Assigning Grades for the Mavericks in their 111 – 107 win over the Kings
The Dallas Mavericks played host to the Golden State Warriors and grabbed a big 111 – 107 win. After a disappointing loss to the Kings on Monday, the Mavs were eager for a win against Golden State, as all three teams jockey for position in the standings.
This was a close game throughout, with the Mavs maintaining a lead from early on, until late in the game where the Warriors briefly took control. A huge game from Kyrie Irving and some clutch plays by Naji Marshall and Max Christie pulled the Mavs back in front and helped them seal the deal
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: A+
42 Points / 7 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (40 Minutes)
If you didn’t catch the game, please do yourself a favor and check the highlights. Kyrie was off the chain, plain and simple. He absolutely took this game over from start to finish. He was 15-for-25 from the floor and a scorching 7-for-10 from three. In a 40-ish second span, he scored 9 points on three three-pointers. Tag-teaming with Christie to put the clamps on the game, he stepped in and took a charge that resulted in a critical turnover. This was epic in and of itself, but you automatically get a grade bump for taking a charge (every game I ask myself why someone didn’t step in for a charge – it was great seeing someone do it in one of the most critical moments of the game).
Max Christie: A
17 Points / 5 Rebounds / 4 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (39 Minutes)
If you’ve read any Grades articles since Christie joined the team, you’ll know he usually lands well with me. I endeavor to keep bias out of these grades, so I don’t want it to come across as such; he just seems to have good games with a couple of really nice plays every time out. 3 turnovers was really the only blemish on his game in this one, a game in which he started (partially due to a swath of injuries, but certainly well deserved). Beyond that, he hit 50% of his 12 shots and continued to play solid defense without ever getting flustered. Poise is a word that continues to come to mind with a young player like him. Speak of, and bumping his grade, Christie calmly nailed two free throws that basically ended the game. Even a single miss would have set up one of the best three-point shooters ever for a tie-opportunity, but Christie put that chance to rest in what was likely the most clutch moment of his young career.
Klay Thompson: B
17 Points / 7 Rebounds / 2 Assists / 1 Steal / 2 Blocks (34 Minutes)
Thompson made up for sub-par shooting (31.6% on 19 shots) by grabbing much-needed rebounds and hitting a few big threes. Everyone expects a player to go crazy when playing their former team, but it doesn’t happen every time. Still, Thompson had a fine game with a few defensive plays that won’t show in a box score. He also held the best plus/minus on the team with +19.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: C
6 Points / 3 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (24 Minutes)
O-Max didn’t show as much poise and control in this game, which he has done a good job of in recent games. His shooting in particular (3-for-9) knocked his grade, despite an impressive Assist total.
Kessler Edwards: C+
4 Points / 6 Rebounds / 6 Assists / 2 Steals / 3 Blocks (33 Minutes)
Edwards had a much better stat line than I would have thought from purely watching. I stated this in the prior Grades article, but starting and playing 33 minutes has to get you more production, especially on the scoring front. Aside from that, he did a very nice job on every other statistical category. With Kyrie going off, you can believe he got fewer looks, but there were still a number of frustrating plays where he’d grab a rebound and simply drop it, or would just be a bit out of sorts.
Spencer Dinwiddie: C
3 Points / 2 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (18 Minutes)
I almost left Dinwiddie as an N/A in this game, because he didn’t do anything particularly bad, but he didn’t do anything particularly good either. While having done a decent job in limited minutes, we know he can produce more in short spurts than he did in this one.
Naji Marshall: B
10 Points / 8 Rebounds / 1 Assist / 1 Steal / 1 Block (30 Minutes)
Naji had a solidly well-rounded game on 50% shooting (10 shots), though he couldn’t connect on any of 4 three-point attempts. Impressively, he was once again the Mav who scored a bucket to stop an opponent run – I believe that is at least three games in a row (with this one coming right on queue with announcer Tim Legler openly questioning who will get an important bucket if Kyrie is double-teamed). While not his best game (3 turnovers, 4 fouls), he was an important piece to the win without question.
Brandon Williams: A+
12 Points / 1 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 2 Steal / 1 Block (15 Minutes)
Williams’ grade my be a bit controversial, but I assure you there is no intent to cause drama here. He’s simply a largely unknown quantity at this point, so his best and worst is still somewhat TBD. Having said that, he scored almost a point-per-minute played, didn’t turn the ball over, didn’t commit a foul, was the only bench player with a positive plus/minus and was on the floor in crunch time. Jaden Hardy had a very forgettable night, and Williams stepped into his spot with a major contribution.