Luke's smile said it all. The league is on notice.
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 146-111 on Saturday afternoon. Newly acquired frontcourt players PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford suited up and made a big impact. There were numerous highlights, but for each acquisition he had one play that stood out and was worth a closer look.
PJ Washington
Luka Doncic started this possession and never touched the ball again (despite being ready to receive it in the corner). Doncic made a pass to Kleber at the top of the key, then Kleber funneled to Irving, who rifled the ball to Washington in the corner.
Maverick fans have gotten used to seeing the ball go up quickly from the corner over the past few seasons. Success or failure, move on to the next possession. But here, with a decent but nice shutout loss to Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, Washington either looked a bit out of rhythm and in contention, or moved beyond the strictly defined 3-and-D archetype. You will be forced to make a decision about what to do.
Washington decides to drive to the basket to punish Holmgren for his shutout. To his credit, the 2022 No. 2 overall draft pick has bounced back to perform well. This will force Washington to choose between attempting another field goal or reaching into the bag again and making the right basketball play. P.J. passes to Derrick Jones Jr. at the 45 above the right arc. Jones then begins a drive of his own, pushing Holmgren away from the basket and leaving Washington free without an easy contest — and considering the Maverick wing's limitations in recent years. beautiful Dunk. Bravo. More of this injected directly into the proverbial vein of fandom.
Daniel Gafford
Luka Doncic has been waiting years for Daniel Gafford to arrive. The long days of suffering are over for the Slovenian sensation. Paired with phenomenal rookie Derek Lively, Gafford represents a leap forward in the midfield for this iteration of the Mavericks. Luka has wasted many of those golden moments, throwing perfect lob passes to flawed centers from Willie Cauley-Stein to JaVale McGee.
The best parts of Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell's matchup include their chemistry with Doncic, but something is missing on this roster. Even Lively's stellar rookie season couldn't completely fill this void. Daniel Gafford appears, 6 wins, 10 losses, 235 wins.
But the play was about more than just scale. Dallas has had a large center for many years. It's the athleticism, the bouncy hop, the fighting spirit to pick up contested loose balls, the hand-eye coordination to tip the ball toward you, the body control to get back in the crowd, and the years of skill. It was about a feather-soft touch honed through similar movements. Towards the basket. Pure tenacity mixed with ability is great to see at the Maverick Center. Doncic knows that most of his passes are on target. He now knows he has a margin of error and is a player willing to fight against Gafford's loose balls.
Luka Doncic was smiling throughout the game. Not a sarcastic, sarcastic, exasperated smile that says, “Hey, I'm doing my best here.” Instead, that smile today said, “I finally have what it takes to truly be next-level dangerous.”
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