Game Thread: Mavericks (34-35) @ Spurs (17-50) Wednesday Mar. 15, 2023 7:30PM CT 2:30AM RIGA

[exstatic]

KJ is really a very unclutch mother er.

I’m beginning to think he’s in on it.

[rankingtear]

Pop splitting KJ and Sochan on back to backs. High possibility Wright clears the way for Sochan with a KJ trade in the offseason. KJ is the last of the RC era picks. Don't think Wright squeezes every inch of value for KJ if Sochan is playing this well, they do overlap a lot.

[rascal]

Watch KJ again in the 4th. Some su ious tank moves imho. Tried to throw it oob on purpose, a cheap foul I think I saw, but then that late turn over was so deliberate. KJ missing that drive with contact at .7 watch the tape again in slow mo, he deliberately pushes that shot hard off the glass to miss. Gets the challenge so what does KJ do? Misses a FT down 2 LOL!! Some shenanigans in OT as well. Is KJ really just acutely unclutch in the final 2:00 crunch time? Pretty okay game until the 4th. 8 REBS. About 1 shot under 50% on 27 pts. -7, 6 fouls, 2AST/2TO. Nothing crazy but that's not bad. Would love to see his numbers with the tankjob 4th stats removed.

That is deliberate tank moves imho. Love how once the tank is in the bag, the Spurs fake effort again all the sudden. Graham? takes a charge, Tre cuts it to 1 with the bucket, and the quick foul to send to the line. Like yeah too little too late by design. Forced OT but it's irrelevant to the outcome and actually just makes the tank more advanced.

This is why I'm wary of skill assessments on KJ since Feb because it looks like he packed it in for the tank. Might even be doing exactly as he's been told. If I'm FO, it's like show me what you got, which Keldon did, until say Feb, and then it's like help me help you by tanking for us so we can get higher quality talent to surround you with. Which if you don't agree, in the name of your own numbers/contracts, and maybe you even feel threatened by a Wemby caliber player, because it's all about the spotlight for you, well then you're outta here anyway because that's not a team player and it'll rear it's ugly head in the Playoffs when the whole season is on the line.

It's kinda cheap because if KJ does good, well that's legit data, of course lol. But if KJ does poorly, well you can't read too much into it because he might've deliberately bounce the ball off his leg out of bounds for the turn over due to tanking and not poor skill or regression or other teams capably game planning on him.

But in a sense, yes, because if they do something skilled in a tank season, it's not like they accidentally were a good player lol, I mean that is possibly something in their wheelhouse you could reasonably expect to see again. So it's not hypocritical to cherry pick a bit here imo. All this to say I've already pegged KJ as a sell high candidate for the future so not like I'm stanning or refuse to notice the stagnation over the past few months. Just arguing for alt explanations.

Doubt the players are purposely playing bad to tank.

Pop is tanking,sitting players out and playing poor lineups, but the players are not, they are trying to win.

[Dex]

I’m beginning to think he’s in on it.

Pop gonna "lose" some cash in KJ's locker every time he saves a loss

[Rocalcio]

Watch KJ again in the 4th. Some su ious tank moves imho. Tried to throw it oob on purpose, a cheap foul I think I saw, but then that late turn over was so deliberate. KJ missing that drive with contact at .7 watch the tape again in slow mo, he deliberately pushes that shot hard off the glass to miss. Gets the challenge so what does KJ do? Misses a FT down 2 LOL!! Some shenanigans in OT as well. Is KJ really just acutely unclutch in the final 2:00 crunch time? Pretty okay game until the 4th. 8 REBS. About 1 shot under 50% on 27 pts. -7, 6 fouls, 2AST/2TO. Nothing crazy but that's not bad. Would love to see his numbers with the tankjob 4th stats removed.

That is deliberate tank moves imho. Love how once the tank is in the bag, the Spurs fake effort again all the sudden. Graham? takes a charge, Tre cuts it to 1 with the bucket, and the quick foul to send to the line. Like yeah too little too late by design. Forced OT but it's irrelevant to the outcome and actually just makes the tank more advanced.

This is why I'm wary of skill assessments on KJ since Feb because it looks like he packed it in for the tank. Might even be doing exactly as he's been told. If I'm FO, it's like show me what you got, which Keldon did, until say Feb, and then it's like help me help you by tanking for us so we can get higher quality talent to surround you with. Which if you don't agree, in the name of your own numbers/contracts, and maybe you even feel threatened by a Wemby caliber player, because it's all about the spotlight for you, well then you're outta here anyway because that's not a team player and it'll rear it's ugly head in the Playoffs when the whole season is on the line.

It's kinda cheap because if KJ does good, well that's legit data, of course lol. But if KJ does poorly, well you can't read too much into it because he might've deliberately bounce the ball off his leg out of bounds for the turn over due to tanking and not poor skill or regression or other teams capably game planning on him.

But in a sense, yes, because if they do something skilled in a tank season, it's not like they accidentally were a good player lol, I mean that is possibly something in their wheelhouse you could reasonably expect to see again. So it's not hypocritical to cherry pick a bit here imo. All this to say I've already pegged KJ as a sell high candidate for the future so not like I'm stanning or refuse to notice the stagnation over the past few months. Just arguing for alt explanations.

He looked very happy after his alley-hoop at the end of the 4th though.

[Harry Callahan]

Is it just me, or does Christian Wood look like he does not enjoy playing basketball - at least in Dallas? He seems like a malcontent to me. He is a FA in the Summer if I recall. K Irving may also be a FA.

[Mr. Body]

Is it just me, or does Christian Wood look like he does not enjoy playing basketball - at least in Dallas? He seems like a malcontent to me. He is a FA in the Summer if I recall. K Irving may also be a FA.

Wood is such a malcontent the Rockets got rid of him.

[Harry Callahan]

Wood is such a malcontent the Rockets got rid of him.

Yup. Just seems like he would not be a good teammate if that scowl is perpetual. The Spurs collection of bigs (now without Pertl for good and Sochan for one game) made wood look better than he is. Also, Dallas will have to poney up Free Agent money to this guy in the Summer if they want to retain him - confirmed he is a FA in in July.

[exstatic]

Is it just me, or does Christian Wood look like he does not enjoy playing basketball - at least in Dallas? He seems like a malcontent to me. He is a FA in the Summer if I recall. K Irving may also be a FA.

Wood was known as a bit of a malcontent in Houston, and for him to be thought of like that in THAT locker room speaks volumes.