The Association: Dallas Mavericks

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Ouch, Deron gone and now Dirk's calling it a career after the season. I think it's time to accept fate -- as much as I would like to see Dirk ride off into the sunset on a playoff squad, the Mavs have been more competitive than they had any right to be the last few years.

Still got time to turn it around, only 1-4, but to set up for the future, losing would benefit you much more.

[vtcha]

Ouch, Deron gone and now Dirk's calling it a career after the season. I think it's time to accept fate -- as much as I would like to see Dirk ride off into the sunset on a playoff squad, the Mavs have been more competitive than they had any right to be the last few years.

Still got time to turn it around, only 1-4, but to set up for the future, losing would benefit you much more.

I definitely want to keep the Playoff hopes alive for Dirk's sake but it will be a tough road ahead, especially with the lack of playmakers around.

Might even look to shake things up before the trade deadline if the wheels fall off completely.

[vtcha]

Warriors crush Mavericks

January 13, 2017 | by NBA News

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It was a homecoming to forget for former Warriors, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, as their Dallas team were blown right out of the gate, losing 99-144.

The Warriors were scorching hot, torching the Mavericks with 78 points at the half, and finishing the game shooting 61% from the field.

Kevin Durant was the high man, almost recording a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Mavs, with 16 tonight as Golden State punished them, scoring 25 points of the turnovers.

With the Mavericks now 1-5, one really has to wonder if this is how Dirk Nowitzki, whom recently announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season, will go out..

Box Score

Spoiler

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Boy, they ate you alive in the paint. Did Bogut get in foul trouble? Seems like he played too few minutes to me.

A loss to the Warriors is an expected outcome, but that's a tough way to go -- nearly a 50-point thrashing, has to be among the worst in Dallas franchise history.

[vtcha]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Did Bogut get in foul trouble? Seems like he played too few minutes to me.

Nah, I tried to match the Warriors' pace and went with a smaller lineup (very difficult to defend with Nowitzki and Bogut, arguably the two slowest guys on the court lol). That didn't pan out well and the game was basically over at the half so I ran with the second-unit for the majority of the second half.

[vtcha]

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

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The Dallas Mavericks will waive Quincy Acy and sign Jonathan Gibson after losing Deron Williams for the season last month.

Gibson was the team’s final roster cut during the preseason, with the team keeping Acy and promising young forwards Nicolas Brussino and Dorian Finney-Smith. He scored more than 40 points per game in China last year, and then dominated Summer League for the Mavericks before just missing the final 15-man roster.

Quincy Acy appeared in 3 games for the Mavs, with all of his minutes played during garbage time where he averaged 1.7 PPG and 3.7 minutes.

Regardless, between the injuries and the 1-5 record, the Mavericks are in a bad spot. At this point, the team already has to be worrying whether digging out of this hole to reach the playoffs is in reach. Dallas is currently 3.0 games out from the No. 8 seed.

[vtcha]

Nuggets embarrass Mavericks at home

January 24, 2017 | by NBA News

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The Mavericks' miserable season continues as they fell to the Denver Nuggets, 105-119.

The Mavs had no answer as the Nuggets dominated inside, scoring 70 points in the paint along with 20 offensive boards. Denver's trio big men, Nurkic, Faried, and Jokic combined for 42 points and 29 rebounds.

Dallas coach, Rick Carlisle, was fuming at his team's lackluster effort during and after the game. As a matter of fact, he got so irate, the assistant coaches had to calm him down in order to avoid getting called a tech.

Despite Dallas shooting 56% from the field, it was the other end that let them down, allowing Denver to score 14 second chance points.

Box Score

Spoiler

[vtcha]

Hield comes up big in the clutch

February 6, 2017 | by NBA News

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Despite the Pelican's All-Star forward, Anthony Davis, fouling out of the game, it was rookie, Buddy Hield, that carried New Orleans to a 100-94 victory over the struggling Dallas Mavericks.

Hield knocked down four treys in the game, finishing with 22 points, whilst Omer Asik filled the void for Davis, racking up a season high 15 rebounds to go with 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Despite trailing for much of the game, Dallas did put up a valiant effort but struggled mightily from the outside, only making 4/19 shots from three-point territory. Dirk Nowitzki recorded a season high 5 steals but it wasn't enough as they continue to collapse on the defensive end.

With Dallas now at 1-7, it remains to be seen whether Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson will look to blow the team up as the trade deadline looms.

Box Score

Spoiler

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

This is hard to watch. I hate it for Dirk, but Dallas has punted on the draft and struck out on free agents for so many years that it's to be expected. Cuban and Co. need to really search the fringes to find some young talent to grow.

[vtcha]

Stifling defense earns Dallas their second win of the season

February 13, 2017 | by NBA News

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Down by 11 at one point, Dallas, coming into the game on a 5 game losing streak, refused to give in as they clawed their way back to win, 98-85.

Mavericks coach, Rick Carlisle, made a crucial defensive adjustment late in the third quarter that completely shifted the momentum of the game, containing the Jazz to just 17 points in the fourth quarter. Dallas' bench, led by J.J Barea and Dwight Powell were instrumental as Utah had no answers to stop the dynamic duo's pick-and-roll offense.

Harrison Barnes was the leading scorer with 27 points (12-12 FT), whilst Barea double-doubled with 10 points and 10 assists.

The Mavs were able to effectively take advantage of Utah's foul troubles, constantly attacking the paint which led to 27 attempts at the charity stripe. Both Jazz starters, Gordan Hayward and Derrick Favors, fouled out of the game as George Hill and Alec Burks shouldered the load, scoring 23 and 15 points, respectively.

With the All-Star break just days away, both teams will now get over a weeks' break before they continue the second half of the season. The Mavericks will host fellow Texan rivals, San Antonio Spurs, while the Jazz will visit Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder, with both games scheduled to be played on February 23.

Box Score

Spoiler

[lazershow]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Any chance you might move Dirk to a contender so he can have one last shot a ring and you might be able to add something to build on for the future?

[vtcha]

2017 NBA All-Stars Announced

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MVP front-runner, Russell Westbrook, and first time All-Star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, will headline the 2017 NBA All Star Game on February 19, 2017. Both players were the highest vote-getters for their respective conference as per the fans.

Westbrook has been a one-man wrecking crew, carrying his Thunder team to a 6-2 record (3rd best in the West), all while averaging 27.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 10.9 APG, and a whopping 5.1 SPG.

Joining Westbrook in the back-court will be Damian Lillard, whom was snubbed last year after much controversial debate. Lillard has been unreal this season, racking up 26.3 PPG, 9.0 APG, 1.8 SPG and shooting a career-best, 50.6% from the field.

The West starting forwards will be Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis. After much backlash in the offseason, KD did not miss a beat, averaging 30.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.7 APG and shooting a ridiculous 58.4% from the field. Similarly, Kawhi Leonard has been very impressive on both ends of the floor with 26.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 SPG and has clearly taken his offense to another notch, accumulating 55% from the field. Furthermore, Anthony Davis looks as healthy as ever, continuing his bounce-back season with 25.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 2.3 BPG.

Rounding out the West reserves will be Steph Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins, and first-timers, Eric Bledsoe, C.J. McCollum, and Rudy Gay.

As for the East, despite his team's poor record of 2-6, Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially been acclaimed as one of the superstars of the league, averaging career highs of 23.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG and 7.0 APG. Joining him in the front court will be LeBron James (24.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 9.4 APG, 2.4 SPG), who has been hampered early in the season with a neck injury, and Paul George, with averages of 21.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.5 SPG on 51.2% shooting.

For the East back-court, Kyrie Irving will be the starting point guard, with averages of 29.6 PPG and 9.7 APG, all career-highs after shouldering much of the load with LeBron out. And talk about turning back the clock, father-prime Dwyane Wade will be making his 13th consecutive All-Star appearance after averaging 24 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 3.1 SPG and 1.6 BPG. Wade has been carrying the Bulls to the best record in the East at 7-1 after Jimmy Butler went down due to a shin injury. Wade, or shall we call, "Flash", is currently one of the front-runners for the MVP award.

Rounding out the East reserves will be John Wall, DeMar DeRozan, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, Kyle Lowry, and Jimmy Butler. Butler is currently day-to-day but hoping to be fit in time for the All-Star festivities.

Stars

Starters: D'Angelo Russell, Buddy Hield, Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dario Saric
Reserves: Isaiah Whitehead, Caris LeVert, Brandon Ingram, Ben Simmons, Jakob Poeltl

Elites

Starters: Kris Dunn, Emmanuel Mudiay, Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Domantas Sabonis
Reserves: T.J. McConnell, Mario Hezonja, Justise Winslow, Nikola Jokic, Myles Turner

Participants
Klay Thompson (GSW)
Kevin Durant (GSW)
Kyrie Irving (CLE)
Stephen Curry (GSW)
J.R. Smith (CLE)
Buddy Hield (NOP)




Participants
Aaron Gordon (ORL)
Zach LaVine (MIN)
Marquese Chriss (PHX)
Andrew Wiggins (MIN)

[vtcha]

Any chance you might move Dirk to a contender so he can have one last shot a ring and you might be able to add something to build on for the future?

Most likely not. As much as I'd love to send Dirk off for a chance to compete for a Championship, I think he's pretty much content with his career and is Dallas-bound for life.

[vtcha]

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2016-17 Mid-Season Report

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Division Standings

SOUTHWEST	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
San Antonio Spurs	9	0	0.0	3-0	9-0
Memphis Grizzlies	6	2	2.5	1-1	6-2
New Orleans Pelicans	4	4	4.5	1-1	4-4
Houston Rockets	4	4	4.5	1-1	4-4
Dallas Mavericks	2	7	7.0	0-3	2-7

Conference Standings

WESTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1. San Antonio Spurs	9	0	-	3-0	9-0
2. Golden State Warriors	7	1	1.5	2-0	7-1
3. Oklahoma City Thunder	6	2	2.5	2-0	6-2
4. Los Angeles Clippers	6	2	2.5	3-0	6-2
5. Memphis Grizzlies	6	2	2.5	1-1	6-2
6. Portland Trail Blazers	5	4	4.0	1-1	5-4
7. Denver Nuggets	4	4	4.5	0-3	4-4
8. New Orleans Pelicans	4	4	4.5	1-1	4-4
9. Houston Rockets	4	4	4.5	1-1	4-4
10. Minnesota Timberwolves	3	5	5.5	2-1	3-5
11. Dallas Mavericks	2	7	7.0	0-3	2-7
12. Utah Jazz	2	7	7.0	1-1	2-7
13. Sacramento Kings	2	7	7.0	1-2	2-7
14. Phoenix Suns	2	7	7.0	1-2	2-7
15. Los Angeles Lakers	1	7	7.5	0-3	1-7

EASTERN CONFERENCE	W	L	GB	DIV	CONF
1. Chicago Bulls	7	1	-	2-0	7-1
2. Boston Celtics	6	2	1.0	2-2	6-2
3. Toronto Raptors	6	3	1.5	1-0	6-3
4. Detroit Pistons	5	3	2.0	2-0	5-3
5. Cleveland Cavaliers	5	3	2.0	0-2	5-3
6. Brooklyn Nets	5	4	2.5	1-1	5-4
7. Indiana Pacers	4	4	3.0	1-1	4-4
8. Atlanta Hawks	4	4	3.0	1-2	4-4
9. Washington Wizards	4	5	3.5	3-0	4-5
10. Orlando Magic	4	5	3.5	2-1	4-5
11. Charlotte Hornets	3	5	4.0	1-1	3-5
12. Miami Heat	3	5	4.0	0-3	3-5
13. Philadelphia 76ers	3	6	4.5	0-1	3-6
14. Milwaukee Bucks	2	6	5.0	1-3	2-6
15. New York Knicks	2	7	5.5	1-1	2-7

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Team Statistics

FGM

FGA

FG%

3PM

3PA

3P%

FTM

FTA

FT%

OREB

DREB

REB

AST

TO

STL

BLK

PF

PTS

+/-

34.8

74.4

46.7

8.3

25.4

32.8

21.1

28.1

75.1

10.7

33.4

44.1

24.4

13.2

7.1

6.6

13.1

99.0

-10.7

27th

30th

7th

12th

10th

20th

1st

1st

19th

25th

29th

30th

23rd

26th

18th

23rd

30th

18th

26th

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Player Statistics

Dallas Mavericks
Player	GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Harrison Barnes	9	34.3	48.1	74.3	2.4	5.9	2.6	0.8	0.8	22.8
Dirk Nowitzki	8	27.9	46.1	83.3	0.5	6.5	2.6	1.5	1.0	19.6
Wesley Matthews	9	32.0	41.8	89.5	2.1	2.2	2.3	0.7	0.2	12.4
Dwight Powell	9	21.0	58.1	76.2	0.3	6.9	0.8	0.7	1.7	10.1
J.J. Barea	9	21.7	39.1	79.3	0.7	0.8	6.0	0.8	0.1	9.2
Seth Curry	9	19.6	41.4	72.7	1.6	0.9	2.1	0.2	0.2	7.8
Deron Williams	2	28.5	23.8	100.0	1.5	3.0	6.0	0.5	0.0	7.5
Andrew Bogut	9	24.8	75.9	52.6	0.0	6.7	0.6	0.8	1.8	6.0
Devin Harris	8	18.9	50.0	58.3	0.4	2.0	4.9	0.7	0.0	4.2
Justin Anderson	9	20.7	40.7	82.4	0.1	2.9	0.7	0.8	0.4	4.1
Dorian Finney-Smith	9	12.8	42.1	100.0	0.0	3.2	0.8	0.2	0.1	1.9
A.J. Hammons	3	3.3	100.0	50.0	0.0	1.0	0.7	0.0	0.3	1.7
Salah Mejri	4	4.5	75.0	00.0	0.0	1.5	0.7	0.3	0.3	1.5
Jonathan Gibson	1	5.0	00.0	00.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Nicolas Brussino	1	4.0	00.0	00.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Quincy Acy	3	3.7	100.0	50.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.3	1.7

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League Leaders

POINTS		PPG	REBOUNDS		RPG
	1. Kevin Durant	30.4		1. DeAndre Jordan	17.9
	2. Kyrie Irving	29.6		2. Andre Drummond	13.6
	3. Russell Westbrook	27.6		3. Tristan Thompson	13.2
	4. DeMar DeRozan	27.4		4. Giannis Antetokounmpo	13.1
	5. C.J. McCollum	26.4		5. Anthony Davis	12.5
ASSISTS		APG	STEALS		SPG
	1. Russell Westbrook	10.9		1. Russell Westbrook	5.1
	2. John Wall	10.6		2. John Wall	3.6
	3. Dennis Schroder	9.7		3. Chris Paul	3.4
	4. Kyrie Irving	9.7		4. Dwyane Wade	3.1
	5. Mike Conley	9.5		5. Avery Bradley	2.9
BLOCKS		BPG	FIELD GOAL		FG%
	1. Andre Drummond	3.0		1. Andre Drummond	59.8
	2. DeAndre Jordan	2.8		2. Evan Turner	58.5
	3. Anthony Davis	2.3		3. Kevin Durant	58.4
	4. Karl-Anthony Towns	2.1		4. Blake Griffin	58.2
	5. Brook Lopez	2.1		5. Steven Adams	58.2
3 POINT FIELD GOAL		3P%	PLUS/MINUS		+/-
	1. Raymond Felton	60.0		1. Kawhi Leonard	19.4
	2. Klay Thompson	57.1		2. Tony Parker	16.3
	3. E'Twaun Moore	52.4		3. LaMarcus Aldridge	14.8
	4. Victor Oladipo	52.4		4. Shaun Livingston	14.3
	5. Buddy Hield	51.3		5. Russell Westbrook	13.5

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Injury Report

Injury Report
Pos	Player	Injury Note
F	Chris Bosh	Collapse Lung (Season)
C	Nikola Pekovic	Torn Left ACL (Season)
G	Tyler Johnson	Dislocated Right Patella (2-4 months)
G	Deron Williams	Ruptured Left Achilles (2-4 months)
C	Bismack Biyombo	Broken Left Ankle (6-8 weeks)
C	Marcin Gortat	Torn Left Hand Ligament (6-8 weeks)
C	Anderson Varejao	Dislocated Left Patella (4-6 weeks)
C	Ian Mahinmi	Severe Left Ankle Sprain (4-6 weeks)
F	Skal Labissiere	Broken Right Wrist (4-6 weeks)
C	Kyle O'Quinn	Broken Right Leg (4-6 weeks)
F	Aaron Gordon	Broken Left Finger (2-4 weeks)
G	Iman Shumpert	Left Shoulder Tendinitis (1-2 weeks)
F	Luc Mbah a Moute	Left Shoulder Tendinitis (1-2 weeks)
C	Tyson Chandler	Strained Groin (1-2 weeks)
G	Kyle Korver	Right Hand Fracture (1-2 weeks)
F	Mike Miller	Torn Left Calf Muscle (1-2 weeks)
C	Justin Hamilton	Twisted Left Ankle (1-2 weeks)
G	Khris Middleton	Torn Right Hamstring (8-10 weeks)

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Transaction Report

TRADES

January 29, 2017	To Milwaukee Bucks	To Orlando Magic
	D.J. Augustin	Mirza Teletovic
	C.J. Wilcox	Steve Novak

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Award Races

Most Valuable Player			Rookie of the Year
	1. Russell Westbrook	OKC		1. Joel Embiid	PHI
	2. Kawhi Leonard	SAS		2. Buddy Hield	NOP
	3. Dwyane Wade	CHI		3. Dario Saric	PHI
	4. LeBron James	CLE		4. Kris Dunn	MIN
	5. Kyle Lowry	TOR		5. Caris LeVert	BKN
Sixth Man of the Year			Defensive Player of the Year
	1. Jahlil Okafor	PHI		1. DeAndre Jordan	LAC
	2. Brandon Knight	PHX		2. Russell Westbrook	OKC
	3. Evan Turner	POR		3. Andre Drummond	DET
	4. Greg Monroe	MIL		4. Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN
	5. Michael Carter-Williams	CHI		5. LeBron James	CLE
Most Improved Player			Coach of the Year
	Kyle O'Quinn	NYK		1. Gregg Popovich	9-0
	2. Dennis Schroder	ATL		2. Fred Hoiberg	7-1
	3. Jeremy Lin	BKN		3. Steve Kerr	7-1
	4. Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL		4. Billy Donovan	6-2
	5. Steven Adams	OKC		5. Kenny Atkinson	5-4

[vtcha]

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired John Wall

In stunning Mark Cuban fashion, the Dallas Mavericks have struck the league as the trade deadline nears its' end.

They have finally landed a big fish, one that can become the face of the franchise and the successor to Dirk Nowitzki, who recently announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Below is the full breakdown of the 3-team trade between Dallas, Washington, and Minnesota:

Mavericks get: John Wall (WAS), Daniel Ochefu (WAS)

Wizards get: Ricky Rubio (MIN), Gorgui Dieng (MIN), Shabazz Muhammad (MIN), Dallas' 1st round picks for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

Timberwolves get: Wesley Matthews (DAL), Dwight Powell (DAL), Kelly Oubre Jr. (WAS)

With the Wizards posting a pedestrian 4-5 record at the break, it was clear that the backcourt duo of Wall and Beal was not working. Both players were increasingly getting frustrated with one another and with management unhappy settling for mediocrity, it was time for a change. Although they ended up trading the best player on the team instead of Beal, they did get back a more than capable floor general in Ricky Rubio along with Gorgui Dieng. With both of Washington's centers, Gortat and Mahinmi, sidelined with lengthy injuries, Dieng will be thrusted into a big role immediately - something he was overshadowed by in Minnesota while playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wizards also receive Dallas' first-round picks for the next 4 years, with a high lottery pick expected in the rich 2017 NBA Draft based on the Mavs' current record of 2-7. The Wizards will surely be hoping of similar fortunes much like the Boston Celtics when they traded away their stars for Brooklyn's future draft picks.

For Minnesota, they've finally traded away Ricky Rubio, who was on the rumor mills all season long after the team drafted Kris Dunn. Dunn will now be handed the keys to the reign and is sure to have an explosive second half season. With the trade, the Timberwolves acquired Wesley Matthews whom Wolves coach, Tom Thibodeau, absolutely praised during the press conference. "He's going to provide great veteran leadership to this young team and his defensive work ethic will rub off on these guys." The T'Wolves also acquire young big man, Dwight Powell, who played a key role in Dallas' bench with career highs of 6.9 RPG and 1.7 BPG, while stretching the floor against opponents. Although Thibodeau has yet to name the starting power forward for Dieng, it is widely expected that Powell will play a big part moving forward.

As for Dallas, there were some mix reactions from fans. Yes, they did land an All-Star in John Wall, and yes they did acquire a playmaker - something they so desperately needed after losing Williams for the season, but fans were not happy with the franchise basically forfeiting their draft picks for the next four years. With Nowitzki retiring at seasons' end, and their current lack of depth, Dallas will need to hit a home run in free agency if they really want to get back into Playoff contentions. However, the odds aren't within their favor as they've struck every year since winning the 2011 NBA Championship.

With Wall having 3 years left on his current deal, it remains to be seen if he will also stick around long-term. Based on his comments during the NBA Care Program for All-Star Weekend this morning, fans should seem optimistic, "I just want to thank the Wizards for 7 wonderful years but now it's time for a change and I'm excited for the opportunity to show what I can do in Dallas. I hope the city will embrace me and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to win." Wall also jokingly said that he'll now get to spend more time watching his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, during home games.

Wall will make his final appearance in an Eastern conference uniform as he takes part in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game where he was voted in as a reserve, posting averages of 17.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 10.6 APG, 3.6 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. In a rather awkward situation, Wall will represent the East whilst now playing for a Western Conference team. "Yeah, it definitely feels weird but I'm just going to enjoy the moment and catch up with the group of guys. It's not every day that you get to experience these kind of things so I'm just going to try and have fun." Wall addressed the media.