Mavericks at Clippers: Game 2 Preview

Dallas Mavericks (-0) at Los Angeles Clippers (1-0)
Thur. Oct. 29, 9:30 at Staples Center
TV: TNT
Line: Clippers by 10 1/2

2014-15 Matchups
Jan. 10 at Los Angeles
Clippers 120 Mavs 100
Feb.9 at Dallas
Clippers 115 Mavs 98
Mar. 13 at Dallas
Mavs 129 Clippers 99

All-Time Series
Mavs 87 Clippers 54

Team Stats

Mavs
Off. Rating: 108.9 (9th)
Def. Rating: 93.2 (6th)
Point Differential: +16.0
Clippers
Offense: 107.4 (11st)
Defense: 100.6 (12th)
Point Differential: +7.0

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Deron Williams
SG: Raymond Felton
SF: Wesley Matthews
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Zaza Pachulia
Clippers
PG: Chris Paul
SG: J.J. Redick
SF: Lance Stephenson
PF: Blake Griffin
C: DeAndre Jordan

Team Leaders

Mavs
PPG: Felton, 18.0
RPG: Pachulia, 10.0
APG: Felton, 7.0
PER: Williams, 32.9
Clippers
PPG: Griffin, 33.0
RPG: Jordan, 12.0
APG: Paul, 11.0
PER: Griffin, 35.6


Of Note

• The Mavericks face off against the center who left them at the altar this summer; DeAndre Jordan. In three games against the Mavs last year, Jordan averaged 17 points and 20 rebounds.
• Deron Williams is expected to play after banging his knee in the third quarter last night. Chandler Parsons is still out but hopes to make his season debut against the Lakers on Sunday.
• With a win Rick Carlisle will become the winningest coach in franchise history, passing Don Nelson with 340 wins. 
• The Mavs sit in first place in the Southwest Division, as every other team in the division lost last night.
• Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton were selected 3-5 in the 2005 draft in that order.

 

Mavericks 111 Suns 95: Game 1 Recap

The Lead
New look Mavericks start the season in extremely impressive fashion with blowout victory over the Suns.

Box score

Leaders
Mavs
Points: Felton, 18
Rebounds: Pachulia, 10
Assists: Williams, 7
+-: Pachulia, +26
Suns
Points: Knight, 15
Rebounds: Len, 8
Assists: Bledsoe, 4
+-: Weems, +8

Game Ball
Raymond Felton
18 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 7-14 FG

X-Factor
Zaza Pachulia
10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

Stat of the Game
8 Mavs scored in double figures while Wesley Matthews chipped in with 9 points.

Of Note

• The Mavs pulled away early in the third quarter, starting the period with a 25-8 run that turned a 9 point halftime lead into a 26 point runaway.
• Felton's 18 points were more points than he scored in any game last year.
• Rick Carlisle tied Don Nelson as the winningest coach in Mavericks history with 339 wins.
• Deron Williams left the game in third quarter after banging knees with Eric Bledsoe. He briefly returned to the game and the injury is not believed to be serious. 
• Tyson Chandler has a quiet night against his former team with 3 points and 6 rebounds in only 17 minutes.

Quote of Note
"I don't think I've played with a smarter center than he is. Just making smart plays, setting good picks, getting guys open. He's a good passer for his size and just makes really, really smart plays."
Dirk on Zaza Pachulia

Next Up
The Mavs (1-0) face a tough challenge Thursday on the second night of a back-to-back in Los Angeles against the Clippers (1-0) and some guy named DeAndre Jordan.

Mavericks at Suns: Game 1 Preview

Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
Wed. Oct. 28, 9:00 at Talking Stick Resort Arena
TV: FSSW, NBALP
Line: Suns by 5

20-14-15 Matchups
Dec. 5 at Dallas
Suns 118 Mavs 106
Dec. 23 at Phoenix
Suns 124 Mavs 115
Mar. 22 at Phoenix
Suns 98 Mavs 92
Apr. 8 at Dallas
Mavs 107 Suns 104


All-Time Series
Suns 77 Mavs 67

Team Stats
Mavs (50-32)
Off. Rating: 109.5 (5th)
Def. Rating: 106.4 (20th)
Point Differential: +2.9
Suns (39-43)
Offense: 105.3 (16th)
Defense: 106.2 (17th)
Point Differential: -0.9

Projected Starters
Mavs
PG: Deron Williams
SG: Raymond Felton
SF: Wesley Matthews
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Zaza Pachulia
Suns
PG: Eric Bledsoe
SG: Brandon Knight
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Markieff Morris
C: Tyson Chandler

Of Note

• The Mavericks will be without Chandler Parsons (knee surgery) and JaVale McGee (tibial stress fracture).
• The Mavs get their first look at former teammate Tyson Chandler, who signed with the Suns early in the offseason when Dallas was courting DeAndre Jordan. 
• This is the the Mavs only trip to Phoenix this year. Since the teams only play 3 times this game could be key for a potential playoff tiebreaker. 
• Wesley Matthews will play in his first regular season game since tearing his Achilles on March 5 as he meets his target of being ready for opening day.
• Dallas is coming off a winless 0-7 preseason during which Dirk, Parsons, Matthews and Deron Williams combined to play a total of 5 games.

Mavericks, Carlisle Close To 5-Year Extension

According to a report from ESPN's Marc Stein, the Mavericks and head coach Rick Carlisle are close to an agreement on a five-year contract extension. Carlisle, who is in the last year of a four year deal has been the Mavs coach since 2008. He of course led the team to the 2011 championship. Carlisle is two wins away from passing Don Nelson as the winningest coach in franchise history. He is the third longest tenured coach in the league behind Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra, who was hired a week before Carlisle.

Mavs Cut Ndour, Finalize Roster

The Mavericks finalized their 15 man opening roster today by releasing rookie forward Maurice Ndour. Ndour's release was expected after he suffered a stress reaction is his left left during the preseason. That combined with the team's need for more size enabled center Salah Mejri to claim the last roster spot. Ndour who went undrafted out of the University of Ohio was signed by the Mavs to a partially guaranteed deal after a strong summer league showing with the Knicks.

Mavericks Depth Chart
PG: Deron Williams, J.J. Barea, Raymond Felton
SG: Wesley Matthews, Devin Harris, John Jenkins
SF: Chandler Parsons, Justin Anderson
PF: Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Powell, Charlie Villanueva, Jeremy Evans
C: Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, Salah Mejri

Mavericks Season Preview and Predictions

A month-by-month look at the Mavericks 15-16 schedule and predicted record.

October-November
Games: 18 (7 H, 11 A)
Key Games: Oct. 28 at Phoenix, Nov. 11 vs. LA Clippers, Nov. 14 at Houston
Analysis: With a new group that includes players returning from  injury the Mavs face a road-heavy start to the season. For the first time in franchise history the team starts with three games on the road. The most hyped games will be the nationally televised games against DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers on Oct. 29 and Nov. 11.
Predicted Record: 9-9

December
Games: 14 (8 H, 6 A)
Key Games: Dec. 1 at Portland, Dec. 14 vs. Phoenix, Dec. 30 vs. Golden St.
Analysis: It's a month for reunions with Wesley Matthews return to Portland on the 1st, Tyson Chandler's first game back in Dallas on the 14th and the Mavs first time seeing Monta Ellis in a Pacers uniform on the 16th.
Predicted Record: 7-7

January
Games: 18 (8 H, 10 A)
Key Games: Jan. 12 vs. Cleveland, Jan. 17 at San Antonio, Jan. 27 at Golden St.
Analysis: In by far the Mavs busiest month, the Mavs have three separate three game road trips including a strech of 6 out of 7 on the road. Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Kevin Durant all make trips to the AAC in the moth.
Predicted Record: 10-8

February
Games: 10 (7 H, 3 A)
Key Games: Feb.3 vs. Miami, Feb.5 vs. San Antonio, Feb. 24 vs. Oklahoma City
Analysis: With only 10 games in the month thanks to the All-Star break and 7 of those games at home this is the month for the Mavs to do some damage. The team will go nearly a month from Feb. 7 to March 5 with only one road game.
Predicted Record: 6-4

March
Games: 15 (8 H, 7 A)
Key Games: Mar. 7 vs. LA Clippers, Mar. 16 at Cleveland, Mar. 25 at Golden St.
Analysis: The Mavericks gets two looks at the defending champion Warriors and make their only trip to Cleveland. On the other end of the spectrum they will see Portland and Denver twice as well as Orlando, Detroit and the Knicks at home.
Predicted Record: 9-6

April
Games 7 (3 H, 4 A)
Key Games: Apr. 6 vs. Houston, Apr. 11 at Utah, Apr. 13 vs. San Antonio
Analysis: The Mavs close the season with a tough five stretch that includes four West playoff teams and a game at Utah. The Utah game could be very pivotal in the race for the West's final playoff spots.
Predicted Record: 4-3

Final Record: 45-37, 8th place in the Western Confernence

Predicted Team Leaders
Points Per Game: Dirk Nowitzki, 17.5
Rebounds Per Game: Zaza Pachulia, 7.0
Assists Per Game: Deron Williams, 6.8
Steals Per Game: Wesley Matthews, 1.25
Blocks Per Game: JaVale McGee, 1.42
Minutes Per Game: Wesley Matthews, 33.5

Mavericks Cut Dalembert, 3 Others

The Mavericks  moved  closer to completing  their final opening roster today by releasing  Samuel Dalembert along with Brandon Ashley, Tu Holloway and Jamil Wilson. The roster now stand with 16 players with one cut yet to go.
Dalembert, the Mavs starting center in 13-14 was on a guaranteed minimum contract but showed up to camp out of shape and then got hurt. The other three players will likely head to the Texas Legends, the team's D-League affiliate in Frisco. The last roster spot is expected to come down to center Salah Mejri and injured forward Maurice Ndour.

Matthews, Williams to Play Tonight

In some very good news on the injury front, the Mavericks new starting backcourt of Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams will both make their debut tonight in the team's preseason finale against the Chicago Bulls in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Matthews has been out since rupturing his Achilles tendon in a March 5 game against the Mavs while he was playing for Portland. Meanwhile Williams has missed the entire preseason after straining his calf before training camp. Both players participated in a 3-on-3 game on Wednesday and a full practice on Thursday. The Mavs tonight will still be without Chandler Parsons (knee surgery) and JaVale McGee (tibial stress fracture)

My 2015-16 NBA Predictions

West
1. Golden St.
2. Oklahoma City
3. San Antonio
4. Houston
5. LA Clippers
6. Memphis
7. New Orelans
8. Dallas
9. Utah
10. Phoenix
11. Sacramento
12. Denver
13. Portland
14. LA Lakers
15. Minnesota

East
1. Cleveland
2. Chicago
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Miami
6. Toronto
7. Boston
8. Milwaukee
9. Indiana
10. Detroit
11. Charlotte
12. New York
13. Orlando
14. Brooklyn
15. Philadelphia

West Finals: Oklahoma City over Golden St.
East Finals: Cleveland over Chicago
Finals: Cleveland over Oklahoma City

Awards
MVP: Anthony Davis
Rookie of the Year: Emmanuel Mudiay 
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis
Coach of the Year: Billy Donovan 
Most Improved Player: C.J. McCollum
6th Man: Isaiah Thomas

All-NBA
First Team

F: LeBron James
F: Kevin Durant
C: Anthony Davis
G: Stephen Curry 
G: Russell Westbrook
Second Team
F: Blake Griffin
F: Kawhi Leonard
C: DeMarcus Cousins
G: James Harden
G: Chris Paul
Third Team
F: Paul George
F: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Marc Gasol
G: John Wall
G: Klay Thompson 

Media Day Quotes

What the Mavs key players and coach had to say on media day on Monday as training camp began.

Dirk Nowitzki

On Expectations
"This franchise always prides itself in winning and making the playoffs. And that’s got to be the goal. No matter who goes out there, no matter who makes the team, we’re going to play the right way. Coach Carlisle is going to make us a unit on both ends of the floor."

On His Minutes
"I don’t really have a number in my head. That’s up to the coaches. I’m going to get ready however it’s going to play out."

Chandler Parsons

On His Knee Surgery
"The knee is getting better. Like I’ve said many times, this is something I’ve never really had to go through, but in a way, I’m kind of glad I did. It allowed me to slow down and work on things this summer that I never really had the time to work on."

On Whether He Has The First Clippers Game Circled On The Calender
"No, obviously the crowd’s going to be a little bit more into it and it’s going to be fun, but at the end of the day, he’s just a player on another team."

Wesley Matthews

On His Achilles Rehab
 It’s good. It feels really good. It’s getting stronger every single day. I’m putting the work in. I’ve got the best staff in the league, so we’re confident that what I said earlier as far as being ready opening night still stands."

On If He's Confident He Can Be The Player He Was Before The Injury
"I’m not confident that I’m going to be that player. I’m confident that I’m going to be better than that player."

Deron Williams

On Coming Home To Dallas
"It feels really good, like it was a long time coming. I’m just excited about this opportunity and this fresh start. My time in New Jersey and Brooklyn didn’t go as well as I think everybody hoped. It’s kind of a fresh start for me and a chance to reset and refocus."

On Proving People Wrong
"Of course, I want to prove people wrong. I started to doubt myself in the past. Mentally, it took a toll on me. I just got to get out of that rut that I was in the last couple years mentally and I look forward to this situation."

Rick Carlisle

On The Challenge Of Roster Turnover
"I like it. I like the challenge of taking a bunch of new guys and melding them together. I'm always going to look for a positive on things like that, whereas the media tends to be a little more negative. That's OK. I understand. You have a job to ask the tough questions. I'm looking forward to it."

On What he Learned From The DeAndre Jordan Situation
"The only thing I know about is that when something like that happens, you’ve got to adjust quickly and that’s what we did. Disappointing, but you know what? It’s the NBA. Dynamic things happen. And when they go the other way, you’ve got to be aggressive. And we were. We filled out a very competitive roster. So we’re looking forward to training camp."