Dallas is the NBA's BIGGEST Wild Card!

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The Dallas Mavericks have a real chance to make some noise this season. They also have a chance to implode. Are the Mavs contenders? Will their defense recover from their poor finish last season? Will Kyrie and Luka be enough to carry the offense? #basketball #commentary #nba
0:00 intro
3:19 New Additions
6:27 Continuity
6:51 The Offense
8:29 The Defense
10:26 The Stakes

[@rustybuckets]

Use code RUSTYBUCKETS50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/444MOih

[@EduardoOliveira-zx9ju]

Video starts at 3:20

[@slimypickle19]

Longtime Mavs fans will remember the 2003 Mavs (who you can use on 2k btw). They were insane on offense but horrible on defense. They ended up going 60-22 & were a Dirk injury away from possibly winning the title. The difference between then & now is that insane offense isn't an outlier anymore. 105 ppg in 2003 was unimaginable & defenses hadn't figured out how to defend their offense. Now though, everyone else in the league shoots 3s & plays with quick lineups that can defend perimeter play. I just don't see this Mavs team going far without a decent perimeter defenders & a great rebounding/ defensive big like Chandler

[@august6281]

yeah, classic glass canon back then.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

If Luka can have a bit more efficient shooting from range (ie. not being forced to shoot extremely hard 3's a ton), they will have one of the best offenses in the league for sure. For perimeter defense, they have Green, Kleber, Jones Jr and possibly OMax to rely on, with Hardy, THJ being possibly good as well (they both showed signs of being good last season). Both Luka and Kyrie can come up with steals, as they read the game well. It's not the same as staying in front of a player, but it will help them get more possessions to win games anyways. I'm not too worried about having enough switchable defenders, the main issues are not getting killed on the glass and not having any rim protection. Lively is an extremely talented prospect, but relying on a rookie is a gamble and not having him on the floor will require someone else to step up, either being Richaun Holmes (who at least seems like a strong physical guy) or a small ball 5 like DJJ, Powell or Kleber. EDIT: I forgot to add Dante Exum, he is an excellent perimeter defender too. A wealth of options really!

[@jeremyking9442]

Isn't that the exact reason they picked up Lively though?

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@jeremyking9442 Yes. It might take him a year or more to get ready though.

[@jaychow3]

Sadly the problem is JKidd. Dude doesn't call plays on offense. He just lets Luka do his thing but man it was rough to watch in the clutch.

[@Casualfan101]

Bruh do you even know the x and o’s of bball the mavs are a pnr heavy team bcuz they’re elite at it but they run plenty of plays you don’t make the wcf running a street ball offense making no adjustments the fact that the mavs had hella injuries and no solidified rotation resulted in zero structure or identity compared to the year before that’s the only real thing you could knock Kidd for but again hella injuries and an ovr bad roster makes it pretty hard and considering the wcf run I think you have to cut him some slack he turned a worse mavs team into a top 7 defense

[@EnZo7992]

⁠No there are things you can definitely knock Kidd for like the shit game management for times when he let a few buckets turn into 8-10pt scoring runs before calling a timeout and all the final possession uninspired Luka Hail Mary 3’s, even in games where a 2pt basket could tie/win the game. That being said the last season the Mavs definitely had bigger issues and with what they’ve done with the roster hopefully can compensate for them.

[@imdbtruth]

Kidd overachieved in his first season getting them to the WCF. Last season the team was broken, the roster was bullshit. I think Kidd is the right coach for Luka and Kyrie.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

The team needed to have more time together. Do not underestimate the loss of DFS for defense, he was a really important part of it, basically their anchor, playing a ton of minutes. Also, the loss of Brunson and Dinwiddie and having Kyrie instead can take time to adjust, in this case mostly for Luka, who seemed a bit flustered at times.

[@chugcanthoop]

As a mavs fan I’ve been waiting for this for so long ❤️

[@Fred_Die]

I'm so sorry you have kyrie in your team

[@chugcanthoop]

@@Fred_Die why tho? He’s almost 50-40-90 averaging 27ppg

[@chugcanthoop]

@@Fred_Die not to mention on a team friendly contract

[@prof.krastavaclee8795]

​@@chugcanthoop been waiting for what?

[@Cbrunning849]

​@@chugcanthoopCause he's made of glass and is a locker room cancer that brings tons of drama to a team. Asks Cavs fans...or Boston fans....or Brooklyn fans haha

[@imdbtruth]

I feel like a lot is riding on how well Green and Exum can defend and shoot threes consistently. If their wing defense is good, then they can still get by with their lackluster Center rotation. Luka and Brunson went to the WCF with only Powell and Kleber as options at Center, adding Holmes and Lively to go along with them is significant.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

With a summer training camp and a decent part of the season together, their defense was servicable (at some point 4th in the league even) It took them until december or so to figure it out, but the year they made the WCF was a good defensive team, ending up as the 7th best defense in the league overall. They really got exploited in the WCF though, lacking the rim defense and rebounding to keep their defense afloat. (and this was vs a small team like the Warriors even) I agree though, this team has a ton more defensive pieces than in that run. If you look at it very simply, they traded Brunson for a Kyrie and DFS for Williams, adding Exum, Lively, Omax, Curry, Hardy, Holmes and DJJ over pieces that didn't really work out or weren't used in the WCF run. They don't have to all be great, but if you can find 7-9 guys to form a playoff rotation, it can work out for sure.

[@DunningKrugerJnr]

Great summary RB…you missed Kleber though, he’s an important 3 and D F/C who can only be relied on for 20-25 minutes…he’ll close plenty of games when healthy

[@peperohde8325]

You forgot to mention Kleber and Powell. I think that at least Kleber can have a great defensive impacto and should get some minutes at the 5.

[@cicjose6016]

they were already on this roster and had zero impact last season

[@nizzle3926]

​@@cicjose6016wouldn't say zero. And Maxi was injured quite alot. We saw what he can do in last years Playoffs. So if he's fit i think he will ne an important rotation piece.

[@samtraynor3997]

​@@cicjose6016L take. Maxi is one of the best 2-way role playing PFs in the league. 3&D personified and has height. Look at every possession he individually guarded Giannis last season... clamps

[@rome8180]

I've always really liked Kleber. I think he's really underrated. Never been the biggest Powell guy, but he's a solid rotation player at least. I would expect both those guys to get more minutes than Lively for a while at least.

[@AdolphSaxOfficial]

Maxi is one of the most underrated players in the league

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Love this rundown of the Mavs and their off season moves, you forgot to mention OMax and Derrick Jones Jr, but otherwise it was a solid, complete overview. Apart from the watching the world burn comment of not minding the Mavs to fail hard (and seeing Luka go ask for a trade), I think you couldn't have summed up my views more accurately. I'm really excited to see two wizards create offense out of nothing and having a team around them, that could be good enough.

[@imdbtruth]

He also forgot to mention that Kleber and Powell are also still in the Center rotation. Considering in 2022 Dallas made it to the WCF with only Powell and Kleber playing Center, the fact that they're still available options along with Holmes and Lively is at least worth mentioning.

[@pinobluevogel6458]

@@imdbtruth The video was about the off season acquisiitions most of all, but at least Jakob could have mentioned them. The thing with both of them, is not that they aren't servicable players in their own right, but they are too small for the center position. Powell also gives up quite a bit in defensive potential and Kleber, while a really good defender, still gives up too much physically vs the bigger centers. That's not to say they aren't great options to have, having either of them at the 4 spot will help them shore up their defense quite a bit. Kleber had a bit of health issues in the past, but I would give him a lot of minutes anyways, because he is such an excellent switchable defender and has good 3 point shooting on the other side. (a classic european mold of player) A starting lineup with Kyrie at point, Green at the 2, Luka at 3, Williams at 4 and Lively at 5 could be a great starting five. They could swap Kleber over Williams if they need more flexible defense, instead of size and strength, or possibly Derrick Jones Jr. A lineup without Luka or Kyrie should introduce other important pieces like Hardy and THJ, who both shouldn't be too bad defensively and I don't want to exclude Seth Curry from having enough minutes, he still is the best shooter they have, with Kyrie being close behind. His secondary playmaking could mean he could swap with Kyrie directly, or have some overlapping minutes, especially lategame in a smallball lineup with a smaller 5 on the floor. Its looking to me like they have a wealth of options to choose from, for every position except the Center position. I really wish they could find just one more truly big defensive center, in case Lively doesn't work out.

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

Chances are OMax is a starter this season, definitely needs mentioning...

[@connorkimball3064]

Omax will have a christian braun season im on the omax agenda he looks so good. The mavericks didnt make that trade for richaun holmes, they made it for omax

[@SomeGoodBroth]

I can see him as a Thybulle type player. We just gotta make sure his 3 ball is solid enough for minutes

[@AdolphSaxOfficial]

Wish they coulda pulled off the Thybulle move

[@coltondodd3086]

Bro didn’t talk about OMAX :(

[@yosquiggly]

Omax Prosper will probably get serious minutes as a rookie. His defense is really good.

[@flamingythermit314]

You also forgot to mention their other rookie they selected. Maxence olivier-prosper. Supposedly a really solid young 3 and d guy to add to this rotation. Plus they hired a new offensive coordinator too. This team might be doing something special

[@justc1re617]

Really looking forward to this season and your vids getting me even more hype. Keep it up 👍

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Agreed, with barely anything going on (aside from a little unexpected trade) it is nice to still have some content going that is worthwhile, even though there is very little new going on in this video, its a good rundown and keeping an open mind on what is possible. (or not possible)

[@pawnography5788]

I think they made good moves to build for the future - will have tonnes of assets moving forward and trade flexibility next offseason

[@LonnieyCkash-is5mz]

Wassup buckets hope you’re doing well and family ❤❤❤ please don’t stop with the edits

[@ADHoops]

As a Celtics fan and a member of the grant Williams fan club it’s so sad to see him go. He was our guy we put on the more physically demanding players. He’s gonna go nuts in Dallas

[@jaimesapoznikov7921]

Another key that was missed is omax prosper is he gonna be prime Marian no but if he can show a developing 3 point shot he will be a better version of Dorian finni smith

[@nizzle3926]

The better version of DoeDoe i kinda agree. What you have to say is that prime Marion never played for Dallas but for the Suns. For Omax i could even see that a guy like OG Anunoby could be a good comp. He's really quick on his feet and navigates screens quite well. So defensively his upside is huge. But the thing i'm actually more hyped about is his offensive potential. He really surprised me in Summer League with his driving ability, so if his shot is falling he could be really good. Even thoug this year both his and Lively's focus should and will be on defense.

[@imdbtruth]

Pump the brakes on Omax being prime Marion! I'm hopeful for Omax, but Shawn Marion is a pretty high bar for a guy who hasn't played a single NBA game yet. DFS comparison is at least more realistic at this point.

[@mentallyinsane3344]

Im pretty high on omax prosper. Dallas got a good deal with the sacramento draft day trade

[@pinobluevogel6458]

This was a great omission for sure. The potential for Olivier-Maxence Prosper is really good. Also, if he works out to be a DFS like player, that is a really good thing to have, he was their defensive anchor for the last 3 seasons and they really felt his loss after the trade deadline. Its kinda sad that he doesn't seem to quite get it together in the messy Nets lineups, as having him back on the Mavs would still work really well.

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

Commas; ever heard of them?

[@G5_Undisputed]

Not too confident with our Bigs but we got some real backcourt weapons

[@zanmarinic]

More or less what my feelings are as a Mavs fan. O-max prosper showed some potential also... good video!

[@glenn-fr7hj]

lol @ not mentioning Omax

[@jnthnmrry]

I think the ceiling for the mavs is the finals tbh, if they can develop lively, split his minutes with richaun holmes in the playoffs.. then when it’s luka only on the floor (no kyrie), play powell for the pick and roll between him and luka, giving the offense more weapons to throw at the defense. when no luka, only kyrie, play bigger in a zone so you can pass the ball more or let kyrie just be kyrie and get a bucket. but when both are on the floor, play two better defenders in grant williams who will give call outs, and a josh green/prosper/exum (don’t sleep on exum) type wing defender. at the center richaun holmes and derrick lively are both great options to anchor a defense, protect the rim, catch the lob, and get a board

[@1andonlyE]

If Mark Williams can be that Good as a rookie so can Lively

[@nizzle3926]

I hope so. But you have to consider that the Hornets were like a 20 win Team and the Mavs wan't to be like a 50 win Team. But yeah i'm actually really hyped about D Live.

[@user-nn6ow3xt5o]

@@nizzle3926they were tanking tho like they obviously “load managed” lamelo didn’t have bridges and they barely played mark williams.

[@BattleRapperDay]

I think we will be the 6th seed and be second round exits which would be the best case scenario. But after two years OMAX and Derek Lively will be nba ready and studs/ josh green and jaden hardy will be better too and I think we will be contender favourites until then im just happy with making the playoffs.

[@bigsmacked]

The Thunder will be far better in 2 years

[@Cbrunning849]

That's the kind of timeline that leads to a star walking

[@fortynights1513]

The questions I have for Dallas are: 1. Is not being thrown into a new situation going to help Kyrie? (not that he played badly last season, but he was traded midseason and some say players do better the year after a midseason trade) 2. Will the new additions help rebounding and defense around Luka and Kyrie? And 3: How will Luka and Kyrie do offensively when they don’t have the ball in their hands?

[@jonnstewart2023]

Kyrie has always been good offball, it's Lukas defence and offball playing need to worry bout in regards to those 2

[@SomeGoodBroth]

@@jonnstewart2023kyrie and Lebron made it work I don’t see them struggling on offense. Kyrie even said he knows it’s Lukas team.

[@bootycheeks9262]

People have watched Kyrie play offball for over half his career and still ask whether he’d be good offball🤣💀

[@rome8180]

Kyrie will be fine without the ball in his hands. He's had to do that a lot throughout his career, and he's one of the best off-ball shooters in the NBA. I would say Kyrie played well post-trade. The problem was that they traded away key defensive pieces to get him. But the Mavs were actually better with just him on the court than just Luka. And together they were solid. The problem was that they didn't get to play together a lot. For me, it's all about #2.

[@EduardoOliveira-zx9ju]

​@@rome8180 Kyrie and Luka played a total of 16 games together. It's not a large sample size to draw a reasonable conclusion. Magically, they broke records in that span. Also, The Mavs were one of the worst defensive teams with DFS and SD, so they were NOT an addition. DFS actually got benched on the Nets

[@tinyrick2921]

Defensive wing... Mikal Bridges is a stretch, his value right now is sky-high. Anunoby makes sense, although he won't be cheap for sure. Maybe Isaac Okoro for Tim Hardaway Jr?

[@MoXy33]

Eating consistently is extremely easy if you find the right foods, Kvarg yogurt is basically cream cheese but it's 100 calories and 20g of protein, I got a 6 pack buy replacing chocolate biscuits/other deserts for protein yogurt and Grenade bars. Expensive but easy and tasty, I know you have the money Rusty 😉

[@Thedrunkguy1]

Damn Rusty so nice, he called Luka a fine defender. Hes a cone, give this man a hesi and hes done for the possession.

[@ryanmuller9497]

Luka's gotten gradually better as a defender. He's not great against quick guards, but he can defend forwards passably. He's still not a plus defender by any means, but as long as he's matching up against forwards, and actually gets back on defence rather than complaining about the umpteenth foul that really should have been called but wasn't, he's a fairly average defender now. At this point, he actually tends to show up near the top of defensive ratings by position because he doesn't get put on the opposing team's best player and then holds his own against whoever he is put on.

[@G.dot_]

As long as he doesn’t go against quick guards he’ll do okay

[@TheJacqueswong]

Any team with Kyrie is a wildcard

[@mayo42069]

bra misspelled minnesota timberwolves 😭

[@Philip_Recchia]

Youre wrong Rusty, I miss Grant Williams but after getting shafted by mazulla last season Id want out too

[@sebbensebbenandsebben691]

Seeing Luka still moaning at the refs every plays in FIBA world cup make me think it's going to be the same this year.

[@pravski]

We need rebounding

[@sqeric]

Lets to update video on dallas.

[@johnwild8217]

In all honesty west was insanely equal last year. It was like 3 games diference between seed 4 and seed 11. Of course Mavs fell down. They completely tore the team apart

[@jnmc2498]

This is true only if they can get a decent center.

[@banimeclips10]

Has been saying Mavs have the highest ceiling & lowest floor

[@RD-zx6py]

Another year in which a team Kyrie is on is given a chance despite all the recent evidence being that having him on your team is pretty much a guarantee to underwhelm in the post season. 'BuT HiS HaNdLe ThOuGh!'.

[@taystoner7144]

Str8 yapping 😭🤦🏾‍♂️

[@RD-zx6py]

@@taystoner7144 keep getting suckered by a flashy handle and ill advised half attempts at martyrdom.

[@SomeGoodBroth]

KD and Kyrie were given scraps and told to ball up. Luka and Kyrie have an actual team around them. The only thing shaky is the center play but that’s really it. Luka literally led his team to the conference finals with defense and ok shot creators. (Brunson was OK the year they went, but improved a whole lot last season)

[@nakedbanana7056]

​@@SomeGoodBrothMavs a team of traffic cones.

[@nizzle3926]

​@@nakedbanana7056that's just dumb for you to say. They really got some solid role players this offseason, which is really anything you need with Luka and Kyrie. A clear starting Center is really the only thing missing, but let's see how Lively turns out. I mean if they would have like a Capela or Myles Turner, i would probably consider them contenders.

[@travismcnamara8919]

As someone with extreme beef with all Dallas sport teams (Bills and Sabres fan), I pray they don't get OG. That would be a huge get for them - the perfect fit for them. Still probably not a true contender but it would push them much closer.

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

OMax is their OG, making Anunoby a redundancy

[@NiyiDaNinja]

I’m not familiar with the roster but they seem better than the 4 previous ones Luka has been on and those teams were pretty successful so I expect this one to be the same

[@matthieusaade3616]

Losing Brunson wasn't really the problem because you obviously upgraded the position with Kyrie. The biggest issues was losing Dorian and Kleber being injured most of the season. DFS was the defensive vocal leader and one of the best wing defender in the league. The second the Mavs actually get a decent starting center that can rebound and defend they will have a serious case to conf finals

[@cesarlaflame]

I’d argue the cavs are the biggest wild card if either Evan Mobley and Darius garland make the jump to the next level I’d think they’d give the new look bucks a run for there money

[@hardywoodaway9912]

Dallas need to get off the THJ contract and get another defensive forward.

[@NoahBrwn]

You talk about defense but forgot about Omax? That kid is a menace on defense his a big wing he might get more minutes than Lively

[@michaelpaullang4401]

I’d try to trade for buddy and Myles turner, they have the assets now, Derrick lively, Omari, Tim hardaway and some picks would be a great love for them Luka Kyrie Buddy Grant Myles turner Good line up to me 👌🏽

[@bootycheeks9262]

Hell nah

[@chaeyo777]

In OMAX we trust!!!

[@seanowens1006]

The two top guys need the ball most of the time to be effective. Friction is inevitable with big ego stars. I predict a playyoff miss and they will need to move Kyrie. A Kyrie for Anuoby would be a good swap when things breakdown.

[@cmonman1407]

CP and Harden worked, Durant, Kyrie and Harden have worked. Even Dame and CJ have worked to their fullest potential (because only having one All-Star on your Team will only take you so far). I’m not saying it’s guaranteed Luka and Kyrie will work. All I’m saying is, there have been plenty of great duos/trios constructed on ball dominant stars, so their ball dominance doesn’t mean they can’t be good together.

[@RD-zx6py]

@@cmonman1407 it's ridiculous that two MVPs were deferring to a guy who's never so much as a received an MVP vote in Brooklyn.

[@abtocool6350]

@@RD-zx6pywhen kd was hurt, kyrie and harden went 22-5 and with all of them together they were 16-3, they didn’t win in the playoffs because of injuries

[@seanowens1006]

@RD-zx6py I think your right - Kyrie will be the odd man out as the Mavs have hitched their wagon to Luka. Kyrie while very talented is prone flake out andnot a guy you necessarily want in your locker room.

[@EduardoOliveira-zx9ju]

@@seanowens1006 Then the pressure is now on Luka. Luka would then have already gotten 1 coach fired, failed with Porzingis, failed with Woods, and may fail with Kyrie. We all love Luka, but he's becoming the common denominator.

[@thuggwaffle8825]

I don’t even think they’re a wildcard honestly. I think they’re gonna have a rough year. Bringing in Grant Williams will help a little but I have no idea why they ever even traded for Kyrie.. He’s like the opposite of what you want to surround Luka with in my opinion. I think Cuban brought him in solely to keep Luka from asking for a trade but with his contract you could get 2 solid 3 and D guys

[@sumshee17]

😂 love Luka, but saying that his defense is fine is too much…

[@lukedavis2490]

MAVERICKS MENTIONED LETS GOOOOOO

[@ericlisboa8860]

I wish they would trust Lively and Holmes as much as you think. Dwight Powell will play more than both, and suck as usual

[@ShniitSchneyder]

Getting Kyrie was such an inconceivable trade... "we need big men! ... OH HAI KYRIE". And this hurts as a Dallas fan but I think him and Luka are a terrible fit. What where they thinking 😅

[@eazye5072]

They were thinking we need a superstar, any superstar to show Luka we're really trying to make moves. Sadly he was the most accessible one to get whilst giving up the least due to his many issues. However I still have hope that they can make things work.

[@cooperhayes1194]

in the moment i remember a lot of nba fans and content creators agreeing that it was a shot worth taking, since the general idea was that Luka needs more help/another star by his side). the only thing is that a good portion of people didn't realize just how bad the Mavs would become defensively

[@hugotarga]

They'll go out on the first round

[@22s22a]

If they make the playoffs another first round exit... just waking for Luka to get to contender in a few years

[@jamesjohnson1167]

Who the duck is playing defense man that’s the real question

[@Oceans711]

Bucks jersey Buckets!!! wooooooo

[@travismichael9595]

3 minute ad jesus man

[@blquasar]

rusty tattoo reveal

[@Knight93King]

#MAVS will be 57-25

[@tammydj9941]

No defense still. Successful teams in the finals have real defensive players shinning in key moments that can turn the tide in their team's favor. Still, go Slovenia77! Mabuhay!

[@whackboi8333]

you could tell me this team will barely make the playoffs, or that they win the chip. and i’d believe both

[@jalenperez2611]

I disagree, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell they make it even to the conference finals

[@Sinuri07]

Go for jrue simple

[@user-iy6wr4kk3m]

Need a better coach around these 2

[@LakerTriangle]

Not seeing what you're seeing - the depth isn't there for a meaningful run. Depending on how the injuries play in the West I only see this team as a 9/10 at BEST. Not better than 4 Cali teams, PHX, DEN, MEM, or OKC.

[@kingjulian06]

DAME GOT TRADED TO THE BUCKS‼️‼️‼️‼️ OFFICIALLY POSTED BY THE NBA AND WOJ

[@4kilometers]

they still gna suck in the playoffs if they dont get a 3rd star

[@HookahDoncic98]

They’re a top 4 west team shut up

[@ViewlessDRH]

huh 1

[@DredgenStan]

Biggest X factor Jason Kidd lol. He's a terrible head coach

[@elbobo9723]

The Miami heat are gonna win, it doesn’t matter

[@Martyrdomer]

Dumbest take of the day.

[@cooperhayes1194]

under the assumption we get dame, or have a backup option for if we don't get dame, I agree. we lost max and gabe over the offseason and they were important for us these past two playoff runs

[@PimpPhilth]

Not a wild card team just a bad team

[@jacoriadams]

100 % facts

[@shax3535]

Imma come back to this comment in the All-star break.

[@PimpPhilth]

​@@shax3535 not bad just mid