 25 shots um the the only thing closer for me and at least in the Mavericks uniform had to be Dirk scoring

48 on I think it was 14 shots against the Thunder where he went to the line 25 times but that was that was a different kind of game I mean hitting eight threes is bananas he hit 50% of his three-pointers so it’s it’s impossible he’s just he’s he’s off his rocker right

Now I love it yeah it’s amazing you know uh I think he’s got his legs you know being in better shape and it’s really paying off you know but I’m still a little worried about him sustaining this 40 minute clip you know and this this 10 game stretch that we’ve been playing you

Know I mean it’s kind of scary you know in some ways you know yep it very much is but I think that he’s the kind of tank at this stage in his career where he can deal with it they do have to find times to rest him

Like they did against the Rockets but I don’t think he needs that much rest they need to find more in-game rest for him um and maybe that’ll come we’ll see I hope so you know Lively was just spectacular it was so great to see him

Back I mean a lot of times you saw Booker and uh and uh Durant running to the rim but they wouldn’t finish when they saw live and closing down the lane that was a really great see you know really good to see you know so I’m

Really excited I hope we get a little more healthy and uh we put things together and kid doesn’t do anything to blow us up you know yeah yeah man I appreciate you hanging out you got anything else for us no sir very Christmas Kurt Merry Christmas talk soon

All right yes sir all right coming up next is my man brandom who’s been waiting patiently down there then we’re going to go Micah then we’re going to go Krishna if you would like to talk there should be a pinned Link in the YouTube comments which you can click and come up

You don’t need to show your video though I do like it because I like seeing faces um you can do it from your phone you can do it from your computer it’s remarkably easy brandom Merry Christmas I guess happy boxing day now for any of us Canadians and people you know that

Celebrate Boxing Day how you doing buddy what’s going on I’m doing well Kirk I hope you and your family are doing well yeah I’ve been up for 20 hours now I’m not I’m not dying so what’s you think of tonight’s game what’s on your mind man uh they

They play good man you know shout out to Luca you know I kind of wish to talking hson kind of influence the MVP awards so much but you know ESPN have so much influence and just I think social media in general has so much influence over who gets what

Accolades and who’s the quote unquote top five and everything but you know the proof is in the pudding dude’s playing really well when he’s trying on defense and you know he’s he’s willing the team to you know top spots in the in the Western Conference and um statistically

As well too so you know regardless of what people say you know he’s he’s playing at a you know MVP MVP caliber you know level and and I just kind of hope that it continues but like you said the amount of minutes that he’s playing is kind of you know unheard of and

Hopefully when Kyrie comes back you know he’ll get to take a take a breather well and and I I this is just a thought I had kind of arbitrarily right now as you mentioned Lucas menet so during during the regular season I think scouting reports on teams are kind

Of skeleton where it’s like this is these are the sets these guys run this is certain guys Tendencies yada yada yada I think by the time Kyrie comes back the recent tape on the Mavericks is going to be useless and you know obviously there you want Kyrie to play

As much as possible but there’s a little bit of an element of surprise where Kyrie being an exactor is going to be really helpful and gonna be really fun um I I I’m looking forward to seeing how he plays with this sort of vibe because

You know he’s not even before he got got hurt he’s he’s had probably 10 maybe eight games where he had spurts and maybe two games the entire year where he was like oh this is the Kyrie Irving of Legend um because Kyrie Irving is is just he’s just the perfect like he’s

Like a folklore basketball player because the kind of things he does it’s like Paul bunan only 5 foot 11 or no he’s taller than that he’s 6’3 um but it I’m I’m really looking forward to that element of of of him coming back that this this team I think they have a

Ceiling I don’t want to crap on anybody’s feelings but they’re going to they’re just so confusing to play because it’s like you look at them and you’re like well it’s it’s Luca and a bunch of guys who are 6 foot4 and Derek Lively and then they come and score

Points on you like what are you supposed to do about that I kind of hope that kid and you know Kyrie to me he showed that he could play one a and one B when they won a championship with Cleveland so I don’t think absolutely he would have a

Problem with being 1B especially if they decide to do like I guess you say the quote unquote Blue Team Green Team or Green Team white team however they want to split up the roster to have have Kyrie or however they want to do it I just kind of hope that kid doesn’t place

All of the scoring or potential scores in you know the starting lineup you know because I think he has talent to where he doesn’t need everybody that can score on the first cuz if that happens it seems like it could hinder some of the guys like maybe hinder X him or maybe hinder

Somebody else that could you know well maybe not even ex or like Jones Jr somebody as opposed to doing something strategic like you know kind of maybe what Rick would do kind of you know fluctuate the lineup or try to put people in place to succeed instead of

Just putting all of the the scores you know in at once which which I don’t think would be really conducive but I definitely think that he wouldn’t have a problem being you know 1 a1b and I think the Suns right now are having a hard time you know seeing who’s Alpha and you

Know with the B one basketball getting everybody the opportunity to shine Durant he was excellent at Golden State because that was unselfishness yeah you know all around everybody but now these guys are just so ball dominant you know just because that’s just how they are yeah Cooper S

Made a point he was like that you know super team is kind of out the window because look you got these three players sucking up all the money and they’re not they’ve only played together I forgot how many minutes he said they played together it’s like 25 it’s something

Insane it’s crazy all that money and you know all that talent but they’ve only played together so so much but he he brought the point like you know it’s kind of you know out the door and you got like just Kyrie and Luca you got enough cash flow you should have enough

Cash flow to kind of know build a roster as opposed to like the super team and I’m just kind of hoping that kid doesn’t have a super team mentality and try to shove everybody in in the starting lineup I don’t think so because you know the Mavericks when they won the

Title I I get killed for this take but I think that like Karan Butler getting hurt was bad for the regular season but Pro I I my take was that it was good for establishing a pecking order because that year prior against the Spurs Butler took more shots in that series than Dirk

Nitzki which is insane right and I I think there’s you know these guys who have played on Championship level rosters understand sort of role placement and you know maybe I’m wrong about Butler it’s neither here nor there but I think that when you watch it like the fact that the Mavericks I think

They’re now eight and five without Kyrie and so there you Kyrie’s a smart guy a brilliant guy realistically he knows what’s going to work best he’ll figure it out and and so it’s like if everybody sort of knows their position I don’t think the Mavericks have any interest in

Building a a super team I just think they have an an interest in building the best possible team that can go win games I mean there’s you know they got you know the Mavericks moved on from Casey Smith and sometimes I feel like they’re they’re they’re you know they’re

Medical staff is like Dr Nick from The Simpsons and maybe I’m wrong but these new rules with Awards and stuff resulting in guys playing more has been extraordinarily helpful for the Mavericks and Luca because Luca by now would have sat three games he just would have and instead he’s on the court every

Night and they’re racking up wins I mean what are they now the Mavericks are now 18 and 12 18 and 12 holy man but you know what and Kirk what’s so crazy is that you know they the match kind of swore about Casey Smith as being like

This this top Guru type guy but you know a lot of guys stay hurt I kind of wonder if you know it’s it’s also a lot of the guys really going in more Focus like Luca you know going in more Focus he you know kind of I think in an article he

Kind of Meed he wasn’t GNA drink as much and you know he was gonna kind of focus more on on you know conditioning and everything so I kind of wonder if a lot of that attributed to you know the guys going in more dedicated than they did

Last year because I think that’s right the way that they’re playing is also kind of a testimony of you know if that if that’s the case of hard work because think about Hardway you know someone could I mean I guess it maybe farfetch but all the charges he’s taking and the

The effort that he’s putting in is is it’s a lot showing that he could be up for you know kind of most improved player he’s not playing the best defense but it’s significantly different than what he did you know those 19 charges a lot of them people could say this a

Lot like somebody just trying to chase down blocks but at the same time you know he’s getting those calls and he’s kind of leading the league and plus he’s being more consistent you know on the court y so I kind of wonder if that kind of carries over from you know him going

In laser focused and also think about this the Mavs they’re shooting way a higher percentage uh within the paint you know within the within the three points you know kind of 50% something like that so that it may not seem like a lot more but they’re

Scoring a lot more in the paint and I would like to see them shoot more you know kind of Step In some but they’re definitely scoring more within the pain and kind of wonder if all of this is just you know kind of a testimony of what dedication will get them

Guys love it brandom I hope you had a uh a pretty good day and this is a great way to end the night thanks you so much for hanging out with us you got anything else no sir thank you Kurt all right have a good one talk soon I have no idea

When the Mavericks play next that’s been uh that’s been my favorite thing that happens after almost every game where you can just tell that I’m living game by game despite the fact that I run a website all right we have two folks left Micah and Krishna if anybody else wants

To come up we got nearly 300 people here hanging out live there’s got to be somebody else that want brand new folk that wants to come tell me something that they’re thinking you know guys this is It’s supposed to be fun I’m having fun I look terrible I have a face for

Radio that’s sort of the nature of this uh but I’m having a great time um I don’t want to go to bed because when I get up in the morning that means I respon abilities things like that all right Krishna what’s up man then mic is

GNA close us out Kirk how are you pretty good pretty good got some got some books for Christmas got some socks and the Youth of the chat will probably not understand the value of good socks but I do now I’m there I’m at that point in my

Life what’s going on nothing much um I don’t know I don’t really know what I was expecting for this game I felt pretty good with all the the injury reports and everything I think getting Lively back like you can just see see the impact he has for this team

Immediately 20 and 10 is still ridiculous like I think we’re getting to the point where it’s like oh he had 20 and 10 that’s very very good um and it’s like it’s insane that that’s already kind of like normal um you know Luca talked about in this pressor like he

Trusts him a lot you know that he’s playing like a 10year vet I probably over exaggeration but in the sense that you can see that there’s a trust there which I think is easy to build when you have someone who you know as Luka talked about he just trusts him and he’s paying

It off right I think it’s one thing to trust your teammate and then it’s another thing to actually pay it off like I think about the I don’t remember when it was in the fourth quarter but it was later in the fourth quarter where I

Think Tim throws it to and maybe it was Tim or someone I don’t remember it was from the left side of the three throws it to throws it to Lively and he does a reverse dunk and that’s like not even the first time he’s done that this

Season but I think about how many centers could actually do that and I don’t know if there are that many and so he’s been Sensational and then obviously everyone’s probably talked about at this point but it’s kind of insane how good Luca has been all season and the

Consistency is something we just haven’t seen I think minus one game it’s just been phenomenal and there’s not really there’s nothing I can complain about and and I’m glad that it’s that way and all the MVP stuff I get it but I also think it’s such a long season the narratives

Change so quickly I think this point last year everyone was vying and saying yic is for sure the MVP and it shows that I think it goes to show that The Narrative always changes very very quick oh yeah yeah too long a season it’s too long a

Season and I get what you’re saying right right now I would say yes I agree I think I be’s probably the likelihood favorite just because of their record but I think one thing I think that’s going to hurt his narrative is if he keeps missing these big games his

Playoff record is going to kill him and him missing a lot of games is going to kill him so it’s it’s not something I’m like super I don’t know I don’t know what to say amped about like I’m not I’m not completely following it as closely just

Because it’s a little too early in the season for me to care that much but I I think just like everyone I’m invested I hope I hope he gets it obviously you know him and and Dirk are kind of similar in that way where they’re never going to publicly recognize or like

Acknowledge the fact that they want to win that trophy but you would obviously want them to to have it because right deserving players of it so that’d be cool and then I just in terms of the roster you know I get all the frustrations I I’m not going to shy away

From the fact like I don’t try to bash players super hard super I don’t know I guess like a lot but better man than I am well I just have a I just always think like you never know what player is going to do what in what situation also

Like I think about like if I’m gonna say something or especially like in a platform like this or you know like on social media like even if no one’s going to see it like if I said that to their face like would I have the courage to

Say it to their face you so that’s kind of why and it’s just a personal thing right I I I need to like make this clear if you want to say whatever you want to say sure do it like everyone’s open to it it’s just for me personally and so

But I can admit like Grant has just not been good he’s not been good and I think uh it’s more than a deserved benching and he needs to kind of look in not a benching it’s just he’s not been good enough to play in the starting role and

So until he makes the case if he makes the case to start again that is all for the good for the Mavericks for sure and and part of it is like this is something very similar to Luca where I feel like this would have happened last year with

Luca like yeah I think should Booker have probably gotten a flagrant on that foul sure but you can’t let that you know you can’t let that continue like you can’t give the other team a reason to do to make you do stupid things which is the thing is and part of it comes

With the youth and the in experience and he’s still young like I think it’s easy to forget that he’s played a lot of years but he’s still relatively Young and uh I’m not giving up a pass I’m just that’s my reasoning for it but other than that I feel like if that’s the

Really the worst thing that happened from this game the fact that you got a really great uh Derrik Jones Jr game I think helps and you and Josh have talked about it it’s not that these guys are Superstar or Elite level role players it’s just that they’re very talented

Role players they’re guys who can step up in situations that you need and you know we often feel like oh we want everyone hitting on all cylinders but the the reality is no team has every single player playing to their best capabilities at all times typically you

Just you want your Superstars doing that and then you want two or three other guys to come along for the ride and it feels like in this stretch which I thought would be a gauntlet we still kind of have a gauntlet um you wondered who we were playing we’re playing

Cleveland in Dallas on Wednesday and then the next day we go to Minnesota which is a Cleveland game is a trap game it’s a trap game because Cleveland they’re pretty good and we’re not gonna take them seriously not to not to cut in on here uh somebody listened to the show

Adam Hurley said you guys only beat the bad teams and I want to point out that that’s a big step for these Dallas Mavericks because they used to not beat the bad teams and only beat the good teams I last year is solid evidence for that in a point where their season was

On the line they lost two back-to-back games to the Charlotte Hornets so say whatever you want they were not they’re not a good team they were not a good team then right so it’s clearly this team has I think I think part of it is Luca right like Luca as a leader has

Grown where he’s clearly wisened up to the fact that like if he wants to um actually win like like keep these like keep these narratives about like the team not winning and stuff quiet he has to beat these teams that are bad and I I give the MS credit they’ve been doing

Really well like I I feel like there’s been so many times in this season where it’s like oh this is a trap game this is a trap game really the only game where I feel like that’s happen happen and it’s kind of come to consequence was probably

That Nuggets game last week where just pretty much everyone was tired and out and then right Rockets game but that’s like two games which I I I can be good with whereas when Luca’s been playing it feels like they’ve had a chance in every game of the season which is pretty rare

Pretty rare pretty special but um I don’t I think I was just talking about role players but it’s just been great like a game Dante had a solid game not a great game kind of in fellow trouble but you just felt like guys stepped up and

You just talked about it guys stepped up in the fourth quarter when they needed to and huge it’s refreshing it’s just a refreshing change it was like it was the kind of game where I was like walking around my living room in my kitchen and

Just being a being a and like I I just I had a great time I had a great like I was you know I was emoting as the as you know as the proper description I was it was it was so much fun man it’s it’s even it’s it’s I think it’s better

When it’s the Suns too just because because you know they could have drafted L it’s they could have drafted Luca and you know because Devin Booker is is is really quite handsome and he just you know they’re in the west coast because if this was a East Coast media Market

Booker would not been able to get away with this he stormed off like a pris during the you know postgame stuff it just it’s a that that hilarious Mark Jackson account said something to the the effect of with all due respect this is not a rivalry and it’s like that’s

Because it’s not a rivalry but appreciate how much these two don’t like each other like there’s this special punch to a game because everybody you know Luca and yic like each other I think Luca and Durant like each other but like Booker and Luca hate each other

And it it just it fills my heart with a special kind of sports Joy with that kind of thing it’s it’s just it’s nice I I I agree I think it’s funny because when Luca was drafted before the KP trade happened I actually wanted the

Mavs to go up and get Booker when the suns were historically horrific because I felt like Booker is I I still feel this way I don’t think Booker will ever be a first option on a team on a championship team I don’t think he’s good enough as a

Shooting guard to do that he just doesn’t have the passing skills and he’s not consistent enough in big moments as a shooter their offense also gave me like lowkey Luca without the MAV or Mavericks without Luca Vibes where it was like dribble dribble dribble one screen shot and it’s like they need

Something different I think Booker’s actually quite a talented point guard but they need offense I don’t I don’t know I just don’t think he’s I don’t think he’s great he doesn’t make the right reads every single time like if you’re a really elite point card like

You for as as much as we like clown on Chris Paul the reason Chris Paul has had the longevity he’s had is because his ability to make the right reads is next to none especially considering his size and Booker He’s just never done that in his career up to this point and so

Having him do that he’s just not he’s had moments of doing it this season but he’s not done it consistently one over his career and two over the season and the better teams are going to force you into mistakes force you to play um force

You to make the like make your you know toughest moments try to make something happen that’s what makes Luca joic um you know LeBron really great is even in a situation where they’re quote unquote negative players specifically on offense they can still get something done whether it’s making their team getting a

Team they a shot whatever and I don’t think Booker I I’m not going to say Booker could never get there I shouldn’t say that but he’s not there yet and I think that’s what is holding him back and I look at the Suns overall and you know all the offseason talk about their

Signings and I look and I say look those guys are good players but they’re all good if you’re they’re your 10th to 15th guy on your roster right you have one or two injuries they’re gonna come in for a few games that’s fine but when you’re asking chimi metu and you know you’re

Asking aogi and you’re asking you know obviously Grayson has had a good game tonight but you’re asking these guys to be your sixth your SE your fourth your fifth now you’re third player at times is just not going to be viable especially when Kevin Durant like you

Know he’s he’s just getting older like that’s just the hard truth I mean it’s a miracle he came off the Achilles at that time and played so well and so I don’t know that’s just the sons they have their own problems but for me I think it’s just been encouraging like I think

I obviously want this team to win a championship but I also know you know my brain has one thing where it’s like I know realistically this team is probably not going to but in my heart I’m just also enjoying that this team is playing winning basketball and some of the games

Yes they’re not comfortable but it’s exciting to feel like the team has had a chance in most of these games that they’ve played in which is something I feel like we haven’t always been able to say it feels like when we’ve gotten these wins it feels almost like oh wow

We I don’t know how we did it and now it feels like there’s almost a formula like a consistency to this team is going to fight back they’re not going to let you know just let Malay a malaise take over them which is something a lot last year

And even the year before and I think that’s something positive and hopefully it continues and you know I’m not GNA take anyone’s uh night up too long more but everyone take care and have a great night you too man thanks so much for hanging out um I’m bringing up my guy uh

Micah here last but before we close out I want to note head on over to Moneyball dcom if you’re not able to sleep um one of our guys Isaac turned in 1,00 words on Luca donic scoring 10,000 points for his career he it it starts off as a bit

Of a Newser but then he breaks down just how the 10,000 points happened great work was really excited to get it for a Christmas Day game um there’s also you know the recap I apparently have to go write a post after this which I’m just I

I cannot tell you how not pleased I am about that but it’s my own fault I run the website I could have literally given out to somebody else but I’m a on Micah welcome to the show Kirk how’s it going well you know it’s going it’s going I got to think how

To get through tomorrow uh I got my seven-year-old home with me we might be playing some video games we might be uh I invested one of his Christmas presents was this cool product called dribble up uh which uses the iPad and it teaches like sports classes um I’m going to be

Real tired going to be injecting caffeine into my eyeballs but right now having a great time so what’s going on um well let’s start off with the obvious uh 50 15 74 and three is just Preposterous that is a dawn that what a top five player can do for a team that’s right

That’s right it’s just like he has to be the greatest equalizer in his Sports it’s like he changes you from a bottom tier team to automatic Contender like like what he’s doing on the court is just amazing he he’s Reviving careers out here Kirk these guys didn’t have a spot in the

League they’re taking bman and now all of a sudden they’re looking like borderline allars like where we we’re doing this with 19y old rookies like what are we doing here like if that’s not MVP type stuff I don’t know what is it’s a good that’s a good take I like that one

I had really thought about that yeah so what what else what else did you see tonight what else did you is there anything you didn’t like um I didn’t really see much that I didn’t like um I mean unless I’m talking about from the F side sure we can make one of the

Suns we’ve been here over we’ve been here nearly 90 minutes let’s make fun of the Suns who that guy on their roster that guards the dudes like it it like we’re we’re keeping like Becky Hond said we’re keeping brass taxes sure if you’re trying to win a championship you need two components to

Your team that’s right you need a dude and you need someone who SCS the dudes so who on the sun SCS the dudes I like the take because they don’t you know who’s the uh gosh what’s I don’t even have the box score pulled up anymore

Um who should who should it be Josh aogi maybe K kab Bates dipp is are those like maybe the two I mean I suppose you would say they’re but they’re but they’re like Vanderbilt sure they’re so negative offensively that you can’t have them on the floor I mean gr

Williams is like I don’t think you risk Grant not Grant Williams um Ted Cruz what the what’s his name um Grayson Allen Grayson Allen yeah you don’t risk Grayson Allen because he might cause like an international incident with how with how he plays defense yeah so but like if it’s just

Like that’s just like getting getting the brass texes that’s just yeah that’s basketball convi convictions if you’ve watched the sports for a long time those two components I mean do you have a top seven dude do you have somebody that can guard a top seven dude

Yeah if they answer that either one of those or not you’re not winning that’s right you know it’s I mean I feel like the Mavericks have sort of similar problems only when Luca is so good offensively sometimes it doesn’t matter um they they desperately need Grant Williams and I I just I’ve decided

That Grant Williams is late stage nation of domination DLo Brown um it’s a I’m a really like that’s an old person reference we’re talking like late 90s WWE where you know dowlo Browns is out there shaking his head talking to and then losing matches on Smackdown because that that like we need

Grm Williams to step up because he has burnt toast on the defensive end so often now I get it he had three blocks he’s not terrible in the as as as a health Defender and in the lane but like I can’t stand watching the man get beat off single dribble moves that

Drives me crazy um he’s he’s a he’s a slower guy that’s just kind of almost the defense that he’s meant to play that’s why he that’s why he look look I’m I’m a big KD fan I love his game but the reason that Grant looks like he has

Good possessions against him is Katie can’t he can’t handle physicality yeah so that’s why somebody that’s big like Grant like with that with the size that he’s got to can just body you that he kind of Bo he bothers finesse players right right but at the at the same time even

Though I’m saying for a team it’s just like I mean just an amazing Revelation you got to give Nico Pro on this but if you’re even looking at somebody like Dante exom like I can trust him to guard at top guard and then he’s still gonna

But he’s not going to be so much of a negative offensively so I can keep him on the floor right I can see it’s it’s just different aspects for for the team and I I don’t feel like they have that in fix and I think that’s part of why Katie is

Frustrated that’s why the reports are coming out but I mean he keeps on doing to himself that’s that’s that’s where I settle with him that’s that’s where I settle with him for sure but uh I I will I will take him on the Dallas Mavericks

For the low low price of uh Jaden Hardy and that’s all William J and Grant Willams got we got you Timmy ran Holmes and whatever youse you want some depth here’s some depth we got it good man up all right well I’m gonna clear out

Because I gotta go to bed soon thanks so much for uh staying up late and talking with us all right yeah Merry Christmas Kirk merry Christmas as well big guy talk soon all right guys thank you so much if you could go I’m going to close out this

Video here in about 15 seconds if you could go and leave a comment on the actual video itself go click the like button all that stuff I’d really appreciate it those of you who are listening to an audio form of the show please consider coming and joining the

YouTube show we have a great great time Merry Christmas to everyone have a great boxing day if you celebrate we’ll be back uh the next time the Dallas Mavericks play basketball uh thanks so much for hanging out go Mavs

Kirk and likely Josh should get together after the #DallasMavericks game against the #PhoenixSuns to talk about the contest. #LukaDoncic should pass 10,000 career regular season points tonight and these two teams don’t like each other so it should be a fun game and night.

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