In honor of Election Day, lets get out the vote on these pressing Maverick issues
In honor of Election Day here in America, I have cooked up a series of items for the readers of Mavs Moneyball to vote on. From starting lineups to very small propositions, we’ve got you covered for all of your Mavericks needs. I’ll provide you a poll and a campaign platform for each item, and all I ask for is your vote.
Starting Center
Campaign platform
Gafford: Gafford started games on a team that made the Finals, and the issues with the starting lineup aren’t solely on him. Given the time to figure it out alongside new addition Klay Thompson, Gafford can still be the guy to anchor the starting unit.
Lively: Per the NBA’s Advanced Stats, the Mavericks have played Gafford alongside the other 4 starters this year for 76 minutes, producing a -11.5 net rating in that time. Lively’s time with the other 4 starters has produced a net rating of +4.4 per 100 possessions, a nearly 15-point swing. A vote for Lively is a vote to play the better player more.
Proposition 6: Who should be the Mavericks’ 6th man
Campaign platform
Marshall: As evidenced by the Indiana game, Naji has the versatility that neither of the other two guys possess. He’s consistently a go-to guy in transition that the guys trust to push the ball and make plays. He also plays the best defense of any of these three. Marshall is a connector that can fit with anyone else on court.
Dinwiddie: He’s a known commodity that has shown he can deliver buckets off the bench. Within a couple minutes of him being on the court, you know whether he’s got “it” for the night. When he’s on, he scores better than any of the other two guys on the ballot.
Grimes: Quentin Grimes is perhaps the biggest wildcard off the bench, at least of the guys who consistently get minutes. A vote for Grimes is a vote for unlocking the ceiling of your bench group. In New York, he was nearly 40% from 3 and played elite perimeter defense. We’ve seen flashes of that here, so maybe with more minutes we’d get more consistent flashes.
Proposition 77: Luka Indicators
Campaign platform
Points: Without Luka asserting himself as a scorer, the passing lanes aren’t there for him to take advantage of. His big first quarter scoring outputs are a hallmark of his game, often leading to him drawing multiple defenders. Dallas hasn’t led at the first media timeout this entire season, partly due to Doncic being an ineffective scorer early in games.
Assists: When the Mavericks offense is rolling, it’s because the passing is crisp and timely. Kyrie Irving contributes to that, as well as Dereck Lively out of the short roll, but we and they know that it’s Doncic’s that stirs the pot in that regard. His drive and kick game, as well as the lob game, are massive parts of what makes the offense hum. When the “others” are involved by knocking down shots or throwing down highlight dunks, the Mavs offense is almost unstoppable.
Proposition C: Clutch Time
Campaign platform
Doncic: Luka Magic is a very real thing. When Luka has it, you know he’s going to get the shot off that he wants, probably a step back from the wing. It might not be the most efficient shot in the world, but you are probably okay with it, considering the history that this man has in his short career.
Irving: The creativity and ability to get his shot off over anyone makes him a very effective option to get the last shot. Irving also has an extensive history of incredible shots in big moments, including but not limited to that absurd floater with the left that he hit over Nikola Jokic last year.
Thompson: If Klay is getting the last shot, chances are it’s schemed up and wide open due to the gravity of the above two guys. If option C is a guy who’s a career 40%+ shooter from 3 getting a wide-open look from either Doncic or Irving, I’d rather be on the make side than the miss side.
Polling Times
Polls will be open through Thursday at midnight. After the polls close, we’ll come back with our exit poll data showing how the public has voted. Until then, feel free to share your votes below.