Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

[vtcha]

Wall agrees to extension
October 25, 2018 | by NBA News

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With the 2018-19 season opener right around the corner, the Dallas Mavericks have reached an agreement with John Wall, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, that will keep him til the 2021-22 season. The extension is reportedly worth $93.58 million with a player option in the third-year.

It seems the recent signing of DeMarcus Cousins has triggered Wall to take the plunge early and commit with the Mavericks. Both players have numerously in the past stated their desire to play with one another. Wall and Cousins were teammates back in Kentucky where they reached the East Region Finals, eventually losing to West Virginia.

[LopaKa]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Nice job keeping Wall with that extension. I'm excited to see how this season goes for your Mavs.

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Since the Warriors were crowned the NBA Champions last season, many teams have undergone a number of changes over the long summer offseason. NBA.com's John Schuhmann will grade each franchise -- from the best team to the last -- in the inaugural Power Rankings for the 2018-19 NBA season.

* * *

NBA.com's Power Rankings, are just one man's opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.

1

Cleveland (Last season: 10-4) Head Coach: Tyronn Lue Even though losing in the Finals can be tough, the Cavs managed to bolster their second unit with additions of Jerami Grant, JaMychael Green and Donatas Motiejunas to pair with their existing core as well as noticeable bench players. They’re still the clear front-runner of the East.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kyrie Irving	Shelvin Mack	Tim Frazier
SG	J.R. Smith	Jared Dudley
SF	LeBron James	Jerami Grant	Doug McDermott
PF	Kevin Love	JaMychal Green	Channing Frye
C	Tristan Thompson	Donatas Motiejunas

2

Golden State (Last season: 10-4) Head Coach: Steve Kerr Kevin Durant is finally an NBA Champion and now has that monkey off his back. With the Warriors bringing back basically everyone on board, can they go back-to-back?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Stephen Curry	Shaun Livingston	Mario Chalmers
SG	Klay Thompson	Patrick McCaw	K.J. McDaniels
SF	Kevin Durant
PF	Draymond Green	Joffrey Lauvergne
C	Tyler Zeller	Jeff Withey	Marreese Speights	Damian Jones

3

Dallas (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Rick Carlisle Easily the biggest signing in franchise history, will Boogie (aka postseason virgin) sink or swim come crunch time?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	John Wall	Deron Williams
SG	Tim Hardaway Jr.	Denzel Valentine	Tony Allen
SF	Harrison Barnes	Justin Anderson
PF	Serge Ibaka	Thomas Robinson	Darrell Arthur
C	DeMarcus Cousins	A.J. Hammons	Andrew Bogut

4

San Antonio (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Gregg Popovich Yes, they’re ranked this high despite not making the Playoffs last season. Why? Because they’re the Spurs … It’ll be interesting to see how Pop brings rookie Hamidou Diallo along. But with plenty of veterans to guide the rookie, be sure for him to follow the path of Kawhi Leonard.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Tony Parker	Dejounte Murray
SG	Hamidou Diallo	Danny Green
SF	Kawhi Leonard	James Ennis	Thanasis Antetokounmpo
PF	LaMarcus Aldridge	Brandan Wright	Chimezie Metu	David Lee
C	Tyson Chandler	Thomas Bryant

5

Minnesota (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: David Blatt The Timberwolves finally look to live up to their potential under new coach David Blatt last season. After posting a solid 7-7 record, they’ll be looking to go one-up this time around.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kris Dunn	Tyus Jones	Norris Cole
SG	Zach LaVine	J.J. Redick
SF	Andrew Wiggins	Wesley Matthews	Kelly Oubre Jr.
PF	Harry Giles	Jarnell Stokes	Montrezl Harrell
C	Karl-Anthony Towns	Dwight Powell

6

Philadelphia (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer The Sixers decided to let Noel walk in free agency and now look to pair Okafor and Embiid together at the front court. With Simmons sliding to the 3, Philadelphia appears to have their rotations intact. Will it translate to more wins this season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Rajon Rondo	Malik Monk
SG	Terrance Ferguson	Allen Crabbe	Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot	Nik Stauskas
SF	Ben Simmons	Dzanan Musa
PF	Jahlil Okafor	Dario Saric
C	Joel Embiid	Jordan Hill	Ian Mahinmi

7

Portland (Last season: 12-2) Head Coach: Kevin McHale With Kevin McHale guiding the Trail Blazers to an overachieving 12-2 record last season, will they be able to make a deep postseason run this time?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Damian Lillard
SG	C.J. McCollum	Andre Iguodala
SF	Moe Harkless	Evan Turner	Jeff Green
PF	Al-Farouq Aminu	Bam Adebayo	Noah Vonleh
C	Mason Plumlee	Ed Davis	Zaza Tony Bradley	Kevin Seraphin

8

Chicago (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Doc Rivers Last season was a disaster inserting MCW as the starting point guard for which he clearly was not a great fit with the starting unit. With the signing of Marcus Smart, can the Bulls get back to the top of the East, a position they were in when Rondo left?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Marcus Smart	Michael Carter-Williams	Jerian Grant
SG	Dwyane Wade	J.J. Barea
SF	Jimmy Butler
PF	Taj Gibson	Nikola Mirotic	Wendell Carter	Yi Jianlian
C	Bobby Portis	Festus Ezeli	Robin Lopez

9

L.A. Clippers (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Quin Snyder Will new coach Quin Snyder be able to break the Clipper curse? How will CP3 mentor rookie Collin Sexton and what will be the impacts in the long run?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Chris Paul	Collin Sexton
SG	Austin Rivers	Jeremy Lamb	Ian Clark
SF	Shabazz Muhammad	Wesley Johnson	Luc Mbah a Moute
PF	Andrew Nicholson	Brice Johnson	Meyers Leonard
C	DeAndre Jordan	Diamond Stone

10

Milwaukee (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Jason Kidd It was a bizarre move for the Bucks to re-sign Greg Monroe. But anything’s possible for a team that has a 6’11 as your point guard! Last year, Thon Maker showed some signs of life and it looks like the front office have the utmost trust in him. He’s now slated to start at the power forward spot this season.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Elfrid Payton	D.J. Augustin	Frank Jackson
SG	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Rashad Vaughn	Troy Brown Jr.
SF	Jabari Parker	Michael Beasley	Joe Johnson
PF	Thon Maker	Wenyen Gabriel
C	Greg Monroe	John Henson

11

Boston (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Brad Stevens With virtually the same roster as last year, the Celtics will look to avenge themselves after the devastating Conference Semifinal against Cleveland.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Isaiah Thomas	Brandon Jennings	Shake Milton
SG	Avery Bradley	Terry Rozier	James Young
SF	Jaylen Brown
PF	Jae Crowder	Ivan Rabb	Amir Johnson	Jordan Mickey
C	Al Horford	Kelly Olynyk	Ike Anigbogu

12

Utah (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: David Joerger The Jazz will look to bounce back underachieving year, yet again. The good news is they landed another lottery pick drafted Michael Porter Jr.. Markelle Fultz was also outstanding in his rookie year – what will he do for an encore?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Markelle Fultz	Dante Exum	Ramon Sessions
SG	Rodney Hood	Alec Burks	Kerwin Roach
SF	Gordon Hayward	Michael Porter Jr.	Devin Robinson
PF	Derrick Favors	Trey Lyles	Caleb Swanigan
C	Rudy Gobert

13

Indiana (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Terry Stotts Much like the Jazz, the Pacers severely underachieved and didn’t even make the Playoffs. Will they finally get over the hump this season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	George Hill	Melo Trimble
SG	Monta Ellis	Lonnie Walker	Courtney Lee
SF	Paul George	C.J. Miles
PF	Ersan Ilyasova	Charlie Villanueva	Andrea Bargnani
C	Myles Turner	JaVale McGee	Al Jefferson

14

Toronto (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Dwane Casey Can the Raptors get back into Playoff contention after an injury-plagued year?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kyle Lowry	Cory Joseph
SG	DeMar DeRozan	Norman Powell	Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
SF	DeMarre Carroll	Kevin Knox	Bruno Caboclo
PF	Jared Sullinger	Pascal Siakam	Isaiah Hartenstein
C	Jonas Valanciunas	Marcin Gortat	Jakob Poeltl	Lucas Nogueira

15

New York (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Frank Vogel Another year with a lack of point guard depth, or quality, can the Knicks outperform everyone’s expectations this year?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Sergio Rodriguez
SG	Lance Stephenson	E'Twaun Moore	Antonio Blakeney
SF	Jayson Tatum	Lance Thomas
PF	Carmelo Anthony	Kyle O'Quinn	Carlton Bragg Jr.
C	Kristaps Porzingis	Joakim Noah	Guillermo Hernangomez	Dwayne Patrick

16

Oklahoma City (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Billy Donovan A contract year for Westbrook, can OKC do enough to keep him or will he bolt next summer?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Russell Westbrook	Cameron Payne
SG	Victor Oladipo	Ben McLemore	Malcolm Brogdon
SF	Andre Roberson	Luol Deng
PF	Domantas Sabonis	Richaun Holmes	Mike Scott	Marvin Williams
C	Steven Adams	Enes Kanter

17

L.A. Lakers (Last season: 4-10) Head Coach: Luke Walton A disappointing season despite the hype signing Blake Griffin, can the Lakers redeem themselves with the addition of Nerlens Noel?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	D'Angelo Russell	Trevon Duval
SG	Jordan Clarkson	Alex Abrines
SF	Brandon Ingram	Miles Bridges
PF	Blake Griffin	Larry Nance Jr.	Zach Randolph
C	Nerlens Noel	Dewayne Dedmon	Timofey Mozgov	Ivica Zubac

18

Denver (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Mike Malone With the number pick in DeAndre Ayton, will the Nuggets finally make the Playoffs?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Emmanuel Mudiay	De'Aaron Fox	Jameer Nelson
SG	Gary Harris	Jamal Murray	Will Barton	Malik Beasley
SF	Danilo Gallinari	Wilson Chandler
PF	Nikola Jokic	Kenneth Faried	Juan Hernangomez
C	De'Andre Ayton	Jusuf Nurkic	Jarrett Allen

19

New Orleans (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Alvin Gentry The Pelicans tasted postseason for the first time with a healthy squad. Can they keep up the momentum?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Jrue Holiday
SG	Buddy Hield	Tyreke Evans
SF	Solomon Hill	Isaac Bonga	Omri Casspi
PF	Anthony Davis	Kevon Looney	Nemanja Bjelica	Mindaugas Kuzminskas
C	Marques Bolden	Omer Asik	Chuck Diallo

20

Detroit (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy The Pistons decided to bring back Stan Van Gundy with basically the same roster when he left. Will things be different this time?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Reggie Jackson	Tony Wroten	Joseph Young	Ish Smith
SG	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Kosta Mushidi
SF	Marcus Morris	Stanley Johnson	Corey Brewer
PF	Tobias Harris	Lauri Markkanen
C	Andre Drummond	Henry Ellenson

21

Memphis (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Dave Fizdale Every year the Grizzlies seem to defy the odds and sneak into the Playoffs with a high seed. However, it doesn't get any easier as the years go by but David Fizdale has done a terrific job so far.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Mike Conley	Raul Neto	T.J. McConnell	Wade Baldwin
SG	Tyler Johnson	Jerryd Bayless	Bruce Brown
SF	Chandler Parsons	Georges Niang
PF	Terrence Jones	Deyonta Davis	Jon Leuer
C	Marc Gasol	Nikola Pekovic	Tyler Zeller

22

Charlotte (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Steve Clifford A disappointing 5-9 record, the Hornets will look to get back into the Playoff hunt. They already have a more than capable roster on paper.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kemba Walker	Matthew Dellavedova
SG	Khris Middleton	Luka Doncic	Iman Shumpert	Josh Hart
SF	Nicolas Batum	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
PF	Frank Kaminsky	J.J Hickson	Davos Bertans
C	Cody Zeller	Cole Aldrich

23

Washington (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Sidney Lowe After a phenomenal postseason run where they made it all the way to the ECF, can they repeat under new head coach, Sidney Lowe?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Dennis Smith Jr.	Ricky Rubio	Isaiah Briscoe
SG	Bradley Beal	Tomas Satoransky	Grayson Allen	Seth Curry
SF	Otto Porter	Justin Jackson
PF	Markieff Morris	Patrick Patterson	Sacha Killeya-Jones
C	Gorgui Dieng

24

Phoenix (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek With Eric Bledsoe out and Mohamed Bamba in, what surprises will be in store for Phoenix this season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Jeff Teague	Brandon Knight	Tyler Ulis
SG	Devin Booker	Lonzo Ball
SF	T.J. Warren	Kent Bazemore	Terrence Ross
PF	Marquese Chriss	Dragan Bender	Mohamed Bamba	Bennie Boatwright
C	Alex Len	Jonathan Jeanne	Brandon McCoy

25

Atlanta (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra After missing the Playoffs, the Hawks basically dealt their lottery pick for Eric Bledsoe. However, is it enough for them to get back into the top 8 in the East?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Dennis Schroder	Gary Neal
SG	Eric Bledsoe	Louis Williams	Jordan McRae
SF	Robert Covington	Taurean Prince	V.J. Beachem	Mikal Bridges
PF	Paul Millsap	Kris Jenkins
C	Dwight Howard	Omer Yurtseven

26

Miami (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau A contract year for both Whiteside and Dragic, is Miami planning to blow it all up or keep its' core and pray for the best?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Goran Dragic	Trey Burke	Andrew Harrison
SG	Josh Richardson	Dion Waiters	Marcus Thornton	Jamal Crawford
SF	Josh Jackson	Simon Watkins
PF	Justise Winslow	James Johnson
C	Hassan Whiteside	Ryan Hollins

27

Orlando (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Scott Brooks The D-Rose experiment in Orlando worked like a charm. So much so, the front office decided to let Elfrid Payton go and now their success hinges on Rose's shoulders.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Derrick Rose
SG	Evan Fournier	Donovan Mitchell	Rawle Alkins
SF	Mario Hezonja	Jonathan Isaac
PF	Aaron Gordon	Lavoy Allen	Jeffery Fordham
C	Nikola Vucevic	Bismack Biyombo	Aron Baynes	Stephen Zimmerman

28

Houston (Last season: 12-2) Head Coach: Kuba Gooding Despite posting a 12-2 record and reaching the WCF last season, we're still not convinced of the Rockets. So much so that they're bound to fall back down to Earth. Houston, care to beg differ?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Patrick Beverley	Patrick Mills	Tyler Ennis	Aaron Brooks
SG	James Harden	Eric Gordon
SF	Trevor Ariza	Malcolm Hill
PF	Julius Randle	Ryan Anderson	Sam Dekker
C	Clint Capela	Chinanu Onuaku	Doug Andersen

29

Sacramento (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni With Boogie gone, the Kings had a plethora of cap space to use. So what did they do? Sign Thaddeus Young and Trevor Booker of course! Kidding, but at least they won't be pestered with the trade rumors anymore right?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Frank Ntilikina	Darren Collison	Ty Lawson
SG	Kyle Anderson	Arron Afflalo	Malachi Richardson	Garrett Temple
SF	Thaddeus Young	JaKarr Sampson
PF	Trevor Booker	Skal Labissiere
C	Willie Cauley-Stein		Georgios Papagiannis	Kosta Koufos

30

Brooklyn (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson With the hiring of Lionel Hollins a complete failure from the start, Brooklyn brought back the man who took them to the postseason a year ago. Can Kenny Atkinson work his magic again?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Jeremy Lin
SG	Sean Kilpatrick	Caris LeVert	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
SF	Rudy Gay	Bojan Bogdanovic
PF	Tyler Lydon	Chris McCullough	Mirza Teletovic
C	Brook Lopez	Spencer Hawes	Justin Hamilton

[dfsJunkie]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

The T'Wolves look to have a dynasty building. Nice job with Wall and Cousins, seems like the team as a whole has a lot of flexibility in the upcoming season.

[vtcha]

Barnes torches Thunder in the third, Dallas wins in Boogie's debut

November 5, 2018 | by NBA News

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With the new NBA season finally under way, the Mavericks easily took care of business and defeated the Thunder, 120-95. Dallas their presence known during the second and third quarter, outscoring OKC 67-37, led by Harrison Barnes who had a game-high, 35 points. Talks of Barnes deferring to his star teammates should be extinguished after tonight's performance.

New acquisition, DeMarcus Cousins, made his debut for the Mavericks and was very impressive, particularly on the defensive end. He racked up 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks to go along with his 20 points. Cousins told reporters after the game just how much he's enjoyed being in Dallas. "Man, you guys don't know. Playing guys like John and Harrison, you know, it makes my life a helluva lot easy."

Box Score

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Cousins out with leg injury

November 10, 2018 | by NBA News

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The Dallas Mavericks will be looking to be without their star center, DeMarcus Cousins, for a lengthy period after he suffered an undisclosed leg injury.

It's not exactly known when the injury occurred but Cousins was feeling discomfort in his leg during the team's scheduled practice yesterday. Team doctors immediately ruled him out for the clash against the Rockets next week, and he could in fact be sidelined up to 6-8 weeks.

Coach, Rick Carlisle, addressed the media this morning about the situation. "Obviously it's a big loss and we're going to need our other guys to step up in his absence. Fortunately, he won't require surgery but it will be a lengthy time before we see him back on the court."

Cousins scored 20 points and 9 rebounds on his debut against the OKC Thunder. A.J. Hammons will likely replace Cousins as the starting center with Andrew Bogut backing him up.

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Dallas avenges Conference Semi-final loss, defeats Houston, 110-93

November 17, 2018 | by NBA News

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Despite losing DeMarcus Cousins due to injury, that didn't stop the Mavs from avenging their buzzer beating loss at the hands of the Rockets last season.

Dallas got off slow, trailing at the half, 48-53. However, Harrison Barnes once again took over in the third quarter and led Dallas to a dominating 34-13 quarter. Barnes finished with 30 points while John Wall double-doubled with 17 points and 10 assists. A.J. Hammons was also impressive in his first career start, posting 15 points and 15 rebounds.

As for the Rockets, they simply couldn't generate enough offensive in the second half, with James Harden leading the team in scoring with 24 points.

Dallas now heads to San Francisco to take on the NBA Champions, Golden State Warriors.

Box Score

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Robinson suffers torn hamstring
November 28, 2018 | by NBA News

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Its been a bumpy ride for the Mavericks so far as they endure another setback due to injuries. This time, Thomas Robinson has been diagnosed with a torn right hamstring, team officials revealed.

Although not expected to require surgery, Robinson will be on the shelf for the next 8-10 weeks. It's a tough blow for the big man, who has been outstanding in his limited time off the bench. In 2 games played, Robinson has been averaging 14.5 PPG with an absurd 14/16 field goals made.

With T-Rob sidelined, Harrison Barnes is expected to play more at the four to compensate.

[vtcha]

Warriors crush Mavericks, Barnes injured in loss

December 1, 2018 | by NBA News

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Golden State showed Dallas what it was really like to be an elite team as they trounced them by 21 points. The game was basically over at the half with the Warriors having a commanding 74-38 lead. Stephen Curry was the highlight with 25 points while knocking down 7 three-pointers.

As for the Mavericks, things go from bad to worse as they suffer yet another injury - this time, their leading scorer Harrison Barnes, who went down with an ankle injury. Team doctors immediately ruled him out for the night, and after further analysis, he'll appear to be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks.

Already missing Cousins and Robinson, it'll be up to John Wall and Serge Ibaka to man the fort whilst Dallas look to keep their Playoff aspirations alive.

Box Score

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Trail Blazers topple Mavericks, remain undefeated

December 22, 2018 | by NBA News

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Portland is now off to a 4-0 start after tonight's 110-100 victory over the short-handed Mavericks.

As a team, they impressively only managed to turn the ball over 4 times whilst pulling down 24 offensive rebounds. Damian Lillard set the tone early, scoring 21 of his 34 points in the first half, and his pick-n-roll combination with Ed Davis was simply unstoppable all night. Consequently, Davis had an outstanding game, scoring a season-high 19 points with 17 rebounds, all in just 25 minutes of action.

With Dallas missing key starters in DeMarcus Cousins and Harrison Barnes, it was up to John Wall to carry the load. And although he managed to score 29 points, he was ineffective handling the rock, turning it over 9 times with just 8 assists.

Dallas will look to bounce back against the undefeated San Antonio Spurs. It's expected that Cousins will make his return with Harrison Barnes deemed questionable.

Box Score

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Cousins, Mavs dominate Spurs but lose Barnes in the process

January 12, 2019 | by NBA News

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DeMarcus Cousins was completely unstoppable on both ends of the floor as he carried Dallas to a convincing 110-91 victory over San Antonio.

Cousins, coming off a leg injury, picked up right where he left off, scoring 30 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Unfortunately the win came at a price for Dallas as Harrison Barnes left the game in the third quarter after re-aggravating his ankle. It's speculated that he may have returned too soon and is now looking to be sidelined for up to 2 months. "It sucks, you know, I felt that I was playing the best basketball of my career," a disappointing Barnes addressed the media after the game. Barnes was indeed in the midst of a career year as he was on-par to make his first All-Star appearance.

It's a tough blow for the Mavericks as they'll now look to lean more on Cousins and Wall to carry the team in Barnes' absence.

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Timberwolves take over in the fourth, edges past Mavericks 101-96

January 29, 2019 | by NBA News

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It was a huge night for Karl-Anthony Towns who led the Wolves from behind to take the game in the fourth quarter. Towns finished with 27 points and 19 rebounds while Harry Giles also pulled down 19 boards to go with 10 points.

As for Dallas, they simply couldn't buy a bucket, shooting just 6/35 from downtown. DeMarcus Cousins led the team in scoring with 32 points while John Wall struggled throughout the game as a result of foul troubles. He also tied a season-high 9 turnovers, and it's been a cause for concern that Rick Carlisle has started to take note. "He knows that he needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball and making the right plays. I don't need to tell him that. He'll figure it out" Carlisle addressed reporters about Wall, who is now averaging a whopping 6.0 TOPG.

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Wall fouls out as Clippers defeat Mavericks 109-104

February 11, 2019 | by NBA News

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John Wall's struggles continue as he was in foul trouble for the second straight game. Wall finished with just 13 points and 9 assists.

Chris Paul led the way for the Los Angeles, knocking down 6 triples and finishing the game with 30 points as the Clippers get a big road win and are now 4-4 for the season.

With this loss, the Mavericks are now out of the top 8 and will be looking to redeem themselves against the Lakers in their next game.

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Mavericks lose 3 in a row after 110-121 defeat to the Lakers

February 18, 2019 | by NBA News

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From fighting for a championship to fighting for a Playoff spot, the Mavericks have now dropped to 3-5 after tonight's loss to the Lakers. After starting off the first quarter leading 35-22, the Lakers clawed their way back thanks to an array of outstanding team defense.

Ingram and Russell combined to lead the team in scoring with 24 points while rookie Trevon Duval showed no respect to John Wall, talking smack all game. The two got T'd up and Duval even put Wall on a poster with a ferocious dunk in the second quarter.

As for Wall, despite scoring 26 points and 16 assists, he recorded a career-high 13 turnovers which led to the demise of his team and sparked the comeback for the Lakers. Clearly Duval's mind games worked as he got to Wall's head. Frustrated with the loss, DeMarcus Cousins called out the team after the game voicing his displeasure. "Man our other guys need to step up. Me and John are literally carrying the load and we can't do it all. We need those guys to be ready at all times and make those shots", Cousins referring to the team's poor shooting with only 6 makes from 22 attempts.

With the All-Star break coming up, the Mavericks will look to pick themselves up as they'll need to start winning to even make the Playoffs. Harrison Barnes, who has been out for the past 2 months with an ankle injury, is due to be back for the next game. It's clear they've missed his defensive presence as opponents have been scoring on them at will.

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2019 NBA All-Stars Announced

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Russell Westbrook and LeBron James will once again headline the NBA All Star Game, hosted in Charlotte on February 24, 2019. Both players were the highest vote-getters for their respective conference as per the fans.

Despite a big dip in scoring this season, Westbrook have nonetheless led Oklahoma City to currently the best record in the West at 8-1. He has averaging 21.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.2 APG and 2.1 SPG.

Joining Westbrook in the back-court will be former teammate, James Harden, who is making his return to the All-Star game after being snubbed last year. Harden is averaging 25.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 5.8 APG while leading the Houston Rockets to the seventh best record in the West at 4-5.

The West starting forwards will be Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Coming off a championship season, KD is a shooting at an absurd 59.2% from the field whilst averaging 27.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 5.0 APG. Kawhi Leonard, on the other hand, has also been very impressive on both ends of the floor with 27.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.6 SPG and 1.8 BPG. Second-time All-Star, Karl-Anthony Towns has been posting career highs with 20.9 PPG, 16.5 RPG and 1.7 BPG. He and his T'Wolves are currently sitting 4th in the West with a 6-2 record.

Rounding out the West reserves will be Stephen Curry, C.J. McCollum, Gordan Hayward, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and making his first apperance, DeAndre Jordan.

As for the East, 5-time MVP, LeBron James will headline the East starters, posting averages of 22.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 2.4 SPG, and 1.9 BPG this season. Joining him in the front court will be Paul George (21.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 2.6 SPG), and Dwight Howard, with averages of 16.7 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.1 BPG, and currently has his Hawks 4th in the East with a 6-3 record.

For the East back-court, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the starting point guard, with averages of 25.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG and 7.0 APG. DeMar DeRozan will join him, making his 5th All-Star appearance after averaging 23.9 PPG and 5.4 APG.

Rounding out the East reserves will be Kyle Lowry, Rudy Gay, Paul Millsap, and first-timers in Rodney Hood, Nikola Vucevic, Dennis Schroder, and Ben Simmons.

Stars

Starters: Dennis Smith Jr. (WAS), Luka Doncic (CHA), DeAndre Ayton (DEN), Michael Porter Jr. (UTA), Isaac Bonga (NOP)
Reserves: Trevon Duval (LAL), Lonzo Ball (PHX), Mikal Bridges (ATL), Mohamed Bamba (PHX), Thomas Bryant (SAS)

Elites

Starters: Collin Sexton (LAC), Markelle Fultz (UTA), Harry Giles (MIN), Josh Jackson (MIA), Jonathan Isaac (ORL)
Reserves: Frank Ntilikina (SAC), Hamidou Diallo (SAS), Jayson Tatum (NYK), Ivan Rabb (BOS), Tony Bradley (POR)

Participants
Devin Booker (PHX)
C.J. McCollum (POR)
Isaiah Thomas (BOS)
Chris Paul (LAC)
Eric Bledsoe (ATL)
Jeremy Lin (BKN)




Participants
Terrance Ferguson (PHI)
Marquese Chriss (PHX)
Ben Simmons (PHI)
Jaylen Brown (BOS)