Dallas Mavericks Rumors

Lively Expected To Miss Game 4; Kleber Listed As Questionable

May 27th, 2024 at 4:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks won’t have their outstanding rookie center for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals but they could get another veteran big man back in action.

Dereck Lively won’t play as the Mavericks try to close out the series against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT tweets. Lively is officially listed as doubtful to play by the team, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets.

Lively suffered a neck sprain during the second quarter in Game 3 on Sunday when he fell backward in the lane and was inadvertently kneed in the head by Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

Lively’s head snapped forward upon contact. He was down on the court for several minutes before appearing dazed as he was helped to the locker room.

Lively has knocked down all 13 of his field goal attempts in the series. He had a 14-point, 9-rebound outing in Game 2.

Fortunately for Dallas, Maxi Kleber could be back in action. He’s listed as questionable, according to MacMahon.

Kleber has been out since May 3 due to a right shoulder injury, officially labelled an AC joint separation. He averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.5 minutes per game while appearing in all six first-round games against the Clippers.

Luka Doncic (right knee sprain/left ankle soreness) is also listed as questionable again, though it would be surprising to see Doncic sit out a closeout game. Doncic was a game-time decision on Sunday and wound up dominating with 33 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals in the 116-107 victory.

Wolves Notes: Towns, Defense, Edwards, Gobert

May 27th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns has been misfiring throughout the Western Conference Finals, but his shooting struggles were particularly painful in Sunday’s Game 3 loss, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Towns, who finished with 14 points, shot just 5-of-18 from the field and 0-of-8 from three-point range. He missed all four of his attempts in the final five minutes, including three from beyond the arc, as Minnesota’s offense collapsed down the stretch.

“He struggled, of course,” coach Chris Finch said at his post-game press conference. “It was hard to watch at times.”

The Wolves haven’t been able to keep up with Dallas’ high-powered attack while getting limited production from one of their prime scoring threats. Towns is shooting 27.8% in the series, which McMenamin notes is the fourth-worst mark of any player through the first three games of a conference or divisional finals in the shot clock era (minimum 50 shot attempts).

“I’ve got to laugh,” Towns said. “I’m putting up to 1,500 shots a day. Shot so well all playoffs, confidence extremely high. To be having these unfortunate bounces and these looks that are just not going in, it’s tough. It’s tough, for sure. I’m good confidence wise. Just got to keep shooting.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Towns’ poor shooting and questionable decision-making in the series raise questions about whether he should be part of the team’s long-term future, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Towns’ four-year, $221MM extension kicks in next season, likely pushing Minnesota into second apron territory and limiting its options for improving the roster.
Towns’ three-point shooting and the league’s top-ranked defense have carried Minnesota all season, but neither has been effective in the conference finals, observes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Whether Finch has tried to guard Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving straight up or blitz them with an extra defender, the Mavericks‘ play-makers always seem to have an answer. Finch has also experimented with his big-man rotation, benching Towns for Naz Reid late in Game 2 and sitting out Rudy Gobert for more than nine minutes in Sunday’s fourth quarter.
The Mavericks’ edge in experience and the individual brilliance of Doncic and Irving have been too much for Minnesota to handle, notes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Even though the Wolves were locked in a season-long battle for the top record in the West, it’s rare for teams to win titles when their best player is still early in his career. “We’ve got (Anthony Edwards), who’s 22, and Dwayne Wade won a championship at that age,” Gobert said. “(Wade) was the guy, but he was surrounded by some other veterans who helped him grow. I think that’s the way I feel about our team. Ant is not in his prime yet, but he’s still (capable of leading a title team). For him, it’s about learning every day, being willing to learn and grow, and he’s done that. Sometimes the pain of losing is the best lesson, but I think we’ve had some of that. I think we’ve had enough of that. Now it’s ‘Let’s win it.’”

Stein’s Latest: Redick, Cavaliers’ Coaching Search, M. Brown, Kleber

May 27th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Arthur Hill

J.J. Redick has several assistants in mind if he becomes the Lakers‘ next head coach, sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link). The ESPN broadcaster is believed to be the frontrunner to land the job, and Stein cites this latest rumor as more evidence that L.A. is leaning toward hiring Redick.

According to Stein, Redick hopes to add Celtics assistant Sam Cassell and Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who both interviewed for the head coaching job and were described by The Athletic as “the initial leading targets” along with Redick two weeks ago.

Redick would also like to land Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley, who finished his career with the Lakers in 2021, Stein’s sources say. Dudley reportedly built strong relationships with LeBron James and Anthony Davis during that time.

Stein offers more inside information from around the league:

Terry Stotts is among the head coaching candidates being considered by the Cavaliers, according to Stein’s sources. If Cleveland plans to keep Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland together, it could be beneficial to hire Stotts, who was successful in Portland with a similar small backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is considered to be the leading candidate to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, but Stein confirms that Borrego, former Cavs coaching consultant Dave Joerger and Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant are among the other names under consideration. Bryant previously worked with Mitchell in Utah. Atkinson has reportedly received endorsements from Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, whom he coached in Brooklyn.
Mike Brown’s salary demands and the Kings‘ lack of postseason success have led to a stalemate in extension talks, Stein adds. Both sides recently agreed to table negotiations on a new deal, which means Brown could enter next season as a lame-duck coach. He has a four-year contract, but the final season is a mutual option, which means he and the team would both have to opt in.
Stein hears that the Mavericks remain optimistic about a potential Maxi Kleber return if they reach the NBA Finals. The versatile big man has been sidelined since separating his right shoulder May 3 in the final game of the first-round series against the Clippers.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Lively, Gafford

May 27th, 2024 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks built a team capable of reaching the NBA Finals by uniting two of the league’s best clutch performers, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Dallas has routinely taken over games during the closing minutes of this year’s playoffs, including Sunday night when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined to outscore Minnesota by themselves in the fourth quarter. Even though the Mavs have trailed late in all three games, they’ve grabbed a 3-0 series lead by outscoring the Wolves by a combined 24-11 over the final three minutes.

“Down the stretch, that’s where we make our money, man,” Irving said. “I think we have that poise now, and we’re showcasing just our skill sets out there that a lot of teams have to guard, the depth that we have. A lot of teams have to guard each one of us, and you got to pick your poison.”

MacMahon points out that the combination didn’t work right away. After Irving was acquired from Brooklyn in February 2023, Dallas went just 6-15 last season in games that were within five points in the final five minutes. That caused the Mavericks to miss the playoffs and led to doubts about whether Doncic and Irving could coexist. The duo figured things out after Irving re-signed last summer, posting the league’s second-best clutch record at 23-9 during the regular season and the best clutch offense at 127.1 points per 100 possessions.

“I think when you talk about maturity, skill set, they fit,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Ky’s been around the block. He’s been with great players. He doesn’t mind being second or 1B, and you just don’t find that a lot of times in this league. He will show what he needs to show, and he’s done that with Luka this season. He’s patient, he’s calm, his energy is in a positive place. … There’s a debate out there: Is this the best backcourt in NBA history? It’s kind of cool.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Tests didn’t reveal any serious damage for Dereck Lively II, who left Sunday’s game with a neck sprain, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). After falling to the court in the second quarter, Lively took an inadvertent knee to the back of the head from Karl-Anthony Towns. Lively’s status for Tuesday’s Game 4 is still uncertain, Wojnarowski adds. A definite prognosis and a determination on concussion protocol won’t be made until more testing is conducted later today, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
Daniel Gafford made two huge plays in the closing minutes Sunday, which is when Lively is usually on the court, notes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Gafford swatted away Mike Conley‘s layup attempt with 56 seconds left to play, then slammed home an alley-oop dunk on a pass from Doncic 22 seconds later that put the game out of reach.
The Mavericks are hoping to close out the series on Tuesday to get a break from the exhausting grind of the playoffs, Townsend adds in a full story. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for June 6, no matter when the conference finals end, so the team would have more than a week off if it can wrap up the sweep. Doncic told reporters about a late-game conversation he had with Irving. “I told him, “I’m tired as s—,” Doncic said. “He told me, ‘That’s the way it’s supposed to be.’ He’s just brought that calmness for our team; to me. The maturity, it’s been unbelievable to have him, just learning from him every day. Positive energy, always. It’s just a blessing, having him.”

Mavs’ Lively Suffers Neck Sprain After Knee To Head

May 26th, 2024 at 9:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively departed Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday night due to an injury labeled by the team as a neck sprain (Twitter link).

Lively was hurt during the second quarter when he fell backward in the lane and was inadvertently kneed in the head by Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

Lively’s head snapped forward upon contact. He was down on the court for several minutes before appearing dazed as he was helped to the locker room, according to The Associated Press. While many observers suspected Lively might have suffered a concussion, the team did not immediately reveal any testing results.

Lively has been a major factor in the postseason. He made all three of his field goal attempts with three rebounds in Game 3 prior to the injury and has now knocked down all 13 of his field goal attempts in the series. He had a 14-point, 9-rebound outing in Game 2.

Lively posted double-doubles in the last two games of the conference semifinals against the Thunder. Overall, he was averaging 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 22.4 minutes across 14 postseason games entering Sunday’s contest.

With Dallas taking a 3-0 lead in the series, the Mavs can afford to be cautious with Lively even if he doesn’t enter concussion protocol.

If he needs to miss any games, the Mavs will have to rely on Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell and smaller lineups to fill the void up front. Maxi Kleber remains sidelined due to a right shoulder injury.

And-Ones: Fan Favorites, Media Deal, Bacon, Shooting Guards

May 26th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The votes have been tallied for league appreciators’ “Fan Favorites” for the 2023/24 season, per NBA.com. Fans voted for various categories via the NBA App, NBA.com and the @NBA handle on social media.

All-Star Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards won Block, Dunk and Photo of the Year honors, while Bulls swingman DeMar DeRozan won Assist of the Year, All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was honored with the Style of the Year accolade, and Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving was praised for possessing the Handle of the Year.

There’s more from around the wider basketball world:

NBA players stand to reap major financial benefits from the league’s lucrative impending batch of media rights deals, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. As Vorkunov notes, based on the terms reported, the agreement is set to pay the league $6.9 billion annually, which is about two-and-a-half times what the league is earning under its present TV deal. Suddenly, a $100MM maximum annual player salary is in play, and could possibly happen as soon as 2032/33.
Following a prolific season with Shanghai Dongfang in Chinese Basketball Association, former journeyman NBA guard Dwayne Bacon has agreed to a deal with Puerto Rican team Leones de Ponce, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Bacon spent four years in the NBA, last playing for the Magic in 2020/21.
Keith Smith of Spotrac unpacks the top free agent shooting guards set to hit the market this summer in a new tiered ranking system. He lists seven starting-caliber wings, 17 rotation-level players, and 25 other players with upside at the position.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Olympics, Lively Trade

May 25th, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Numerous media members were calling Anthony Edwards “the new face of the NBA” after Minnesota upset Denver, but that honor actually belongs to Mavericks star Luka Doncic, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic strengthened his case as the league’s best player and top clutch performer with a game-winning three-pointer Friday night that gave Dallas a 2-0 series lead. Sherrington notes that after sinking the shot over Rudy Gobert, Doncic displayed his fearlessness by shouting “you can’t guard me” and some stronger comments at the Defensive Player of the Year.

The argument for Doncic as the league’s No. 1 star starts with five first-team All-NBA appearances, including this season. He finished third in the MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Sherrington points out that they were both eliminated in the second round while Doncic has a chance to add to his reputation with the longest postseason run of his career.

“There are moments where he shows his brilliance and can score so easily,” Kyrie Irving said, “and then he comes back and he looks like he’s laboring a little bit, but that guy’s a warrior.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Irving was able to keep his composure after missing two free throws with 1:44 remaining, Sherrington states in a separate story. The misses provided free fried chicken for all the fans in attendance, but more importantly they cost the Mavs a chance to slice the lead to one point. Irving made up for it a few seconds later with a clutch three-pointer from the corner that set the stage for Doncic’s heroics. “I think I was as surprised as a lot of people in the arena,” Irving, a 90% free throw shooter during the regular season, said of his misses from the line. “In those moments, I’ve got to stay focused and be aware of how much it means to our team to make those. But when you miss, you’ve also got to take that accountability and be better. The next-play mentality was the only thing I could carry forth. I got into that corner and knocked it down.”
Irving could be in line for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team this summer if Tyrese Haliburton opts out because of his hamstring issues, speculates Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Haliburton, who was held out of tonight’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, also missed 10 games with a hamstring strain in January. Irving was disappointed about not making the team last month after being one of the finalists.
Dallas and Oklahoma City both benefited from last year’s draft-day trade, Rylan Stiles writes for Inside the Thunder. Dereck Lively II has been an interior force for the Mavericks throughout the playoffs, while Cason Wallace became a three-and-D specialist in the Thunder backcourt.

Mavericks Notes: Luka, Game 2, Irving, Gafford/Lively

May 25th, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Mavericks took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Friday night after Mavs superstar Luka Doncic hit a stepback three-pointer over Rudy Gobert to win a second consecutive road game.

As Tim Cato of The Athletic writes, Doncic has already taken the reins of this so-called new generation in the league as the best player under 25. He has earned five straight First Team All-NBA honors and could be the first from the new wave of young stars to win a title.

“When you look at his game, I don’t know what you can nitpick about,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said amid pouring praise onto Doncic after the game. “He can post up. He can pass. He has this fire that I think sometimes can be taken out of context. It’s just understanding that he wants to win. He’s not scared of nobody, and sometimes that can scare people.”

Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards earned a larger share of the national spotlight entering the series, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, but it’s Doncic who is seizing the moment and putting together an all-time great Mavs run. Kidd’s praise for Doncic thus far is telling, since it was Kidd who helped the Mavericks win their first and only title thus far in 2011, knowing what it takes from an all-time great like Dirk Nowitzki to help his team ascend.

“The IQ is extremely high,” Kidd said. “He can take and make any shot. He can pass like no other. LeBron [James] might be a little bit better defensively, and understand passing lanes (better). But when you talk about the stage — Ky [Irving], Luka, Dirk — the great ones aren’t scared. If you miss that shot, he’ll be like, ‘Look, my bad. You guys got me where we needed to go, and I needed to deliver.’ It’s pretty cool to watch.”

We have more notes from the series:

The Mavericks and NBA world as a whole have come to expect clutch moments from Doncic, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes. “As you’ve seen, he loves that stage,” Kidd said. “He doesn’t run from it. He made a big shot. … Luka is special. He loves those type of moments.” Game 2’s three-pointer is Doncic’s second career winning three-pointer in the final five seconds of a playoff game, joining LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Reggie Miller and Robert Horry. He also joined Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record four triple-doubles in a five-game playoff stretch.
Kyrie Irving continues to be supportive of Doncic amid the team’s playoff run and he reiterated his enthusiasm for the Slovenian superstar after Game 2. “I’m amazed,” Irving said (Twitter link via HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto). “I don’t use that word lightly either… I think he’s answered a lot of calls. When Luka first came into the league, there were a lot of questions on what he was going to turn out to be. I know a few people are eating their words. Watching him ascend into becoming an all-time great is amazing and I don’t take it for granted because I played with one of the greatest of all time, arguably the greatest of all time… I want to be supportive and continue to be an all-time great next to him, continue to show him the ropes, and let him continue to fly.“
Doncic’s three was rightfully the talk of the town, but the Mavericks had another miracle shot that helped them win Game 2, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes. In the middle of erasing an 18-point deficit, Daniel Gafford blocked a three-point try before leaking out and getting down the court, receiving a pass from Doncic, absorbing contact from Jaden McDaniels, and flipping up a shot that put Dallas ahead 96-94. That play is emblematic of the impressive play from Dallas’s center rotation that also includes rookie Dereck Lively II. The two players accounted for 30 points. “We feed off each other’s energy,” Gafford said. “Whenever I’m coming out of the game, I tell him to be a monster. And he does the same thing with me.”

Mavs Notes: Luka, Kyrie, Game 1 Takeaways, X-Factors

May 24th, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks were victorious in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday behind 63 combined points from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. It marked the first Game 1 win of the postseason for Dallas, which was playing on the road in Minnesota.

“We had to work really hard to get this one,” Doncic said, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “It’s big time. We know how tough it is to play in this place, especially against a team that has so many weapons, so it’s big-time to take this one. But it’s only one. We got three more to go.”

As Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, Irving was scorching hot in the first half, scoring 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting while being hounded by Anthony Edwards. It’s the latest example of Irving’s “basketball renaissance,” according to Amick, who points out that the 31-year-old has become a leader for the Mavericks and a key voice in the ear of Doncic.

“At times when he reacted to turnovers (in Game 1), or passes that didn’t convert to baskets for us, I was just reminding him to keep his head up and realize where we are, the magnitude of this,” Irving said of Doncic. “A lot of guys look to him for emotional stability, and emotional strength. We know he’s one of the best scorers of all time… and he’s going out there and not necessarily playing well offensively in the first half.

“(But) I know in the second half, he’s gonna be aggressive. We’ve been able to figure out that one-two punch of just playing the point guard role, playing that main scorer’s role and just not lacking in other areas in the basketball game. He can do other things, and I can do other things other than scoring. So when it’s his time to score, it’s my time to play defense and get up in a guy and contest shots and continue to do the little things that get us wins.”

Doncic was sensational closing the game, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter while making key defensive plays. He praised Irving’s first-half effort for keeping Dallas afloat, according to Sefko.

“That was big time,” Doncic said of Irving. “We probably would have been down 20 if he hadn’t scored that many points. I appreciate him keeping us in the game.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

The Timberwolves largely chose to stay at home on shooters in Game 1, limiting Dallas to just 6-of-25 (24.0%) from long distance, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Minnesota, by contrast, was 18-of-49 (36.7%) from deep. Being minus-36 points from three is typically a recipe for disaster, but the Mavs found success in the paint (62-38) and on the boards (48-40), showing the team’s ability to adapt, Cato notes. “We’re going to take whatever you give us,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We want to promote 3s, but if you take the 3s away when you have that many points in the paint against the No. 1 team defensively, we’ll take it if that’s what you’re going to give us. I thought the group pivoted nicely by understanding what was available on the floor by (Minnesota) taking away the 3s.”
Jon Krawczynski, Zach Harper, Tim Cato and Tobias Bass of The Athletic provide their takeaways from Game 1. Game 2 tips off at 7:30 pm CT on Thursday.
ESPN insiders Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst list the role players they believe could be the X-factors for the rest of the series. MacMahon chose Mavs forward P.J. Washington, while McMenamin took Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Windhorst selected Wolves point guard Mike Conley.

Timberwolves Notes: Late-Game Slide, Conley, Defense, Edwards

May 23rd, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

A lack of composure down the stretch cost the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Mavericks, head coach Chris Finch lamented after Wednesday’s game.

“It cost us a game in the Denver series. It certainly had an impact on this game, too,” Finch said, per Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic said. “We’ve got to be better in clutch moments.”

Despite the Timberwolves’ size, they were manhandled in the paint, Krawczynski notes. Dallas outscored them 62-38 in the lane and out-rebounded them, 48-40.

“I’ve got to do a better job on the rebounds,” Rudy Gobert said. “I can’t let these guys just get offensive rebounds. I’ll be better.”

In a similar vein, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns looked lethargic.

“We didn’t play with enough energy,” Towns said. “We just looked tired. We didn’t move as well as we usually do.”

We have more on the Timberwolves:

Mike Conley believes the team will benefit from its late-game slide, when it was outscored 10-3 in the final 3:37, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Minnesota also committed half of its 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter. “I think we haven’t been tested like this where we’ve had to trade basket to basket, late-game free throw situations or fouling situations, stuff that we have to be better at,” Conley said. “But we’ll learn from it. I think each game we’ve learned a lot about ourselves, a lot we can get better at. Obviously, it’s going to be a long series, regardless of what happened tonight.”
While the Timberwolves faced major defensive challenges in the first two series against Phoenix and Denver, finding a way to control Dallas’ dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic presents their toughest task in these playoffs, Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. The two star guards combined for 63 points in Game 1.
In a comprehensive feature, The Athletic’s Krawczynski and Joe Vardon detail how Edwards is poised to become the NBA’s next major American-born star.