Assigning Grades for the Mavericks in their 112 – 101 loss to the Nuggets
The Dallas Mavericks played a Sunday matinee against the Denver Nuggets, the first of two straight matchups between the two teams. Coming off a nice comeback win just days earlier, the Mavs started off hot in this one, but ultimately could not hold on, falling 112-101. This game was particularly heart breaking both because it was so winnable, but also because the Mavs only trailed the Nuggets by a half-game in the standings coming in.
The game was a flip-flop of fortune. The Mavs dominated the first quarter, holding the Nuggets to 17 points (their season low for the first quarter), while the Nuggets returned the favor in the second quarter scoring 41 to draw close. The see-saw continued with the Mavs growing their third quarter lead as high as 19 before settling for a 10-point advantage going into the fourth. Much like the second quarter, the Nuggets bench immediately got them back in the game and the Mavs simply could not respond, mustering a paltry 12 points as virtually nothing would fall. Being outscored 27-8 on second chance opportunities was a huge part of why the Mavs couldn’t bring this one home. Let’s get to the grades!
Spencer Dinwiddie: A-
16 Points / 4 Rebounds / 10 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (39 Minutes)
Dinwiddie recorded his first double-double of the season on Sunday and logged a nice overall game with the exception of inefficient shooting (4-for-13 overall, 0-for-3 from three). I bumped him into the “A” range largely on the poise and general floor leadership he showed in spite of the poor shooting, and the fact he exceeded previous performances with a solid double-double and excellent assist to turnover ratio (5:1).
There is one additional thing I want to mention regarding Dinwiddie, though not necessarily grade-related. It seems to me he is consistently short-changed on foul calls, or rather, no-calls. I watch a lot of basketball, Mavericks and otherwise, and Dinwiddie seems to draw a lot of obvious contact that isn’t called. I’m not sure if this is something entirely subjective to my eye, if it will regulate over the course of a season, or what else it may be. It makes me curious if he shouldn’t maybe be on the refs a touch more though.
Klay Thompson: A
25 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (35 Minutes)
Thomas started things off looking like the player every Mavs fan wanted when he was picked up this offseason. In the first half, he was 5-for-7 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from three. At one point in the third quarter, the commentary team pointed out that he scored 8 points in 48 seconds! He falls just short of the A+ because his shooting fell off dramatically after the scorching start and wasn’t the go-to the team needed when it mattered. Still, this was a massive positive overall and a performance like this is an excellent sign.
Naji Marshall: A
16 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 3 Steals / 0 Blocks (31 Minutes)
I don’t know what more could really be expected. Maybe a block or a couple of free throw attempts? Marshall shot 58.3% on 12 shots, including 40% on five threes. He led the team in steals and played very good defense, sometimes in unfavorable matchups. If he brings this every game, I don’t think anyone could find much to complain about.
P.J. Washington: C+
8 Points / 6 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 1 Block (37 Minutes)
If P.J. were at (or even just a touch closer to) his best, this game maybe goes a different direction. That’s not to say Washington is the sole reason for the loss, far from it, but he shot poorly and didn’t really make up for it in any other way. To his credit, he played good defense, but it didn’t impact the game enough. In particular, a better rebounding performance would have been huge for the Mavs.
Dereck Lively: B
14 Points / 5 Rebounds / 8 Assists / 0 Steals / 2 Blocks (27 Minutes)
A subtle but noteworthy highlight for Lively was a bounce pass to a cutting Klay Thompson who turned it into a three-point play. Lively’s vision and execution, threading the needle between two defenders, was a great demonstration of how his game continues to develop. Fittingly, he tallied a career high assist total in this one. His point total was fine and came on efficient shooting, but his grade gets hit hard by an inordinate number of fouls and not nearly enough rebounds. His fouls in particular are a big problem. It’s beginning to feel like he is committing more fouls as a sophomore than he did as a rookie. The worst part of the foul totals he logs, is that many of them are just plainly unnecessary and give the opponent and-one opportunities.
Quentin Grimes: C-
3 Points / 4 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (19 Minutes)
Grimes certainly qualifies for a grade in this game, however there simply isn’t much to discuss. He wasn’t particularly bad, but he wasn’t particularly present either. He didn’t log big minutes and just didn’t have any real impact on the game whatsoever.
Daniel Gafford: C
8 Points / 3 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 1 Block (15 Minutes)
Gafford didn’t get much burn, but even with just 15 minutes of action, you would think his impact would have been more evident. Once again, the rebounds being a glaring problem. How rebounding wasn’t more of a focus against the Nuggets is beyond me, especially as the second chance point differential became apparent throughout the game. He unfortunately joined Lively and Washington in underachieving in this category, and overall had limited impact despite Lively’s foul trouble.
Maxi Kleber: B
6 Points / 3 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (20 Minutes)
Kleber not only shot, but hit! I’ve touched on Kleber’s concerning hesitation a number of times this season, with my biggest hope being that he would simply make some more attempts. His first shot was a made three from the triple-threat position, which he followed up with another three a few minutes later. This offensive production alone would be enough to make defenses think twice and it was a (very) welcome sight. Even a couple of missed threes in the early part of the fourth quarter were important to keep the defense honest. His grade falls a bit short in the absence of any statistical defensive impact, though his 3 offensive boards were huge in a game where no one else wanted to rebound.
Jaden Hardy: C-
5 Points / 0 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (16 Minutes)
Hardy scored 15 or more points in four straight games coming into this one, but couldn’t find the bottom of the net on Sunday. He shot 1-for-7 from the floor and barely saw action in the later stages of the game. Like Grimes, there just isn’t much to say about this one.