Spurs’ Agonizing Defeat

The Spurs’ heartbreaking loss to the T’Wolves had Mavs fans like dirkfansince1998 feeling pretty good. I mean, who doesn’t love watching the Spurs struggle without Gregg Popovich’s mastermind on the bench?

“I really dislike the T’Wolves but watching the Spurs lose because they don’t have the IQ of Pop on the bench these days is a real feel good moment for Mavs fans. 7s left on the clock. Down 2. They don’t call a timeout. And to make things worse they are slow to push the ball up the court. Still get a decent look from 3 but I don’t even understand why you would go for the winner in the first place. If you call a timeout chances are that the Wolves overcommit to prevent a 3 and give up something closer to the rim.” - dirkfansince1998

Mavs2021 shot back, “So your problem with the decision is that the Spurs did not make a wide open three. Gotcha.” But dirkfansince1998 maintained that the Spurs should’ve gone for overtime instead of a potentially contested three.

OKC’s Juggernaut

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s impressive playoff run has turned heads, and Chicagojk is loving what he’s seeing. “OKC is such a machine. You would think playing 11 in a playoff game would cause issues…this is missing their 2nd/3rd best player too. Nope, they just keep rolling.”

“If you squint just a little bit you can envision Ajay Mitchell being an all star. Just a second year former second rounder. They are just littered with guys acquired different ways. Just a handful of lottery picks they made.” - Chicagojk

omahen chimed in, praising the Thunder’s coach and their ability to find talent: “It all starts with the coach - I think theirs is best coach in the league by a wide margin. They got several high picks and drafted well.”

NBA News and Rumors

The NBA world is buzzing with news, from Joel Embiid’s injury to Luka Doncic’s recovery. [Unknown] shared that Embiid has been ruled out for Game 2 due to ankle and hip injuries. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic has started running but hasn’t been cleared for full contact.

“Luka Doncic (hamstring) updates: - Said he’s started running - Has yet to be cleared for full contact - Said his original timetable given to him was 8 weeks (his injury occurred about 5 weeks ago)” - [Unknown]

Underrated and Overrated Players

In an interesting poll, NBA players voted on the most overrated and underrated players in the league. [Unknown] shared the results, with Alperen Sengun and Rudy Gobert making the list of most overrated players.

“NBA players voted on the most overrated player in the league: • Alperen Sengun: 12.3% • Rudy Gobert: 8.6% • Trae Young: 8.6% • Karl-Anthony Towns: 7.4% • Paolo Banchero: 4.9% • Ja Morant: 4.9% • Deni Avdija: 3.7% • Scottie Barnes: 3.7% • Luka Doncic: 3.7%” - [Unknown]

On the flip side, [Unknown] shared the list of most underrated players, with Jalen Johnson and Derrick White receiving 4% of the votes.

Mavs Fans’ Takeaways

As the playoffs heat up, Mavs fans are keeping a close eye on potential targets for their team. Chicagojk mentioned that he’d love to find an “Al Horford deal” for the Mavs.

“I would love to find a Horford deal out there if I was the Mavs. Not sure there is one. With the new cap, maybe there are some things they can take advantage of with teams.” - Chicagojk

And with that, the discussion continues. Will the Spurs bounce back next season? Can OKC keep their momentum going? One thing’s for sure - Mavs fans will be keeping a close eye on it all.

Community Contributors

Thanks to these MavsBoard members whose posts contributed to this article:

Read the Full Discussions

This article is curated from community discussions on MavsBoard Forum. Join the community and share your take!