Kyrie Irving

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.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Jones, Irving, Murphy

May 19th, 2024 at 3:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to the help of perhaps his most talented supporting cast thus far, Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic has made the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic.

The Mavericks rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half of a Game 6 clash at home, ultimately beating the Thunder by a single point, 117-116, to clench their second-round series.

The team’s cadre of talented new bigs, led by 25-year-old Daniel Gafford, 20-year-old rookie lottery pick Dereck Lively, and 25-year-old P.J. Washington, has had an outsized impact on its run this spring. Dallas also seems likely to be able to further grow in the coming years. Among the team’s rotation pieces, only 32-year-old Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber are older than 28.

All Dallas’ key rotation players are under contract long-term, with the exception of forward Derrick Jones Jr., who’s averaging 10.8 points (on .510/.375/.684 shooting), 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists per game across 12 postseason contests thus far — all starts. He scored a critical 22 points in Game 6 and helped the club close out the series with some clutch buckets in the second half.

Jones and his agent recently suggested to Cato that they’d like to work out a new deal with the Mavs above the veteran’s minimum this summer. Dallas will only hold the forward’s Non-Bird rights, limiting the team’s ability to offer a raise.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd supports the notion that Doncic has major confidence in this year’s supporting cast, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He’s one of the best players in the world, but sometimes we lose sight that it’s not just built [around Doncic],” Kidd said. “One guy can’t get you there. You need a team. Right now, he’s got a team that he believes in.”
The collaboration and connection between the Mavericks’ star backcourt of Doncic and Irving has improved both players’ games, a fact of which they’re keenly aware, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). “He helped me mature a lot and realize how to see the game in a different way,” Doncic said. “On the court, it’s amazing to play with a guy like him. I go out there and enjoy.” For his part, the well-traveled Irving says he has enjoyed watching Doncic blossom: “I think this guy next to me has pushed me to continue to work on my game and continue to develop as a young leader. I think the big word that we both can agree on is maturity. Coming into Dallas, I was dealing with a lot mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. They embraced me with open arms.”
Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy impressed with some extended run this season. Still on his rookie scale contract for now, he’ll be eligible for a contract extension when the 2024/25 league year officially begins on July 1. Christian Clark of NOLA.com speculates about what Murphy’s next deal could look like. “Obviously, we are going to try to do what’s best for me and the Pelicans,” Murphy said. “I hope we can get something done. At the end of the day, it’s not about money. I just want to play basketball. Hopefully, we can get something done.”

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Doncic, Gafford, Hardy, Kleber

May 18th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

After the Game 5 win at Oklahoma City, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving called the matchup with the Thunder “one of the hardest series I’ve ever played,” according to a Dallas Morning News article (subscription required). It’s a significant statement for a player who holds a championship ring and has made three trips to the NBA Finals, but Irving explained why OKC has been an especially difficult opponent.

“It’s just really just the pace and just the physicality,” he said. “And last series was physical too, and the pace was a little different. But I think just this series, it’s challenged me physically, mentally, emotionally. I’ve accepted that and I’ve focused on the things that I can control and focused on getting my guys going early. And however the game plays out, it’s going to play out. But I’m really laying my hat on the defensive end and giving a lot of effort and and just trying to make the right plays offensively. They’re putting three on the ball at times for me and I could obviously take a lot of tough shots and I think that’s coming in the near future when it’s needed. But for right now just reading the game and allowing the basketball gods to shower me with a lot of love when you’re playing the right way.”

Irving also discussed the increased focus that Luka Doncic brought to Game 5. Doncic told his teammates before the contest that he wasn’t going to complain to the officials and was focusing on playing basketball and having fun.

“I think he’s just being smart and taking advice from the guys that have been in situations like this before and trusting that we have his back,” Irving said. “Some of the times when he’s going to the refs, he really feels like that’s an individual thing, and I think he could speak on it, too. He’s just in the moment and he’s very emotional as we all are as competitors. But the bigger picture is what matters. And him focusing his energy on the right places and specifically focusing on his shots and also doing the little things for us on the defensive end, getting rebounds like he’s doing and he’s been doing all season, it works well for us.”

There’s more from Dallas:

The Mavericks have virtually remade their roster over the past 20 months, surrounding Doncic with a much better defensive team, observes Zach Lowe of ESPN (subscription required). Lowe suggests that the Thunder might be regretting the role they played in helping the Mavs acquire Daniel Gafford, who has provided an interior anchor for the defense. OKC traded a 2024 first-round pick to Dallas in February in exchange for the right to swap first-rounders in 2028. The Mavericks sent that pick to Washington as part of the Gafford deal.
Second-year shooting guard Jaden Hardy appears to have replaced Dante Exum in the Mavericks’ playoff rotation, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Hardy played nearly 15 minutes in Game 5 and although he shot just 1-of-5 from the field, coach Jason Kidd was impressed by his overall game.
Kidd indicated that injured big man Maxi Kleber has a chance to return if Dallas reaches the conference finals, Townsend adds in a full story. Kleber suffered a right shoulder AC joint separation in a May 3 game and was scheduled to be reevaluated after three weeks. He was able to do some light shooting during Friday’s practice, Townsend adds.

Mavericks Notes: Jones, Doncic, Irving, Lively

May 15th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Four years after nearly being dealt to the Mavericks in a trade that fell apart over a miscommunication, veteran forward Derrick Jones chose Dallas last summer over a handful of rival suitors, including the Bulls and Suns, reports Tim Cato of The Athletic. According to Cato, Jones ultimately narrowed his options to the Mavs and Celtics before deciding to sign with Dallas.

Speaking to Cato, Jones’ agent Aaron Turner said he encouraged his client to sign with the Mavericks because it was the situation where the forward would get the best opportunity to display his full skill set and claim a major role if he impressed the coaching staff.

“You’ve got to go somewhere not where you’re wanted, but you’re needed,” Turner said in describing the advice he gave to Jones. “Whether (the Mavericks) know they need you yet, it doesn’t matter. They need you.”

Jones ended up starting 66 of 76 games for the Mavs, serving as the team’s primary defensive stopper while establishing new career highs in points (8.6) and minutes (23.5) per game, as well as three-point percentage (34.3%). Head coach Jason Kidd calls Jones a player “we count on” on both ends of the court, and Turner says the 27-year-old would like to be back in Dallas next season.

The Mavericks will only hold Jones’ Non-Bird rights, which allow for a raise of just 20% above his minimum, so they may have to dip into their mid-level exception to make him a competitive offer. Turner expects his client to test the market, but the hope is that the Mavs will be able to put an offer on the table that makes sense for both sides. For his part, Kidd doesn’t want to let Jones get away.

“We understand the business (and that) there’s other teams that can maybe pay him more,” Kidd said. “But we definitely want him back.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

It’s hard to blame Luka Doncic, who’s playing through multiple injuries and may not even be active if this were the regular season, but the Mavericks will need more from him if they hope to advance past the Thunder, Cato says in another article for The Athletic. As Cato notes, Dallas built its roster around defense and relies heavily on Doncic and Kyrie Irving for scoring, so those two stars will likely have to be operating at the peak of their powers to get the team two more wins over Oklahoma City.
How a resilient Mavs team responds in Game 5 after a meltdown in Monday’s Game 4 loss will be a defining moment for this group, as Irving said following that defeat. “This is the telltale sign of whether or not we’re going to be that group that gets over the hump,” Irving said, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Or we’re going to be one of those groups that looks back and sees OKC (advance) and kind of living with some of the woulda, coulda, shoulda.”
Of the 12 active NBA players who have made at least seven All-Star teams, only Irving advanced past the first round of the playoffs. The veteran guard spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN about being the last star standing from the “older” generation this spring, as well as his impressions of the league’s rising young stars. “It’s been pretty much our generation running the Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals,” Irving said. “(The shift has) just been quick. I don’t want to say I know that those guys are looking at the light in the tunnel. I can’t speak for them. But to see this newer generation come in and to see how it’s played out, I’m excited. It keeps me motivated and inspired to continue to lead my generation, because I was the youngest of that generation watching them.”
Mavericks center Dereck Lively and Thunder guard Cason Wallace have both played key roles as rookies for their respective teams in the playoffs. The fact that they’ve each fit in so well and adapted so quickly to playoff basketball makes last year’s draft-day trade involving the two players a win-win, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City moved up two spots to nab Wallace with the No. 10 pick, with Dallas drafting Lively after sliding down to No. 12.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Irving, Washington, Kidd

May 11th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic said “everything” hurt as he left the court after the Mavericks claimed a hard-fought win over Oklahoma City in Game 3 of their playoff series, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic hasn’t talked much about his physical condition since spraining his right knee April 26 in the team’s first-round series, but today he admitted that playoff basketball is taking a toll on him.

“I’m battling out there, man,” he said. “I’m glad we got the win. I’m just trying to battle.”

The damage was compounded as Doncic landed hard on his tailbone with 1:28 left to play and tweaked his right knee in the game’s final minute. He appeared “beaten down and exhausted” as he headed to the locker room after the game, according to Townsend.

“On the last play, when I split two defenders, obviously nobody touched me,” Doncic said in a sarcastic reference to the fact no foul was called. “I hurt my knee again, but I’m just trying to battle out there, man. We got a win. That’s all that matters.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Kyrie Irving helped to close out the victory with a clutch left-handed shot in the lane as he and Doncic are proving to be an effective combination in their first postseason together, notes Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press. They each had 22 points, and Irving was 4-of-4 from the field in the fourth quarter. “One of my coaches just came up to me and said I waited too long, so obviously I’ve got to be better on my end,” Irving said. “We’re going against a young team. So we just want to continue to do the things that get us these W’s, and it starts on the defensive end.”
The February trade for P.J. Washington is paying off at the best possible time, observes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Washington followed his 29-point outburst in Game 2 with 27 points on Saturday, sinking 12 combined three-pointers in those two contests. “They’ve been leaving me in the corner so I’m just trying to take my time and knock them down,” Washington said. “They’re open shots, so for me, just take them with confidence. I’ve been working on them. That’s all I’m doing, honestly.”
Head coach Jason Kidd’s contract extension adds two years to his current deal, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link). Woj adds that Kidd is now under contract through 2028, though that might be bad math, since he also said the coach’s current deal was set to expire after next season (which lines up with past reports). That would mean Kidd’s new extension runs through the 2026/27 season.

Southwest Notes: Irving, Mavericks, Pelicans, Biberovic

May 6th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After being the center of controversy in previous stops, Kyrie Irving has found peace and contentment with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com writes.

“From the outside, you look at his calmness, he’s at peace,” said coach Jason Kidd, who received an extension on Monday. “And sometimes at a certain age in life, that comes about. But also, with the people he’s around maybe . . . that could also have something to do with it. But you can see, he’s smiling, he’s happy and he’s been that way, I think, since he arrived last year at the trade deadline. I thought you saw that he was happy and at peace. And he’s been very consistent with that to this point. I think he’s just happy.”

Irving concurs that he’s matured and become a more positive person.

“What you’re seeing now is a version of me that I’m proud of,” he said. “I look at myself every day in the mirror and give myself affirmations. I meditate, I pray. I’m just more consistent in my daily practices to help me stay grounded. Part of knowing who you are is knowing where you came from.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The acquisition of Irving last season was highly controversial but Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is happy he didn’t listen to the skeptics. Dallas retained Irving with a three-year, $126MM contract last offseason. “I’m thankful for the decision now, and I think everybody around the organization is, too,” Harrison told Marc Spears of Andscape. “But it’s awesome just to get to see him be himself. And it’s funny when if you talk to any of our teammates, they’re going to be like, ‘Yeah, it’s really weird that there was ever any negativity around Kyrie, I just don’t see it. He’s such a positive person. He’s always smiling and happy, and I don’t get it.’”
Even though Maxi Kleber is sidelined, the Mavericks should have a favorable matchup against the top-seeded Thunder, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News opines. They have in-season acquisition Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively to provide a physical presence around the basket against Thunder rookie big man Chet Holmgren. They also have two stars who can take over a game in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, while Oklahoma City will be more dependent on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The changes the Pelicans made to their medical staff last offseason can be considered a success, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He notes that Zion Williamson played in 70 games, the most in his NBA career, while Brandon Ingram appeared in 64 games, his most since his rookie year with the Lakers in 2016/17.
The Grizzlies added draft-and-stash prospect Tarik Biberovic with the No. 56 pick last June. He showed a lot of promise overseas this season, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes. Playing for Fenerbahce in the Turkey Basketball Super League, Biberovic averaged a career-high 21.8 minutes and 10.4 points in 24 games, connecting on 40.7% of his 3-point attempts. In 25 EuroLeague games, Biberovic averaged 7.2 points and shot 56.9% on 3-pointers. All signs point to the wing playing another year overseas before potentially joining Memphis for the 2025/26 season, Cole adds.

Mavericks Notes: Kleber, Future, Irving, Doncic

May 4th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Tristan Tucker

Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber went down hard after a foul in the second quarter of Game 6 against the Clippers and left for the locker room. According to The Dallas Morning News, the Mavericks diagnosed Kleber with a right shoulder sprain and he didn’t return for the rest of the game. Head coach Jason Kidd said he didn’t know how long the big man would be out.

“Next man up,” Kidd said.

Kleber had a big role off the bench for the Mavericks’ first five games of the series. He averaged 6.0 points per game while making 60.0% of his threes in 22.2 minutes in his five appearances off the bench. In Game 5, Kleber knocked down five of his seven three-point attempts, finishing the game with 15 points in a 30-point win.

In the regular season, Kleber averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 34.8% from deep in 43 games and seven starts.

We have more Mavericks notes:

The Mavericks are well-positioned for the future, Tim Cato of The Athletic writes, with only two role players over the age of 28: Kleber (32) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (31). Dante Exum (28), Jaden Hardy (21), Dereck Lively II (20) and Josh Green (23) are among the team’s biggest contributors, and Dallas acquired 25-year-olds P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline, both of whom emerged as starters right away. While Kyrie Irving is 32, he’s continuing to put up impressive playoff performances like his 30-point closeout Game 6 and questions about his fit with Luka Doncic have been answered.
A duo of stars complemented by solid role players appears more sustainable than building an expensive big three, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News writes, with the Mavericks a living example. Teams like the Clippers and Suns are faced with second apron hurdles, Sherrington observes, while Dallas is getting contributions from players on mid-sized or rookie contracts while their stars continue to shine.
Doncic said there was extra satisfaction in defeating the Clippers after falling to them in the playoffs in two of his first three seasons in the league, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend (Twitter link). “Of course. I lost twice to them, so it was even bigger motivation to beat them,” Doncic said. “But they have a great team. We had to work really, really hard to beat them. I’m happy we did it this time.“

Western Notes: Kyrie, Lakers, Hardaway, Mann, Adelman, Warriors

May 3rd, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked after Game 5 of the Mavericks‘ first-round playoff series whether he considered joining the Lakers and reuniting with former teammate LeBron James when he reached free agency last offseason, Kyrie Irving smiled and said that “everything was considered,” according to Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports.

“He’s a great friend of mine, a great brother of mine,” Irving told Rohlin. “We obviously played together [in Cleveland]. Everybody knows our history. But there were so many different factors in between. When it comes to business decisions, you have to ask the GMs, the presidents why certain things didn’t work out.”

The Lakers were rumored as a possible suitor for Irving at the February 2023 trade deadline before he was traded to Dallas. They were mentioned again when Kyrie became a free agent, though by that point Los Angeles seemed more focused on retaining its own free agents. For his part, Irving said he’s happy with his decision to re-sign with the Mavericks.

“I know I can speak for myself that I’m grateful someone took a chance on me,” he said. “Dallas welcomed me with open arms. For me, it wasn’t time to think about the ‘what ifs.’ It was time for me to put my best foot forward. That’s what I did. It’s hard to think of the ‘what ifs,’ the allure, the thoughts of it.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The Mavericks will once again be without Tim Hardaway Jr. on Friday, according to the team (Twitter link). Hardaway will miss his fourth consecutive game due to a right ankle sprain. The Clippers, meanwhile, have upgraded Terance Mann (right lower leg contusion) from questionable to available, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Mann averaged just 3.5 points in 21.7 minutes per contest in the two games Kawhi Leonard played, but has scored in double-digits and logged at least 31 minutes in each of the three games Leonard missed — Kawhi remains unavailable for Game 6, as previously reported.
In addition to firing head coach Darvin Ham, the Lakers have let go of all their assistants, clearing the way for the new head coach to build an entirely new staff, sources tell Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). That group of new coaching free agents includes veteran assistant Phil Handy, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Woike of The Los Angeles Times and Khobi Price of The Orange County Register each take a look at some potential candidates to replace Ham as the Lakers‘ head coach. Both reporters cite Nuggets assistant David Adelman, with Woike writing that Adelman has fans within Los Angeles’ front office.
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic identifies eight potential big-name trade targets the Warriors could pursue this offseason. Golden State always aims high, but most of the names on the list, including Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen, and Paul George, look like long shots, while the most viable option – such as Zach LaVine – doesn’t seem like a great fit.

Mavs Notes: Doncic, Irving, Kidd, Gafford, Adjustments

April 22nd, 2024 at 9:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic believes he needs to be more assertive in the Mavericks’ first-round series against the Clippers. Los Angeles jumped to a 26-point halftime lead and cruised to a 109-97 win in Game 1 on Sunday.

“I just gotta stay aggressive. That was my bad,” Doncic said, per Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “In the first half, I wasn’t aggressive enough. I just gotta stay aggressive and find the open man.”

His backcourt partner has somewhat of an explanation for the team’s 30-point first half.

“We knew we were going to have to knock off some rust,” Kyrie Irving said. “Us as a team, we have guys that have missed three weeks, two weeks. [Tim Hardaway Jr.] not being with us for the past few days of preparation. I’m not saying those things are excuses, but internally, those things matter for the importance of what we’re getting ready for.”

We have more on the Mavs:

Jason Kidd, whose job security may hinge on how the team fares in the playoffs, had a simple explanation for the Game 1 defeat, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “They were physical and we were passive,” Kidd said. Dallas’ frontcourt was especially ineffective and Daniel Gafford, who tweaked his ankle during the contest, takes the blame. “I just didn’t come out ready to play, in all honesty,” he said. “I have to be better when it comes to me being a starter on the floor. I have to be able to be better in areas that I’ve always succeeded in throughout the regular season. I’ve got to come out and I’ve got to play playoff basketball, not what I showed out (Sunday).”
The Mavs failed to make adjustments on Sunday until it was too late, Tim Cato of The Athletic opines. It ultimately resulted in a wasted opportunity, since the Clippers are playing without Kawhi Leonard for the time being.
It may not have shown up in the opener, but Irving could be the ideal postseason partner for Doncic, Cato writes. When all goes well, the two guards might be the two best players on the floor for either side.

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