Dallas Hoops Fancast - A Podcast for Dallas Mavericks Fans

The Dallas Mavericks gutted out a tough win against the Knicks. A lot of things went wrong, but a lot of things went right. We talked about Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson's key role in the win plus Kristaps' utter trash of a game. Does he only show up in meaningless games? It's a theory we discuss. We then pose the question of whether or not the Mavericks are only one piece away from contending. I know that sounds crazy, but hear us out...

Luka was ballin' tonight. We talk about this big game and some weird things with Kristaps, as usual. We also talk about the JJ Redick quotes about he didn't want to be traded to Dallas. Should we be worried? We then looked to the upcoming back-to-back and try to guess which one the Mavs' will rest Luka and Kristaps on, plus why we dislike that plan so much. Lots to cover, and a rant. Thanks for listening!

Sydney talked to Pelicans Mason Ginsberg and got the scoop on what JJ Redick is like at this point in his career and if Mavs fans should be worried about his age and his heel injury. We also talked about some ways Nicolo Melli might surprise Mavs fans. It's a good interview all around with some interesting nuggets.

We talk about the loss and then, you know, vent a little. (Ok, a lot.)

We talked about how boring this game was but also fun because Kristaps was good even though his play style is kind of boring. We also talked about the trade deadline and our usual tinfoil hat theories about everything.

Luka put on a show AGAIN tonight and, well, so did Kristaps. We talked about Luka Doncic being stupid good, Kristaps Porzingis having a "moment", and what all of this means for the Mavericks.

Listen to the entire episode because I announced a giveaway!

We talk about all the great things we've seen from the Dallas Mavericks in the last 10 games. What has gone right? Will it last? Timestamps below.

(1:34) The last 10 games have been immaculate

(2:32) Improved defense and winning tough games

(6:05) Using Kristaps the right way

(16:26) What is Kristaps’ ceiling?

(23:19) Better ball movement

(28:50) Josh Richardson’s hot stretch

(31:07) Tim Hardaway Jr. doing the little things

(31:53) Can these good trends last?

(35:35) Who should be part of the team’s long-term future?

(39:35) Weekly game predictions

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We answered your questions from Twitter. We talked about everything from trade ideas to Kristaps' role to the KP rumors, KP and Luka's friendship to our thoughts on Richardson and city jerseys. Thank you to everyone who submitted a question. This was a lot of fun.

Dr. Raj from 3CB Performance joins the show to talk about Kristaps Porzingis' knee injuries and how it's affecting him on offense and defense. I know no one wants to hear about KP's injuries anymore, but Dr. Raj explains some really important details about these injuries that reflect issues we're seeing on the court. We also talk about when we can expect KP to actually be himself again. In this episode, we talk about the Mavericks' improved offense, some adjustments Rick Carlisle has made, and the first results for NBA All-Star voting.

We had a pretty deep and lengthy conversation about Kristaps Porzingis and what's going on with him. We talk about the issues, the defense, the offense, possible solutions, his long-term outlook, and whether or not the Mavericks should trade him. We cover pretty much everything with each of us taking opposite sides of the debate. We also grade the Dallas Mavericks through their first 20 games of the season and play games of Buy or Sell, Real or Fake League Leaders, and Something, Nothing, or Everything. Timestamps below.

(3:11) Buy or Sell Predictions (3PT shooting, defense, effort and the losing streak)

(12:28) Real or Fake League Leaders

(22:33) The Definitive Kristaps Porzingis Discussion

(44:38) Something, Nothing, or Everything

(52:42) Game Predictions

We talk about the Mavericks' improved defense, Luka Doncic's case for MVP, the Mavs' tough schedule in January, Kristaps Porzingis' struggles since returning from injury, and our game predictions for this week. I also interview Evan Zaucha from Premium Hoops on why Luka Doncic has such a high basketball IQ.

(2:49) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good - The Mavericks’ defense and resilience, Luka’s defense, Luka breakin’ records

(9:28) The Bad & The Ugly - Players out, Tough schedule, Kristaps' struggles

(22:53) Can Luka win MVP this year?

(27:50) Interview with Evan Zaucha on why Luka Doncic has such a high basketball IQ 

(50:22) Weekly Game Predictions

Sydney had on Noah from thenbaunderground.com to do a deep dive into how Luka scores so efficiently. This one is pretty in-depth, so get your thinking caps on.

We talked about

- Two techniques Luka Doncic uses to score

- How he uses his weight and his ankles (yeah, we talked about his ankles)

- How Luka can improve his 3PT%

- Why duos are better than trios (you probably didn’t think of this reason)

We talk about the Mavericks' new starting lineup and why it works so well. We go through the entire week and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly. Luka has returned to MVP form and the Mavs' defense is now 5th in the league! It's not all great though. COVID has hit the Mavericks pretty hard these last couple of days, and it's about to get ugly. Can they win without all these players? We then read and respond to some listener comments, play a game of Tired or Wired, and share our predictions for the coming week of games. Timestamps below!

Topics

(3:05) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

New Starting Lineup
Willie Cauley-Stein Has Been...Good?
Better Defense
Luka's Return to MVP Form

The Bad

Struggles to Hit Open Shots
Officiating
Luka’s Complaining

The Ugly

COVID Positive Players

(23:44) Responding Listener Comments

(35:39) Tired or Wired

(39:42) Player A vs. Player B

(46:10) Weekly Game Predictions

We play a game of Something, Nothing, or Everything and determine if trends we saw in the Preseason will continue in the regular season. We then spend some time talking about what *kind* of player should start next to Kristaps, which current Maverick fits that description, and which NBA player best fits next to KP. We finish up by talking about Josh Richardson's contract extension and our predictions for the Mavs' first three games.

Topics:

(2:32) Something, Nothing, or Everything
Josh Richardson' shooting percentage
Dorian Finney-Smith' shooting percentage
Mavs struggled against size
Maxi led the Mavs in +/-
Mavs were 21st in defensive rating
Luka’s FT, 3PT, and complaining

(18:19) Who should start next to Kristaps?

(40:11) Josh Richardson does not sign contract extension

(43:19) Predictions for first 3 games

We recap five of the most important quotes from the Dallas Mavericks' Media Day interviews. Rick Carlisle had some interesting things to say about the team's defense, Kristaps Porzingis, and Josh Richardson. We then share our season predictions and what we think would have to happen for the Mavs to be a top 4 seed in the West. Timestamps below!

(00:57) LeBron says he wanted Luka Doncic on "Team LeBron"

(6:37) 5 Most Important Quotes from Mavs Media Day

(25:40) 5 Things That Must Happen for the Mavs to be a Top 4 Seed

(37:16) Other Season Predictions

Stop the Zach Lavine slander, folks! We talk about why Zach Lavine would be great for the Mavs and why he's not a perfect player. Who do we prefer between Lavine, Jrue Holiday, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie? Listen to find out. We also get into draft talk, look back at some really bad draft decisions by the Mavericks, and play a game of Guess the Mavs By His Scouting Report.

(1:29) Trade Predictions
(2:15) Which player do you want the most?
(2:22) Jrue Holiday
(5:25) Zach Lavine
(8:38) STOP THE ZACH LAVINE SLANDER
(13:14) Who do you think the Mavs will actually get?
(17:00) Will the Mavs be more aggressive this off-season?
(19:18) Stop worry about how old a player is
(20:32) Spencer Dinwiddie
(22:00) Paul Millsap Jersey Leak?
(23:00) Should the Mavs want Danillo Gallinari?
(26:58) Looking back at Mavericks bad draft decisions
(29:24) Guess the Player by his Draft Scouting Report
(42:15) Why the Draft Is So Hard

We talk about Doc Rivers getting fired and what led to it. We also talk about what players might be available now that their teams have been eliminated from the Playoffs. Are teams looking to shake things up? We talk about whether or not we want Montrezl Harrell, Chris Paul, Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, and others.

Episode Topics

(1:22) Doc Rivers fired
(7:00) Could a healthy Mavericks team have beat the Clippers?
(11:30) Players On the Move
(11:30) Montrezl Harrell
(14:02) Gordon Hayward
(15:11) Chris Paul
(17:25) Victor Olapido
(27:59) Myles Turner
(34:16) Serge Ibaka
(25:30) Why Kristaps should play PF not C
(34:54) When will Luka win MVP?
(37:27) Mavericks Walk of Fame Game

Before the season started, we predicted 5 things that had to happen for the Dallas Mavericks to make the Playoffs. The Mavs made the Playoffs. Did our list of 5 things happen? (1:55) We also talked about predictions we made about Luka, Kristaps, and Rick Carlisle. (18:25)

We also play a game of Would You Rather? (23:13) and talk about the odds of Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to Dallas (24:40).

Are we crazy for thinking that this is sustainable? Or are the Clippers just not even trying? We talk about the Mavs' defense, their incredible offense, and what they would need to do to win this series.

This was a heartbreaking loss, simply because of how it happened. Kristaps Porzingis got ejected on a bogus call and the Mavs just couldn’t close out the game. Tim Hardaway Jr and Seth Curry made terrible decisions down the stretch of the game. We talk about the two turning points, Luka’s historic night, and whether or not the Mavericks can sustain this level of play throughout this series.

The Mavericks had a tough loss against the Miami Heat on Friday. We talk about what went wrong in the 4th quarter, why the Heat's zone defense bothered the Mavericks so much, whether or not Curry should come off the bench, and how much Luka's thumb is bothering him. We finish up talking about Playoff seeding and if the Mavs even care about that.

The Mavericks got a clutch win! We recap the Mavs’ win over the Spurs and talk about their amazing ball movement and clutch execution. (1:10) We dig into the team’s protest of the controversial end to the Atlanta Hawks game and play Good Call, Bad Call. (21:03) We answer some listener questions from Twitter (37:45) and then play Real or Fake: League Leaders Edition. (58:01)

The Dallas Mavericks got a solid win in their last game before the NBA All-Star break. We break down the win and talk about what we saw from Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Is this the blueprint for how the duo can dominate? We also talk about the Mavericks’ newest player, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and how he fits on the Mavericks. How big of a problem is his shooting? Before the All-Star break, we take a look at the team’s record and see how it compares to previous seasons.

Mavs-Pacers Recap. Are the Mavs better without Luka? Figuring out Porzingis without Luka. A look at the Mavs' upcoming schedule. I want Luka in the dunk contest.

Our recap of the Mavs-Hawks game.

It was a tough loss. We talk about all the mistakes that a young team makes, why it's so frustrating to watch, and what needs to change.

We covered a lot in this one. Will Willie Cauley-Stein start for the Mavericks? What does he bring to the team? Why the Mavericks should play Kristaps Porzingis at Center and how this helps their offense and defense. The Mavericks have a problem winning ugly and what they can do about it. Will Delon Wright get traded. And LUKA IS AN ALL-STARRER!!! Plus other ramblings about why Dwyane Wade is overrated and why Luka will go down as the greatest player of all time.