The Mavs Struggles EXPOSE Roster Issues Around Cooper Flagg & Anthony Davis | Mavericks Postgame

The Mavs Struggles EXPOSE Roster Issues Around Cooper Flagg & Anthony Davis | Mavericks Postgame

On today’s show, the Dallas Mavericks fall to the 76ers. Cooper Flag plays his last game as an 18-year-old, but the Mavs offense is just not ready to make the playoffs or anything close to that. Today, it’s locked on Mavs. >> This is Cooper Flag and you’re listening to Locked On. >> I think that’s a good question. Morning. All these changes, you know, I still got my dog Dwight Palver. >> Your daily Mavericks podcast, >> part of the Locked On. >> Still can’t leave. >> Your team every day. >> I’m going to get a city like back >> and welcome. You are locked on to the Dallas Mavericks, your team every day. My name is Nick Angie member coming to the M for 10 years. Thanks for being every day or making lock on MS your first listen and making locked on podcast network, the number one sports podcast number. Joining me as always, the postgame prodigy from the great Slightly Biased YouTube channel. What’ you see from the Dallas Mavericks tonight? Slightly biased. >> I’m ready for to forget this game ever happened, which I will in about 30 minutes when we finish this episode. >> We’ll move on with our lives. We’ll maybe do Christmas things. We’ll maybe watch a Christmas movie. We’ll do something other than think about basketball game. >> That’s right. >> Especially that fourth quarter, which we’ll talk about. We’ll talk about how the Mavs uh fell in this one. We’ll talk about Anthony Davis’s impact in this one. Talk about Naji Marshall having a pretty good game. Cooper Flags last game as an 18-year-old and I thought he had a a decent game in this one. But let’s start with this. Slightly biased. The Mavs in this game just had some good moments. The beginning of the third quarter went on a 100 run to start it and you’re like, “Okay, here we go.” This Mavs team has been better as of late offensively. They have kind of flipped over the last couple of weeks. So whether like they were a better offensive team than they were a defensive team, which is a weird thing that that they didn’t have like the start of the season was complete opposite. And then they go into that fourth quarter, you score 17 points and that was atrocious. Then you look at the three-point numbers and the Sixers didn’t shoot that well from three at all. 12 of 40. The Mavs three of 18. I saw our friend Panda Hank tweet this that the Sixers centers Adm Bona and Andre Drummond had more threes combined than Max Christie and Klay Thompson. And if that happens, then your team’s probably just not going to win the game that night. And I don’t know that I’ve seen this Mavericks team be able to create enough threes, be able to create enough like quality offense to me to look at them and be like, “All right, here we go. Let’s go. Let’s make a run. This team is really heating up and let and let’s go let’s go make some kind of run here and make some win now trades or something like that.” And they’ve got to make some they I guess they got to make some changes. I don’t really know what they are unless it’s just bring Kyrie back. That’s like the one thing. >> I mean, on one end of the spectrum, I agree with you. On the other end, they they shot 17% from three tonight. So, just a really bad three-point shooting night, >> which didn’t take any of them. >> Yeah. No, I I mean, I agree. And in terms of just like the overall changes, I mean, all all season long, I have been saying Max Christie and Max Christie was really bad tonight. That was the worst game I’ve seen him play with the Mavs. I don’t know what was going on, but it was like Max Christie should be getting five or six threes a game. like bare minimum we should be getting that we should be manufacturing threes for him. Yeah, he’s great. He’s shooting his three-point numbers he is, but at the volume I mean like it should the volume just needs to be higher and we need to figure out ways to manufacture him some threes. Uh because yeah, your starting lineup combined to shoot eight threes like in today’s NBA that’s just insane, right? Like that the VJ Edgecom shot 11 threes, made three of them, but he put up 11 threes. Tyresese Maxi shot 11 threes. So those two guys by themselves shot more threes than individually than your entire starting five did. And Coup’s three ball obviously is just it’s not there. Uh it just isn’t. I don’t know if that’s going to be >> it’s over there actually is what it is. It’s not there. It’s over there. It’s like missing completely. >> I don’t know if that’s something we’re going to have to wait and see in the summer or whatever the case may be. I don’t know. Uh but AD is not a three-point shooter. Naji shot zero threes tonight. Um, Nimhard is not a volume three-point shooter at all either. So, I don’t know what it is you do really besides like, hey, here here’s the thing. We knew they weren’t going to be a three-point shooting team. That’s not a surprise to us. You can’t in the first you can’t get outshot by 19. If you’re not going to make threes and you’re gonna get outscored by what is it 27 points from the three-point line, you cannot then get outshot 102 field goal attempts for the Sixers, 83 for the Mavericks. That can’t happen. That you’re not going to The fact this game was even I have I cannot sit here and tell you how this game was close. I don’t know. All game long I was looking at the stats. I’m like, how is this game even winnable for Dallas? It was like the the Sixers are are winning in this category, in this category, in this category. And the Mavs are still somehow get like getting there. Uh Sixers took more free throws than the Mavericks. They got 20 offensive rebounds. Uh they only had eight. The Sixers only had eight turnovers. The Mavs had 18. It was just like across the board, all the different metrics you look at, you’re like, “Oh, if you win this, you win this, you win this. It should be a blowout game.” So maybe we should maybe we should go back on this and be like, “Well, the Sixers are terrible for not blowing the maps up.” No, both teams were bad tonight. This was a bad basketball game. And then Tyrese Maxi just did superstar stuff in the fourth quarter. Like that’s what happened. This was not a good game at all for either team. >> And the Mavs didn’t have that guy close. And it has been Cooper Flag. And the Mavs tried to turn to Cooper Flag and say, “All right, here you go. Create something for us in the fourth quarter.” And it it just didn’t work. And sometimes it’s not going to work. And he’s the youngest player in the league. And that I’m not like holding it holding it up to him being like I’m not going to come to him and be like why did you not create in the fourth quarter and then in clutch that stuff is all to me gravy because he shouldn’t be able to do that stuff that he’s he’s done so far and the team is now built around him being able to do those things in the fourth quarter. >> Yeah. I mean like you put the you put the card keys in an 18-year-old’s hands like it it can get a little bit rocky. We know that that’s part of the experience. We knew that going into it. Like yeah there will be moments that aren’t great. I mean, he still had 24 points on eight of 16. So, I I thought I thought he was I thought he had a pretty fine game, you know, uh I thought he was good defensively, all of that. So, not sitting here saying he had a bad game or anything like that, but yeah, down the stretch, I mean, but the thing is nobody was playing good. I mean, Naji had a great game scoring wise, 22 points, nine of 12 automatic inside the three-point line. But, you know, I can’t sit here and pretend like the five turnovers he had early in the game didn’t like really set the tone and kind of put the Mavericks up against it with this dreadful I mean, they had a six-minute stretch in the first quarter where I thought that was some of the worst basketball I’ve seen any team across the entire association play this year. That’s how bad it was. >> That one at the end of the at the end of the second quarter. >> No, first quarter. There was like a stretch, they salvaged it in like the last 60 seconds, but uh like a fivem minute stretch from the six-minute mark to the f one minute mark where it was just like turnover, turnover, offensive rebound given up, turnover, and I was like, “Oh my god, this is the worst basketball game I’ve seen a team play this year.” >> Well, and it it only it only finished well because Gaffer got a block. Naji drove into an N1 and then Naji got fouled on a heave that like 20 second swing basically uh 20 second stretch basically swung it. Yeah, that stretch largely came without AD or a flag on the court. And I just don’t think you can survive with this with this roster the way that it is right now without one of those guys. And and Kid seems to do that at least once in the first quarter, once in the third quarter, in fourth quarter kind of. It’s like >> this is why I have the when we do the the tanking conversation, which I don’t even really want to do here. I don’t want to do that. Well, they lost. Now it’s time to tank. Well, they won. Well, actually, we’re not tank anymore. But like >> you don’t want to do that. I want to do that every day. This is why I’ve been saying stuff like, “Guys, I think they kind of are.” Like, they’re going to try to win games, but like they’re cool with letting Cooper F have the ball every single possession in the fourth quarter. Like, that’s something like if this team were like dead set on winning games, I promise you that not be the case. And he and he’s been the best player on the on the team this season. Like, he has been. >> So, he deserves the ball in his hands. Yeah. >> Yeah. Absolutely. But still, like >> remember we were talking about PJ Washington being the best player on the team at the be beginning of the season. >> Well, somebody reminded me was like, remember the beginning of the season conversations was like, what does it mean if Cooper flags the best player on the team? And our answers were probably not a good thing. >> Yeah. Nope. It hasn’t been like it’s been good for him because he’s >> it’s cool that Coup’s been good, but it’s like for for this season, like the context of this season, it has not been good. It has led to a uh what 11 and 18 record for the Dallas. I the ma the the M’s defense I think also deserves some some blame in this one too. They allowed 42 shots at the rim. The Sixers only hit 24 of them, but still their teams are getting to the rim. >> That’s crazy. >> Uh and the Sixers didn’t shoot well from really anywhere. 30% from three, 40% on mid-rangers, that’s 36 percentile. That’s not good. 14% on corner threes, that’s eighth percentile. That’s terrible. Uh 57% of the rim, that’s 17th percentile. Like you again, you just go through the whole thing. They did not shoot the ball well, but they got a bunch of extra shots. The Mavs turned the ball over a lot and they Mavs couldn’t create any offense in the fourth quarter because they don’t have anybody that can shoot threes except for Max and and Clay. And then I I don’t know if I’ve seen a couple people be like, I like I like Max and Clay playing together off the bench. I don’t know if I like that because then you’re you’re only two three-point shooters are playing at the same time. >> Nobody else is. We you went through the starting lineup. PJ can PJ will take threes >> only if if they’re created for him, though. And that’s that’s an issue the Mavs have. Brandon Williams is not really a three-point shooter either. D’Angelo Russell is is like just trying to not make mistakes so he can earn more minutes in the the next game. So, he’s not he’s not really taking any. Obviously, Gaffford won’t. Like, you literally only have three threats from three on the whole rotation right now. And this rotation is healthy. Yeah. I mean, that’s We kind of knew this going into the season though. But, yeah, you got to figure out ways to manufacture it. I mean, defensively, going back to what you were saying, they gave up an offensive rebound in the half court on nearly 40% of Philly’s misses. They got the ball back. So, >> and and they did a good job like like they did a good job not like forcing misses off of that, but just when you’re going to give up that volume of shots and you’re not making up for it anywhere else, like you’re not generating steals, you’re not getting the free throw line 40 times, like you’re not putting up 40 plus threes, you’re going to lose that game. And again, it comes back to like I have no clue how this game was close. I genuinely have no idea. >> They scored 18 more points in the paint than the than the Sixers did. And they got 21 free throws. So like at least they did something, but again, not enough of not enough of an advantage compared to everything else that >> led up to this. And it it’s >> honestly it was like a roster design loss to me. >> Oh, for sure. >> You know, >> yeah, these are the this is a game where like the game ends is like, “Oh, those are that was pretty much every problem we thought this team could have.” Yeah. Yeah, especially since they’re not doing the double bigs, so they’re not getting an advantage there where if they’re playing double bigs, then your offensive rebound problem is probably gone. Like it would or it wouldn’t be as bad. >> Yeah. And I mean, >> even know that >> straight. I mean, 80 80 snagged 16 rebounds, but I I don’t think or 15 rebounds. I don’t think he had a great rebounding performance. Uh I I thought Gaffford was really not good in this game. Um, and yeah, like you just got to fight more defense on the boards. Like Adam Bona came in and took this game over. Like he took this game over. >> Adam, he’s Adam Bona today. >> Adm he’s Adam Bona because he hit a three. >> You get to be a Dem when you >> And then Drummond was dominating on the glass early. Even though I thought Drummond was dreadful in this game all in all, but like it’s tough. You had f you had three different guys. Oh, I’m sorry. I misread that stat, but you had a combined 13 offensive rebounds from those two, >> Bona and Drummond. >> It’s tough. >> And this is a small Sixers team. You can’t say, “Oh, this is a massive team. It’s like playing Houston where you get that’s the last time I think the Mavs got really beat on the offensive rebounds.” Like, you just can’t say that about this team. >> Yeah. Coming up, KF Flag’s last game as an 18-year-old. What do we see from him? What we see from Naju Marshall? More to come. Lock. Today’s episode of Locked Up Apps brought to you by our friends over at Robin Hood. Nobody knows your money goals better than you. Nobody puts you in control. Robin Hood puts you in control of your money with tools that work as hard as you do. Locking in on every opening, beating your PR, beating it again. Channel that drive into your money. Robin Hood puts you in control of your money. Trade stocks and ETFs, options, futures, and crypto all in one platform. 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Uh he had a he’s had uh 526 total points, which is just behind LeBron James at 625, which LeBron played three more games. And Kobe Bryant, who had 539 game points as an 18-year-old, and Kobe Bryant played 71 games. No, Cooper Flag just he also had 12 games of 20 or more points including tonight. LeBron had 14, Kobe had four. And it’s just you look at what he’s done, the body of work he’s had as an 18-year-old. And there’s not been many 18-year-olds because it should not be possible for an 18-year-old to be good in the NBA or to be able to play in the NBA. And the fact that Cooper Flag can get in there, can get his own shot, and like we were talking at the beginning, he is being trusted with the offense of a of a team that hopes and expects to make the playoffs because they have a top 15 player on the team. He’s being trusted with their clutch offense. That is that is where we are with Cooper Flag. And it is because he has earned it to this point. >> Yeah. I mean, um, the last time we can call him an 18-year-old, quite unfortunate. >> Yeah. Now, now we do the teenager thing. teenager, youngest player in the league. There’s still ways that we can approach it, but yeah, I mean, um, yeah, what’s there to say that we haven’t said a million times? I mean, he’s really good. Honestly, didn’t even think he was that great tonight, but he still made us have a positive impact on the game. So, the fact that that’s even a thing that can happen for an 18-year-old is is quite impressive. >> If we had dropped into this game before the season started, been like, “Hey, Kuflak, he’s gonna have 24 points. go to free line eight times, make all eight of them, >> couple of assists, >> eight of 16 from the field and miss two threes, so it’s eight of 14 from two point. You’d be like, “Yeah, sign me up. It’s great.” >> Yeah, I know. Awesome. I mean, he played good. Don’t get me wrong, but I’m saying like based off what how he’s played recently like, “Yeah, it’s a pretty good coup game.” >> The bar has been risen for >> it has been risen. He has risen. >> He has risen indeed. Isaac would be mad at me for saying that. Why is that an indeed ad? >> No, it’s a it’s an Easter Sunday thing. >> I know. >> At church they go, he has risen and the whole congregation goes, he has risen indeed. >> They indeed should get in on that. >> It’s a call. Yeah. Churches across America get in on that. Door sponsored ad right in the middle of service. >> Naji Marshall 22 points, nine boards, four assists, two steals, did have five turnovers, nine of 12 from the field. started eight of eight from the field and he just gets in the paint and he just finishes and I think if this Mavs team had any reliable spacing at all I think Naji would average 20 points this season. >> Yeah. I mean especially like you said the his I mean he doesn’t even really need it. If I think Naji and I and I want to give a lot of credit to Naji for this cuz there are times in games where I feel like and maybe this is from him playing in in New Orleans for a while but I feel like there’s times like games where Naji’s having really good games but he kind of understands I need to get the ball to Cooper Flag because I feel like if Naji just had the you know what I’m shooting tonight I’m scoring tonight I’m not looking I’m I’m hot. I think he could average 20 points a game. I really do. I think you can do it right now with this spacing. >> Pledge allegiance to the flag, man. >> That’s right. He’s a great team guy. He really is. >> He had incredible I did I did a a show the other day about his quotes and he was just saying he’s like, “I’ve been on teams that have quit before. This is not a team that has quit.” You’re like, “Man.” >> Yeah, I know. That’s rough. >> Some of those Pelicans teams were were not >> They’ve got They’ve got some good uh they’ve got some good vibes. >> Yeah. still despite everything. >> Yeah, the Mavs the Mavs definitely still do. But I thought Naji was really great. He just gets to his spot. His floater is just automatic when he gets in the paint. Um yeah, you just if you if you have a player like Naji Marshall, like the Anthony Davis role or the Cooper Flag role has to be like a really good three-point shooter for that for Naji to work like that. >> Yeah. I mean, I actually think his best role somewhere is kind of where he was at the end of last year. He’s kind of basically the backup point guard. >> Yeah, he could be. He He could be here. >> Yeah, true. When Kyrie comes back, >> the thing the thing when Kyrie comes back though, okay, Kyrie comes back. Who are you starting with Kyrie? Because right now, Kid is Kid is stuck on this big lineup next to Nemhard because >> probably because of of his limitations, >> heightwise, >> his vertical limitations. >> So, this is like I I Kyrie’s probably going to come off the bench early on, I’d imagine, >> for like a couple for like a game or two. I actually feel like they’ll short they’ll they’ll like uh they’ll they’ll kind of take a long play approach on this the whole year would be I would be my guess. >> I just think he’s Kyrie Irving. I just think he >> I know but I I doubt they ramp him up >> to be playing like 35 minutes a game every night by the end of the season. Like I really doubt that. No, there there will be frustrating moments where you go, they just played 12 12 straight minutes without Kyrie because they they’ll hold him for >> Well, hopefully nobody gets frustrated by that and kind of understands the the context. >> If you don’t want someone to get frustrated by something in 2025 on the internet, >> true. Why did Kyrie not play 43 minutes tonight? >> Yeah, right. But I don’t know if they can go Kyrie, Naji, PJ, flag AD. I mean, he kid probably will. Does Kyrie give you enough shooting to make up for some of that? >> So my mine I would go because Kyrie’s not Look, the reality is and we saw it tonight like the Sixers were hunting Nimi every single time down the floor when he was on the court. >> Maxi had this possession where he was backing him down and he was by himself on the right side and then uh he passed he had to he picked up his dribble so he had to pass it out to McCain. McCain drove in the lane and soon as he drives in the lane, Maxi throws his hands up in the air like, “Oh no, I had this mismatch that we’ve been hunting this whole time. Why did you take it?” And then Maxi got McCain got fouled. I mean, to Nimmy’s credit, he does compete, but there’s just a size, you know, there’s just a size disadvantage there that’s going to kill him every time. So, but I would go Kyrie. I’d go Christy because you got you got to have some shooting. And then you can go Coupe PJ AD if you want or if you want to start Naji then I’d have PJ come off the bench and have Coupe with the four. But that that’d kind of be my approach. I think you have to have Max Christie out there. >> I think so. I I think the size the and the shooting. You need both those things and you’re just >> and the point of attack defense. >> Yeah. Like Naji as the point of attack defender has been hit or miss. But I guess so was Max Christie as the point of attack defender. >> Yeah. But I mean that lineup then all of a sudden gives you like two actual legitimate three-point shooters and Kyrie and Christie >> and then gives you creation off the bench with Naji which is kind of what they need. Like this bench this bench struggled that that lineup that you mentioned at the beginning like the Brandon Williams the Brandon Williams, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Gaffford and PJ lineup was just brutal in this game. Like that they had a hard time. >> Yeah. I mean, it’s just those are those aren’t lineups that will have bad games, you know, like that lineup you just said, that’s a lineup that will have games that are bad >> and they all decided to have one tonight. >> Yes. Like it just unfortunately Yeah. Like three minutes of PJ, Brandon Williams, Dana Gaffford, Klay Thompson, Max Christie, that was a lineup they put out there for a good stretch of of game time and it was really bad. They lost those minutes by 10. >> Yeah, >> that was the that was that first quarter. That was that was part of that first quarter group where I was like, “What? This is the worst basketball I have seen a team play this year.” >> Was not wellrun. >> No. No. Losing losing a three minute stretch by 10 points is hard to accomplish >> unless they’re playing the Thunder. >> True. Well, the Thunder are frauds now. >> That’s true. That’s right. Do we want to talk about that? Do you need some therapy session on how they’ve >> No, I’m I mean, why >> they’re one and two in their last three game? I mean, that’s They’re under 500. Are you Are you upset? >> No, I’m not upset at all. >> Oh, actually, you know what? Let me This is crazy. This lineup, how bad it was. >> Okay, this was the lineup at the four-minute mark in the first quarter. Brandon Williams, >> Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gaffford, PJ Washington. >> Was bad. >> I said they they had a minus 10 in three minutes. Well, that’s because they had in the second half they had a minute 30 stretch where they’re actually plus one in a minute 30 in in the first quarter they were a minus 11. How do you give up? How do you lose a 90 second stint by 11 points >> turnovers? Let’s see. Uh no, that group only had one turnover, but my lord, it was it was rough. That’s bad. >> Not good. Uh Anthony Davis in this game, 24 points, 15 boards, couple assists, had a block, 10 of 20 from the field, and I thought he was pretty solid. He had 14 points in the first half. And you go, okay, there you go. That there’s an offensive AD half, but I am I am just left with like, all right, well, are we when are we going to get top 15 player AD? >> Yeah. I mean, this is a game where especially in the fourth quarter where it’s like, if you’re the superstar star of the team, like we really need you to carry us and and get us some buckets here. Like the offense is stagnating. We’re really struggling. Can you get us some points? And yeah, AD just hasn’t really even been that guy at any point this year. Although, you know, again, like you said, he he was good tonight. Like, I thought he was pretty fine. I didn’t think he was terrible or anything like that. Um, and overall like this season I think he’s been good. He’s been a good player when he’s played. He’s been good defensively. Uh, definitely he’s helped this team win this little winning stretch this team’s been on where they’ve won a good amount of games. Like AD’s been a very big reason for that. Yeah, these are the games tonight where it’s like, yeah, if the former regime were still in charge, I’d be pounding the table and be like, you traded for this guy to be the number one. And like he’s just not that player and we kind of know that. But yeah, I mean it is what it is. It’s tough. It’s tough cuz there’s no shooting. So like all of his touches are at the top of the key and there’s not a lot of spacing cuz guys get helped off of. Tonight I think was the first night and I noticed this early where it felt like a couple times the Sixers did not put a body on Cooper flag and were willing to go under screens and kind of help off of him. So, that’s something I’m gonna monitor over the the close next couple months of his rookie season is if teams say, “All right, we’re gonna bank on that three-point shooting being as bad as it looks.” >> Yeah. And then if you can leave Anthony Davis on the three-point line, you don’t have to go over screens for Cooper flag. Like, then then all of a sudden that combo like you’re on pick and rolls on those guys like the defenders just don’t have to participate. >> Yeah, I mean that if Anthony Davis and Ky and Cooper are running screens for each other. Oh, I did love they had a play I think it was early in the second half where they cleared out one side of the floor and had uh Coupe run a uh empty side pick and roll with Nimi and and I think Coupe got to the free throw line off that >> off that roll to the rim. I love that. I don’t see that why there’s any reason Cooper flag shouldn’t be setting four or five ball screens a game and rolling to the rim. That just feels like an easy action that could get him the ball in the middle of the floor going downhill, >> especially with Nemhard’s emergence. Yeah, I mean >> that’s the partner that because at the beginning of the season I would say well he just doesn’t have the pick and roll partner for it. But now >> I mean I’ I’d like to see him set a screen or two for AD with AD handling the ball >> at this rate. I’d set a screen for anybody set a screen for kid. And I did like I’m starting to think of some of their offensive process. Like outside the three-point shooting, the Sixers went zone a little bit and I thought the Mavs kind of tore that apart. Uh do in large part to PJ just being like really good in the middle of the floor. You watch some of these teams that play zone and and they ramp it up. Who who was I watching recently? Oh, I think it was the Cavs. Yeah, it was the Bulls and Cavs played like a little baseball series and the Bulls go to this zone and the Cavs just lose their minds and have no idea what to do with themselves and like I watched them get the ball to Dean Wade in the middle of the floor and he just has u there’s just a wet spot on the floor after he gets the ball because he’s so scared and it’s like PJ gets the ball in the middle of the floor and it’s just like all right one two dribble post up shoulder I’m getting into a jump hook >> like it’s like that that guy’s very important to have in those moments. So, shout out to PJ there. >> It’s one of the big skills Lively had, which would be really nice in moments like this. >> It’s an underrated thing is to have a couple guys that you can just put in the middle of the floor on a on a like blitzing high screens or zone and it’s like this guy will crush it. >> And Flag should be should be that guy. I But I don’t know if we’ve seen them do that. >> Well, he handles the ball so much like they don’t. >> Oh, yeah. That’s the thing. >> But yeah, he could be easily. I don’t see why not. Anthony, >> I feel like teams haven’t played a lot of zone against the Mavs, which is kind of weird. >> Yeah, you’d think that they should. >> Well, they have they didn’t have to at the beginning the beginning of the season. Just not scoring anyway. >> True. Yeah. Yeah. Just do whatever you want on defense, guys. >> Hey, just go out there and play play, man. >> We can get three three maybe even four guys cherry-picking. >> Well, at one point in the in the season, I was looking up numbers because I was like, the M there’s no way the Mavs are good playing zone. And they actually were better scoring against zone than they were against man. >> Yeah, that that doesn’t surprise me. >> I was surprised >> with how with how they can get in the middle of the floor, but again, it’s like with their shooting. Yeah, I’m a little bit surprised teams don’t go zone more. >> Three threes. I mean, like we can talk >> against zone 4% of the time. >> Yeah. >> The math are scoring just about just about one point per possession on that. And against man, it’s been 2,500 possessions. So, this is a much bigger sample size, but 0.95 points per possession. >> You got second spectrum. >> All right. We got We got Synergy over here at Lockdown. >> Wow. That’s big moves. >> That’s right. We got And it’s our own account, too. Shout out to Synergy. >> Yeah, man. Wow. How about you guys? Big bucks. Is it Is it hard to use? I’ve heard synergy is like you have to be take like sequel classes to understand synergy. >> It was harder for some of our hosts cuz I had to so we we we rolled it out for the whole the whole channel all all 34 shows and it was harder for some hosts. Uh some of the hosts let’s say the overunder is my age and let’s say the over was having a hard time the under was totally fine with it. >> Isn’t it like if then sequences you have to be like if like you have to run your own queries right? I mean, if you want to do that kind of stuff. But literally on on Synergy, the the cool thing about it is every single thing, every number has is highlighted and you could click it and see all the the clips from that specific thing. So like all these all these possessions against zone 109. I can just click it and watch them all and see like how the maps do against. >> Can you am I part of the locked on family enough to get access to that? >> Uh we’ll talk about this offline. >> That’s a no. That’s a resounding no, guys. >> No. Sorry, let’s just share our passwords. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. >> Don’t tell don’t tell Netflix or Synergy >> Netflix. >> You got to you got to company Netflix. >> Netflix hates them. >> Locked on Netflix account. >> I hate the password sharing. What will you remember most about Cooper Flag being 18? >> It’s funny because uh Isaac had a tweet where he was like, “What were you doing or what was the hardest thing you had to do when you’re 18 or something like that?” >> He he said that to the text line. The texts we got back were insane. One of them was like, “Bury my father.” Yep. That That’s very hard. >> That’s hard. Yeah. >> One of them was One of them was like, “I got deployed.” Yep. That that more difficult than anything, too. >> I actually I’m actually not gonna say mine. >> Well, yours is before you were 18 and that was your your football team that didn’t score a touchdown. >> Well, yeah, that was rough. But I was I was uh acted a fool at a young age. I’ll just say that. >> Acting a Were you getting in trouble? I was just I was just not uh >> was just a wild boy. I was 18 and in college. I mean, what what is there to say really? >> I did have a moment I did have a moment where I was 100% convinced I was joining the army. I think did did do a lot of people have those moments or >> was it just like there was a time I was like, “Yeah, I’m going to the recruiting office today. I’m joining the army.” >> Why was it because of lack of other options? >> Well, no. I was just uh I hated being in college at the time and then it was like yeah you know what >> like I’m just getting you know what it sounds sounds great to just >> and I was talking with a friend about I was like we’re not we’re not in a war like we’re not going to get deployed bro like >> rationalizing >> and then the friend I had the conversation with did end up joining the army and was stationed in Louisiana for four years so I would have been right. >> Hey and he hated every second of it. >> Sad sad for that guy. Shout out to all the military out there. >> That’s right. Shout out to the vets. Shout out to the vets and the vets. Oh, the vets of the the the Mavs fandom. I saw a Maverick’s vet hat at the Pistons game the other night. >> Love that. I love that. We’re working on some new ones. >> I thought that maybe I was going to get my hat when I went to the Haymaker studio the other >> Oh, I I totally forgot because in my brain I thought I because I did bring yours to the fan jam, but I forgot in the car. >> Uh you want to have more of a personal conversation at the end at the end of the show? feel like it’s been you and I talking. >> Sure. Yeah, it is. We’re just hashing it out now. >> If you’re still listening at this point, shout out to you. Appreciate it. You’re probably like a a P1 slightly biased locked on Mavs listener. Like you just listen to anything we say. >> Did you watch any of the football games today? They were all terrible. >> I did not. No, I saved myself. >> I I’m of the belief college football is the worst sport. It is the worst. It has the lowest floor by a lot. >> Baseball is a pretty low floor. Yeah, but at least professional baseball like you’re still watching the best college football. It’s like, oh man, >> might not score. >> That guy just threw the ball into the ground again. Like, wow. Oh, that kicker just missed another five yard field goal. It’s like, dude, these kids, God bless them, but geez, they’re terrible. >> Well, the thing with college football now is they keep transferring all the time. I know like our our locked on college channel is thriving right now because they have breaking news every single day because somebody is transferring, somebody is interested, somebody is visiting, somebody is in the portal, somebody’s like coming to the school, a coach is getting fired, a coach is doing things that he shouldn’t be doing. Like there’s just news all over the place in these college and I’m like these players are leaving and going like coming and going all the time. >> And the NBA’s kind of dealt with this too where it’s just like a new team every every day. I was actually thinking about this today. I watched the I I saw our friend Austin Geria retweet the uh the play from from Luca, Kyrie, and Dererick Jones Jr. where Luca falls on the floor and throws it to Kyrie and then he alioops and it’s just like the most incredible play we’ve watched. And I was like, man, we should be like in year three or four of the Luca Kyrie guys around him thing. And they should have amazing chemistry. Like imagine what they would do with the chemistry they could have playing it. Like we finally got a team around Luca that could actually like grow together and they just didn’t get a chance. And then they they you know he obviously blew it up. >> Yeah. I mean >> and we just don’t get teams that get that kind of chemistry anymore that get to build on that. And college football is the obviously the opposite of that. >> Well that that’s supposed to be like the appeal of college sports. Like this guy comes in and boom I got four years of them and we watch all these kids grow from freshman to seniors and it’s like that’s not even a thing anymore. So not only are these players bad, but it’s like now I got to cycle through a new bad player on our team like once every single season. Like that’s not fun anymore. And then like but I was actually I’ve actually thought about this recently. The NBA player movement I think is a little overstated. >> I think it’s just because there’s high profile guys. >> It’s the high profile. It’s the Stars guys that are like >> like the the like Kobe played his whole career with >> Yeah. But think about the current top guys. >> Kevin Garnett moved Kevin Garnett moved from the the the Timberwolves to the Celtics and it was this massive deal like Duncan never moved like the the big stars like the number ones. It was hard to see them move and now like how many teams has KD been on? >> Yeah, but think about the top 10 right now. Joic, same team. Shay >> got traded. That was a different thing. >> Shay’s like three years into this though. >> So Shay, Luca, like not on their own accord, different teams. >> Yeah, but Luca switching is still just another >> Giannis same team until now. Like who knows? Embiid same team. Steph same team. Like it’s not as cra when you dive into it. I think it really is like LeBron and KD and just like those guys leaving >> LeBron multiple times Harden Westbrook like >> Well, Westbrooks was more of like a that guy was a that guy was probably going to be a Thunder Lifer. >> Yeah. >> Right. where it’s like it became time for him to like kind of it’s probably similar to Giannis where it’s like he left but it was it was understandable you know like they he was here for a long time and it was just done. We have had a bunch of guys that have stayed for a while now. Like when you tune into like I felt like at one point, like probably when I first started covering the league is like you tune in, you’re like, “Oh, this is the brand new Lakers LeBron team.” You know, this is the brand new like Kevin Durant Nets team. You know, you’re just like, >> “Dude, LeBron’s been there for eight years. >> He’s been there a while now.” Yeah. >> Is that not crazy? It’s his longest stint anywhere. >> Yeah. Like like straight like stay. >> That’s just crazy to me. And there no way he gets remembered as a Laker. Like no way. I mean by Lakers fans, >> what what will you remember? What what LeBron stint when LeBron retires will you remember? >> Like the first thing that pops in your brain? >> Well, it’ be 2011. >> That’s fair. Mine goes to the second stint Cavs is just like what I >> second stint Cavs is like the the main one. But he did break the scoring record with the Lakers. >> It just feels weird. Did >> win a title in the bubble which is like historically significant. because it’s debatable. >> They never loved him really. They just didn’t. >> The Lakers fans and LeBron, >> they didn’t welcome him the way that in a way that kind of surprises me still. The way that they talk about him sometimes. It’s like, man, this guy brought a championship to your team and he’s LeBron James. Like, >> well, they had the homegrown. They had they had Kobe for that amount of time and all those fan like >> I talked to some people that still think Kobe is better than LeBron. I just for the life of me cannot understand how anybody can think that. Like I I saw cool and all like I maybe Kobe top 10 everything. >> Yeah, sure. >> There is a difference between the Kobes and the Magic Johnson’s and the LeBron’s and the Kareemes. You know, like Kareem came over after winning a championship with the Bucks. LeBron came over after winning championship with the Cavs and the Heat. You’re like, it’s just a different which is why the Luca thing should have been >> I guess let me rephrase that. He he should have been the like the Kobe the Magic because he was going to be here his whole career. >> If you grew up a Laker fan and it’s like, “Yeah, Kobe was my guy. He’s my goat.” Well, who am I to argue with you? Like Durk’s my goat. Like is obviously is Dirk the greatest player of all time? >> Yeah, but you don’t think he’s the greatest player of all time. You like he’s the greatest to you, >> but I probably have him over other guy. Like again, I’ve never done a top 100 list or something. That that should be a a project of mine. >> You know what? If you want the synergy access, you do our locked on top 100 next year because because we do one now every year >> like all time. >> No, no, no. >> Oh, I always do my I always do top I’m happy to do a top 100 list. >> No, top 100 all time, man. >> Or maybe 50. 100 is a lot. >> 100 >> cuz 100 you’re starting. Doing 100 this year like for this season was you got to 30 40 you go, “Oh my gosh.” >> I know. I I love doing that though. It’s a fun thought exercise. Top 100 players of all time. Who are we talking about at that point? >> Yeah. the 100. Well, the 75 the 75 included Anthony Davis and and David Lillard. >> Respect to both those players. >> I still think they should have got because in the top 50 one they originally did that they like built off of they had Shaq and like year two there. >> Yeah, they projected on some of them and they they got right on that one. But >> I still think to this day they should have done uh Luca. >> I would have done it if I had them. >> Was Jokic in it? He had to have been because he had he was an MVP winner at that point. And was that was that the year after they won? >> I don’t think he was in it. >> Okay. Well, if he wasn’t in it, then he’s the guy that they really missed on. >> He He was not >> really. It was Giannis. That had to be because that was after Giannis’s two. >> It was 2021. So, he hadn’t Yoken won yet. >> Okay. I guess that kind of makes some sense. >> I don’t even >> Giannis did make it. Yeah, because Giannis that was his MV after his MVPs. >> Yeah, like after he won the title and you’re like, “Okay, here we go.” >> All right, >> guys. Thanks for hanging out with us for however long you did. We appreciate you for sticking around with us. Locked on maps. Go listen to Slightly Bias. Great show all the time. Thanks so much for listening to Locked on Ms. Peace out. >> Uh, forget this game happened, guys. >> We did. Yeah.

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in a tough NBA matchup as the Mavs offense continues to search for answers. This episode covers what went wrong for the Dallas Mavericks, including struggles from three-point range, how Cooper Flagg performed in his last game as an 18-year-old, and the absence of Kyrie Irving, plus a detailed discussion on Anthony Davis and the team’s outlook in the NBA.

Nick Angstadt and Slightly Biased break down the Mavs loss, analyzing everything from Cooper Flagg’s scoring impact to the performances of Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie, and PJ Washington. They discuss Jason Kidd’s rotations, the effect of missing Kyrie Irving, and lineup challenges with key talking points about the Sixers’ big men like Adam Bona and Andre Drummond. The episode also touches on the contributions of D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Williams, and reflections on roster construction, mentioning teams and stars such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrese Maxey, and more.

0:00 Mavs Lose to Sixers, Offensive Issues
13:38 Cooper Flagg’s Historic 18-Year-Old Season
21:10 Lineup, Rotation, and Rebounding Problems

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